Clear Thinking

• 318EMethods of Retaining the Dharma

  Demonstrate fluency with primary Buddhist lists through accurate recall; analyze their significance in group settings; and apply specific teachings from memorized lists to real-life ethical dilemmas or personal challenges.
• 319EDukkha

  Differentiate between the three types of dukkha by analyzing specific examples from personal experience; evaluate how recognizing unsatisfactoriness in all experience cultivates compassion for oneself and others; and demonstrate understanding of how awareness of suffering motivates the pursuit of liberation through dharma practice.
• 320ETwelve Nidanas

  Identify and sequence the twelve links of dependent origination; analyze how specific links (particularly craving and clinging) perpetuate suffering in personal experience; and design practical strategies for interrupting the cycle at key intervention points.
• 321EDependent Origination of Objects

  Analyze the origins and destinations of everyday objects, and differentiate the complex physical, ecological, social, and economic factors that create our interconnected world.
• 322EDharma

  Differentiate between dharma as teaching methodology and dharma as ultimate truth; evaluate how core Buddhist principles function as practical tools for understanding suffering and its cessation; and implement systematic application of dharma teachings while documenting their effectiveness in developing wisdom and reducing harmful mental habits.
• 323EPramana

  Evaluate how we know what’s real by analyzing the two key ways of knowing: direct experience and inference (logical reasoning); assess how differentiating between clear and confused thinking supports better decision-making and helps avoid the ignorance that keeps us stuck in suffering; integrate this understanding by applying these principles to real-life situations, demonstrating how valid ways of knowing (cognition) helps us distinguish between how things seem (appearance) and how they really are (reality), both in everyday life and in meditation.
• 310EKarma Overview

  Analyze the concept of karma, differentiating between intentional actions and their outcomes, and evaluate how personal choices, including intentions, words, and actions, create effects for oneself and others.
• 309EThe Five Remembrances

  Articulate the five remembrances and analyze how each contemplation addresses fundamental human experiences of aging, illness, death, separation, and ethical responsibility. Evaluate how regular reflection on impermanence transforms daily decision-making and creates greater presence and mindfulness in immediate experience.
• 308EBuddha

  Identify the historical Buddha and the qualities that define a fully awakened being; analyze how the Buddha’s life exemplifies the transformation of suffering into wisdom and compassion; and evaluate the significance of taking refuge in the Buddha as inspiration for personal development rather than dependence on external authority.