The Essentials of Tibetan Buddhism curriculum (formerly Natural Liberation) is designed to provide beginning and advanced students with a concise, yet detailed program of study of Tibetan Buddhism. The curriculum begins with an overview of the history of Buddhism in India and Tibet, as well as some of the key principles. This is followed by a study of the Path of Individual Liberation, the Path of Altruism, the Path of Tantra, and the Path of Great Perfection.

Within each path, the courses follow a teaching by the Buddha called the Three Trainings: (1) ethics, (2) meditation, and (3) wisdom. So within each path, the courses cover that view of ethics, its main meditation practices, and its view of wisdom. The practices are taken largely from the teachings of Padmasambhava, considered by Tibetans to be the second Buddha. These practices are particularly suited for Western householders. Most are very concise practices for those with relatively little time for daily formal practice, as we taught in the Dzogchen (Great Perfection) tradition by Padmasambhava. At the end, there is a review and focus on realizing compassion-emptiness, the inner peace of the innate happiness of enlightenment. The text for this course is Innate Happiness: Realizing Compassion Emptiness by Khenpo Drimed Dawa, available as an eBook or paperback from Amazon.com and other sources. This text was written specifically for this course, as well as to benefit others who might read it. There are 8 courses in this curriculum:

• Essentials Part 1—A survey of Buddhism in India and Tibet, an overview and introduction to key Vajrayana principles and practices, and the first part of the Path of Individual Liberation: ethics and shamata meditation – single-pointed calm abiding.

• Essentials Part 2—Continues the Path of Individual Liberation with vipassana meditation (special insight) regarding self and other and the early view of wisdom; followed by the Path of Altruism (Bodhisattva): ethics, practices of the Six Perfections, Tonglen (giving and taking) and Metta (lovingkindness) meditations, and the Bodhisattva view of wisdom – the Perfection of Wisdom literature, Buddhanature, and the Middle Way.

• Essentials Part 3—The Path of Tantra begins with the ethical view of tantra and the “common” preliminary practices: precious human birth, impermanence, suffering of samsara, and karma; followed by the “uncommon” preliminary practices: refuge and bodhicitta, Vajrasattva purification, mandala offerings, and Guru Yoga.

• Essentials Part 4—Continues the Path of Tantra with the generation stage practices of “deity yoga” – generating yourself as the “deity” (a buddha).

• Essentials Part 5—Continues the Path of Tantra with the completion stage practices: inner heat, channels-winds-drops, illusory body, and dream yoga to become a buddha in this lifetime.

• Essentials Part 6—Continues the completion stage practices of the Path of Tantra with clear light, sexual yogas, the bardos of dying, dharmata, and becoming, and the transference of consciousness; followed by the tantric view of wisdom.

• Essentials Part 7—Begins the Path of Great Perfection with the ethical perspective, the preliminary practices for separating samsara from nirvana called khorde rushen, and the practice of trekcho.

• Essentials Part 8—Concludes the Path of Great Perfection with additional training in the practices of trekcho and togal, as well as the view of wisdom of the Great Perfection and a summary of the Buddhist views of enlightenment.