Liberation (Ages 15-18)

• 440Anicca

  Analyze the principle of impermanence, evaluate how perception of it transforms experience, and implement this insight to address fixation and suffering.
• 441Buddhist and Ordinary Refuge

  Analyze the fundamental differences between Buddhist refuge (three jewels) and ordinary refuge practices by evaluating their effectiveness in providing protection from fear and suffering. Create criteria for assessing the wholesomeness of various refuge sources using the eightfold path as a framework, then apply these criteria to distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources of refuge in contemporary life experiences.
• 442Four Immeasurables Overview

  Analyze the distinctive qualities and antidotes of each immeasurable by examining their progression from conditional to unconditional states, evaluate how systematic cultivation of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity transforms relationships with all beings, and implement guided meditation practices that demonstrate the expansion from limited affection to boundless regard for all sentient beings.
• 448Dependent Origination Overview

  Investigate the interconnected nature of phenomena through direct observation; cultivate appreciation for the web of conditions supporting daily life; and apply the principle of dependent origination to understand how positive change is possible by addressing root causes.
• 452Stillness Practices

  Analyze various stillness practices, evaluate their value in daily life, and implement discerning choices about energy expenditure, recognizing that sometimes the best option is to do nothing.
• 454Good Timing

  Evaluate how cultural attitudes toward time and efficiency can either support or hinder compassionate action; compare reactive timing driven by urgency or personal agenda with mindful timing motivated by benefit to others; and synthesize understanding by developing personal criteria for discerning when to act, when to pause, and when to allow natural unfolding in complex interpersonal situations.
• 456Sense Restraint

  Analyze the Buddha’s teachings on sense restraint; evaluate how sensory input influences mental states, thoughts, and emotions; and develop the habit of pausing before reacting to sensory experiences.
• 457Wise Attention

  Analyze the distinction between wise and unwise attention in personal experience; evaluate how different types of mental focus either support or hinder insight development; and implement specific techniques for cultivating wise attention during challenging emotional states or decision-making situations.
• 459Anatta Overview

  Explain the truth of selflessness and how clinging to a sense of self affects our experience. Apply insight of the impermanent, changing quality of the self to be more at ease with different experiences.
• 435The Middle Way between Extremes

  Implement techniques for physical, mental, and emotional balancing, and analyze how equilibrium in each area supports the others.