Liberation (Ages 15-18)

• 123Preservation of the Dharma

  Evaluate choices that might contribute to the preservation of Buddhist traditions, and create strategies that ensure the continuation of dharma practices and teachings over time, supported with knowledge of historical efforts to protect and preserve the Buddhadharma.
• 202The Buddha and Social Hierarchies

  Analyze the radical nature of the Buddha’s teachings on caste, and evaluate their significance within the cultural context in which they emerged.
• 203Buddhism and Indigenous Cultures

  Analyze which indigenous cultures pre-existed Buddhism in at least five regions, and evaluate what has remained constant and what has transformed in Buddhist traditions based on cultural interactions.
• 204The Decline of Buddhism

  Analyze factors contributing to Buddhism’s decline historically, and create strategies to preserve dharma traditions in contemporary contexts.
• 209Classic 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.
• 324Five Skandhas

  Analyze the five aggregates (skandhas) as the components that create the illusion of a permanent self; evaluate how understanding the constantly changing nature of form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness supports the teaching of anatta (no-self); and synthesize this understanding by implementing daily practices that demonstrate selfless action based on logical analysis of the impermanent nature of identity.
• 401Dhyana: Meditation Techniques

  Compare and contrast multiple Buddhist meditation techniques (shamatha, vipassana, loving-kindness, walking meditation), analyze how each method addresses specific mental states and obstacles, and design appropriate meditation practices for different situations and temperaments.
• 455Right View

  Analyze the importance of right view within the noble eightfold path, evaluating how this foundation shapes all other elements of the path.
• 210Western Philosophy and Buddhism

  Analyze the Buddha’s teachings in relation to other philosophical and scientific perspectives, evaluating points of convergence and divergence.
• 230Three Yanas: Theravada Buddhism

  Analyze the foundational principles, practices, and scriptural authority of Theravada Buddhism, compare and contrast Theravada approaches to liberation with Mahayana and Vajrayana perspectives, and evaluate how different cultural contexts have shaped the preservation and expression of early Buddhist teachings.