Clear Thinking
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334EDeathAnalyze the three contemplations regarding death; compare Buddhist and non-Buddhist concepts of rebirth; and consider how to develop a more curious and less fearful relationship with mortality.
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335EBuddhist DebateAnalyze diverse perspectives through structured debate, and demonstrate the application of gestures and concepts from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of debate.
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331EThe Brain is not the MindIdentify key brain structures on diagrams. Analyze their functions, and compare how neuroscience and Buddhist psychology explain mental phenomena. Apply this knowledge to implement both brain-based regulation techniques and awareness-based practices that address challenges effectively.
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311EBodhicaryavataraAnalyze the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life text, its structure, author, and importance. Differentiate between aspirational and ultimate bodhicitta, and evaluate how impermanence is a basis for generating compassion.
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312EThree Poisons: GreedEvaluate unsustainable practices; design alternatives that challenge materialist mindsets; and analyze how craving and desire influence consumption patterns.
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313EMadhyamakaAnalyze Nagarjuna’s concept of dependent arising by examining how phenomena exist only in relationship to other things, then evaluate how attachment to fixed ideas creates suffering in personal situations. Apply the Middle Way perspective to challenging life circumstances, comparing responses based on rigid thinking versus flexible understanding, and synthesize how recognizing the interdependent nature of problems and successes can lead to greater compassion and skillful action.
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315EParting from the Four AttachmentsIdentify the four types of attachment described in this teaching. Examine how each manifests in contemporary life, then evaluate personal motivations and priorities to identify which attachments most strongly influence decision-making.
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316EThree Marks: Anicca, Dukkha, AnattaAnalyze the three marks of existence by investigating specific examples of impermanence, suffering, and selflessness in personal experience, then evaluate how recognizing these characteristics transforms understanding of attachment and craving.
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317EThe Two TruthsAnalyze the distinction between relative truth (conventional reality) and ultimate truth (emptiness) in Mahayana Buddhism, evaluate how these two approaches towards understanding our experience apply to specific life situations, and synthesize examples demonstrating how both truths can be simultaneously valid without contradiction.
