Foundation Program: A Structured Study Program

The Benefits of the Foundation Program

Students in the Foundation Program have an opportunity to follow the same training followed by spiritual practitioners for generations, but without having to abandon their modern lifestyle. Over time, students in this program find that their minds change for the better in significant ways: through taking Buddha’s teachings as personal advice and striving to put them into practice in daily life, they gain authentic spiritual experience, solve their daily problems, improve their relationships at work and at home, and develop a good heart.

What is the Foundation Program?

The Foundation Program provides students with an opportunity to advance their understanding and practice of Buddha’s teachings through systematic study and meditation on the essential teachings of Mahayana Buddhism. Foundation Program students study the following five subjects based on Buddha’s Sutra teachings and their corresponding commentaries by our teacher, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso:

The Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, or Kadam Lamrim, based on the commentary Joyful Path of Good Fortune
Training the Mind, or Kadam Lojong, based on two commentaries, Eight Steps to Happinessand Universal Compassion
The Heart Sutra, based on the commentary The New Heart of Wisdom
Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, based on the commentary Meaningful to Behold
Types of Mind, based on the commentary How to Understand the Mind

What happens in a class?

Prior to class, students study an assigned portion of the text, usually a few pages long, and memorize the essential points. The class begins with chanted prayers and guided meditation. The teacher then reads the assigned section from the book while giving commentary to the text.
The students then divide into pairs to discuss material.
The teacher and students concluded by deciding what to meditate on in the next class and how to practice during the coming week.

We all have the potential for self-transformation, and a limitless capacity for the growth of good qualities. But to fulfill this potential we need to know what to do at every stage of our spiritual journey. In Joyful Path of Good Fortune we find a clear and comprehensive explanation of the entire path to enlightenment.

You can read a transcript of a teaching Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche gave on the benefits of this study program here.

Note: This is not a drop-in program and enrollment is required. It is helpful to have attended General Program drop-in classes regularly for two months before joining the Foundation Program. Please email: education@meditationinboston.org for more information.

Details

Ongoing Sundays | 3:30 - 5:30pm

Cost | $70 per month membership; includes the cost of FP as well as all weekly drop-in classes and weekend retreats. (does not include empowerments and special events)

If you have any questions about the program, please feel free to contact the Education Program Coordinator – education@meditationinboston.org.

Learn More

Teacher

Gen Kelsang Khedrub

Resident Teacher

Gen Kelsang Khedrub is the Resident Teacher at Kadampa Meditation Center Boston. He has been studying and practicing Kadampa Buddhism under the guidance of Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for almost 30 years. Gen Khedrub has served as a Resident Teacher in Chicago and in Seattle, and over the years he has taught special events and led meditation retreats around the country. His heartfelt teachings are presented with clarity and humor that make them accessible to everyone. Through his humility and deep understanding of Buddha’s teachings, Gen Khedrub provides an inspiring example of a contemporary Buddhist practitioner we can follow.