Mahayana Vajrayana

• 458Buddhanature

  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.
• 313Madhyamaka

  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.
• 232The Three Yanas: Vajrayana Buddhism

  Identify the methodologies specific to Vajrayana Buddhism. Examine how tantric practices integrate ritual, visualization, and guru-disciple relationships, and evaluate how Vajrayana approaches to transformation relate to the foundational teachings preserved in Theravada and Mahayana traditions.
• 317The Two Truths

  Analyze 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.
• 424Bodhicitta

  Define relative and absolute bodhicitta., Evaluate personal motivations underlying daily decisions, and implement practices that can transform ordinary activities into expressions of altruistic intent for the benefit of all sentient beings.
• 523Five Wisdom Elements

  Implement practices that honor the five elements in daily life. Lead guided meditations that explore each element’s qualities and significance.
• 414Visualization 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.
• 207Prajnaparamita Mantra

  Identify the function of mantra practice within Buddhist meditation traditions. Analyze how the prajnaparamita mantra connects to the Heart Sutra’s teachings on emptiness, and demonstrate competency by accurately reciting the mantra and explaining its meaning.
• 208Sukhavati Sutras

  Compare Pure Land Buddhism with other forms of Buddhism, analyzing how the practice of chanting Amitabha’s name serves both as devotion and meditation and how visualizing a perfect realm can inspire positive daily actions.
• 126Mantra 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.