Mahayana Vajrayana

• 523EFive Wisdom Elements

  Implement practices that honor the five elements in daily life. Lead guided meditations that explore each element’s qualities and significance.
• 458EBuddhanature

  Analyze how the concept of buddhanature may affect one’s outlook on life; compare and contrast the principle of buddhanature with other religious or philosophical beliefs; and assess how the understanding of innate goodness transforms relationships.
• 427EMantra of Compassion

  Analyze the symbolic meaning of each syllable in OM MANI PADME HUM; evaluate how mantra recitation functions as both meditation practice and a method for cultivating compassion; and implement regular practice while documenting personal observations about the relationship between mantra repetition and emotional patterns or responses to challenging situations.
• 424EBodhicitta

  Define both relative and absolute bodhicitta. Assess the personal motivations behind daily choices and adopt practices that turn everyday activities into acts of altruism aimed at benefiting all sentient beings.
• 423EThe Paramita of Ksanti/Patience

  Analyze the three forms of Buddhist patience: enduring harm from others, persevering through practice difficulties, and accepting ultimate truths; evaluate personal triggers that challenge patience practice; and implement strategies for maintaining equanimity that transform irritation into opportunities for wisdom development.
• 420EThe Paramita of Virya/Diligence

  Analyze the distinction between ordinary effort and joyful diligence (virya) in Buddhist practice; evaluate personal experiences of learning dharma through the three-step process of listening, contemplation, and meditation; and synthesize understanding by implementing consistent practice that demonstrates “cheerful commitment” to inner development.
• 419EThe Paramitas

  Analyze the six paramitas by comparing their unique qualities and purposes; evaluate how each perfection addresses specific obstacles to awakening; and demonstrate their interconnected nature by practicing one paramita while observing how it naturally supports the development of others in daily life.
• 414EVisualization Practices

  Compare and contrast the use of visualization in different Buddhist meditations with its use in modern contexts, and design a visualization to support a personal goal that brings benefit to self and others.
• 313EMadhyamaka

  Analyze 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.