Contemplative Curiosity

• 335EBuddhist Debate

  Analyze diverse perspectives through structured debate, and demonstrate the application of gestures and concepts from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of debate.
• 206EBuddhist Rituals Across Traditions

  Categorize ritual practices across Buddhist traditions according to their functions (purification, mindfulness cultivation, merit generation), analyze how specific rituals engage body, speech, and mind simultaneously, and evaluate the role of ritual in preserving dharma transmission and fostering contemplative awareness.
• 107EChallenging Others’ Views

  Evaluate invalid assumptions and harmful dogmas, and generate skillful responses to challenge them using discriminating intelligence. Model and implement respectful inquiry techniques.
• 209EClassic Buddhist Stories and Parables

  Analyze Buddhist stories and parables to extract wisdom for daily living, and differentiate between the forms and functions of history, story, myth, and legend.
• 213EComparative Religion

  Analyze Buddhism’s characteristics compared to Abrahamic, indigenous, and other world religions; evaluate different conceptual frameworks that position Buddhism as philosophy, science of mind, or religion; and synthesize understanding through respectful interfaith dialogue that identifies both unique approaches and shared human concerns across traditions.
• 503CContemplative Arts

  Practice creating art without attachment to specific outcomes by starting projects with open curiosity rather than fixed plans, experimenting with letting go of “perfect” results, and discovering how releasing expectations can lead to surprising discoveries; engage in contemplative art practices that develop present-moment awareness such as mindful drawing, meditative clay work, or focused color mixing; and reflect on how the creative process changes their relationship with patience, frustration, and acceptance.
• 503EContemplative Arts

  Compare and contrast contemplative arts traditions (ikebana, chado or tea ceremony, calligraphy, kyudo, charya dance) as forms of meditative practice; analyze how specific arts integrate mindfulness, precision, and aesthetic awareness; and evaluate personal experience by engaging in contemplative arts practice while documenting insights about the relationship between creative process and spiritual development.
• 503DContemplative Arts

  Cultivate beginner’s mind through contemplative art practices by approaching familiar materials with fresh curiosity, questioning assumptions about artistic ability, and practicing openness to unexpected creative discoveries; engage in sustained contemplative art projects that develop patience, concentration, and acceptance of the creative process; and examine how contemplative art practice affects their relationship with perfectionism, self-judgment, and creative confidence.
• 503BContemplative Arts

  Practice mindful art-making by focusing completely on one activity at a time, noticing when their mind wanders and gently returning attention to their hands and materials; experiment with “mistake magic” by turning unexpected marks, spills, or broken pieces into new creative discoveries; and experience the difference between rushing through art projects and taking time to enjoy each step of the process.