About FPMT Basic Program Online

Here you find everything you need to know if you want to take part in the FPMT Basic Program Online:

Introduction

The FPMT Basic Program has been devised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for Dharma students who wish to progress beyond introductory and foundational level courses and are ready to commit themselves to  in-depth study and practice. It offers them the chance to develop a good understanding of the complete path to enlightenment, and experience the benefits of serious, practice oriented study, meditation and retreat.

While our introductory courses and foundational level programs are subject-based and introduce students to Tibetan Buddhist thought topic by topic, the FPMT Basic Program has the distinctive characteristic of being text-based. The curriculum is taught on the basis of traditional texts and commentaries by teachers with a background of extensive textual study. The program, therefore, has a scholarly flavor and offers a studious introduction to the philosophical aspects of Lama Tsong Khapa’s Gelugpa tradition, while including a substantial practice component to ensure a well integrated education.

Some of Tibetan Buddhism’s most treasured texts form the heart of the FPMT Basic Program. Je Tsong Khapa’s Middle Length Lamrim, Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacharyavatara, the Heart Sutra, Jetsün Chökyi Gyaltsen’s Tenets, Maitreya’s Ornament and Tathagata Essence, the Wheel of Sharp Weapons and others guide the practitioner through a comprehensive study of sutra and tantra.

Successful students develop a level of understanding and training which will serve as an excellent basis for advanced study, e.g. the FPMT Masters Program and the monastic Geshe Studies, meditation and retreat or for service in the wider community, inspired by the Mahayana ethos.

Unique among contemporary Buddhist study programs, the FPMT Basic Program is currently offered by geshes and highly qualified Western teachers worldwide, reflecting the FPMT’s long experience of bringing the Dharma to students outside Tibet under the guidance of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. BP Online offers a selection of audio and video recordings of BP teachings by several of these teachers, with the option of an FPMT Basic Program homestudy completion certificate.

The curriculum

The FPMT Basic Program subjects have been chosen by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and the texts and commentaries used to teach them were decided upon by the FPMT geshes at Rinpoche’s request.

The full BP curriculum includes nine main and three supplementary subjects; FPMT Basic Program Online offers the core curriculum subjects in the form of audio and video recordings of teachings by BP teachers in various FPMT centers, supported by course materials, practice materials, guided meditations and short retreats.

Core curriculum

Supplementary

A detailed description of the FPMT Basic Program subjects is available in pdf format, as well as an overview of the standard texts and commentaries. Translations of texts and commentaries used for the teachings are provided with each BP Online subject.

An introductory talk by Geshe Jampa Gyatso at Lama Tzong Khapa Institute gives a brief introduction to the core curriculum subjects. The video is subtitled and a transcript is also available.

Prerequisites for successful BP Online study

Familiarity with basic Tibetan Buddhist concepts and some experience with lamrim

Without familiarity with the principles of Buddhist thought and practice as taught in the Tibetan tradition, you may find some of the Basic Program subjects difficult to follow and may not benefit as much as you could. In addition, introductory study and meditation on the stages of the path (lamrim) will make all BP subjects and texts much more accessible. Therefore, two FPMT programs are highly recommended as preparatory study and practice: Living in the Path and Discovering Buddhism, both available as online courses.

A structured approach to Dharma study, and experience with meditation and retreat

Apart from explaining general Buddhist concepts, any of these programs will help you get used to a structured approach to learning Dharma, with regular study, reading assignments, meditation instructions, retreats and assessment questions. Having this kind of preparation will make your Basic Program study more effective and enjoyable.

These programs will also help you establish a regular meditation practice and gain some retreat experience, so that when you participate in the Basic Program you can independently structure your practice and design your own retreats on the basis of the provided materials.

Requirements and preparation for studying the tantra subject

Generally, to study Grounds and Paths of Secret Mantra, requirements pertaining to tantra and restrictions for access to written and recorded materials apply. It is however up to the teacher to decide on the specific requirements set. For this subject, Basic Program Online uses the teachings offered by Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, who felt that it would be beneficial to make these teachings available to anyone with respect and faith in the Dharma. Thus, the Basic Program Online subject of Grounds and Paths of Secret Mantra is offered without the restriction of an empowerment and the usual commitments related to highest yoga tantra.

To ensure the most benefit from these teachings, and to develop the respect and motivation appropriate for receiving them, proper preparation is advised. Discovering Buddhism includes an introduction to tantra, explanations of the development of the bodhisattva aspiration and the meaning of refuge. In the Basic Program, the Stages of the Path teachings further explain refuge and the development of the bodhisattva aspiration and the commitments involved, and Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds and Mahayana Mind Training will help you develop these commitments and train in keeping them.

Choosing the order in which to study the BP subjects

The FPMT Basic Program curriculum can be studied in any order, taking into account your personal interest and previous study. Thus, your BP Online does not have to follow the order in which the curriculum is presented.

Prior familiarity with lamrim study and meditation is essential, since it will provide the overall context for all subjects and for meditation practice throughout.

The Basic Program includes its own extensive lamrim presentation, Stages of the Path, based on Lama Tsong Khapa’s Middle Length Lamrim. The famous Calm Abiding and Special Insight sections of this text will be more accessible and easier to follow if you have first studied Mind and Cognition and Tenets.

You will also benefit from familiarity with Tenets and Mind and Cognition for the ninth chapter of Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds, the wisdom chapter of Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara.

You may find Mahayana Mind Training (Dharmarakshita’s Wheel of Sharp Weapons) easier to apply when you have been inspired by Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds.

Ornament will be difficult without studying the other sutra subjects first, while the tantra subjects should not be attempted without a good overall understanding and practice of the path.

Grounds and Paths of Secret Mantra should not be studied without proper preparation; prior completion of the other Basic Program subjects, or at least Stages of the Path, Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds and Mahayana Mind Training, is strongly advised.

The study of Ornament will be best left to the end of your BP studies; since it is the most difficult and challenging subject of the BP curriculum, the preparation gained from study and practice of the other BP subjects will be of great help, enabling you to better understand and appreciate the value of this precious text.

You may find Heart Sutra or Tathagata Essence a good way of starting your BP, these being subjects that will give you an inspirational and not overly challenging introduction to text-based study.

Study complemented by discussion, meditation, retreat and practice

The FPMT Basic Program is envisioned by Lama Zopa Rinpoche as combining academic education, training in ethical behavior and meditation practice. BP Online encourages all students to include these elements as part of the homestudy experience, and facilitates this in the following ways.

Discussion is essential for digesting what one studies and to clarify one’s understanding. Without replacing it, to some extent it fulfills the function of debate in the monasteries, which is said to be the main contributor to developing a correct understanding of the texts!

For BP Online a discussion forum for each subject will be monitored by Western Basic Program teachers and Masters Program garduates. These elders will occasionally provide questions as well as addressing specific points that are being explored on the forum. Subscription to the forum is included in the BP Online certification requirements. Active participation in the forum is ideal, but just following the discussions that take place is in itself enriching. Since discussion is considered an integral part of BP study, all BP Online students are subscribed to the forum. Updates of course materials will also be posted here.

Included with most of the subjects are homework assignments or quizzes that can be used to review one’s understanding; these may also inspire to post questions or initiate discussions on the forum.

Meditation and short retreats. All BP Online subjects include some form of meditation instructions, either as part of the teachings, or provided separately. As much as possible, instructions for short retreats are included for each subject, either in written form, or as audio files with guided meditations. BP students are strongly encouraged to set up a regular, if not daily, meditation practice, and to set aside occasional days or weekends for intensive meditation practice. This will built up familiarity with doing retreat and prepare for longer retreats and for fulfilling the month long lamrim retreat requirement.

The FPMT Basic Program conduct and behavior aspect is an essential part of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vision for the BP. It entails committing oneself to train in moral discipline and in practicing awareness of one’s states of mind, especially by developing concern for others and applying the antidotes to anger. This training can evolve into taking the lay vows, and although excellent, this is not a requirement. What is encouraged is for BP students to sincerely work with this practice of ethical conduct and Buddhist values as an integral part of their BP studies. The practice and is further explained in the BP Conduct and Practice Info Sheet.

The certificate option: review, final exam and retreat

Students are free to choose to what extent they wish to follow the overall BP recommendations regarding discussion, behavior, practice, meditation and retreat. They can also engage in the study of only one, or several of the BP subjects, with or without making use of the test that completes a subject

The FPMT BP homestudy completion certificate is awarded to those who complete all nine core curriculum subjects and conclude their BP with review, final exam, and a month of lamrim retreat. Combined with regular meditation and commitment to the behavior aspect, all these elements together comprise the FPMT Basic Program as envisioned by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and considered to be most beneficial.

For the certificate option the test at the completion of each subject must be submitted while complying with the honor system;  the acknowledgement of requirements must be completed to testify to having fulfilled the subject completion requirements. A certificate of achievement is provided for each subject that is successfully completed.

When all nine core curriculum subjects are completed, review questions facilitate a three-month review period. The review will greatly enhance the benefit of having engaged with the separate subjects and helps integrate the acquired knowledge in preparation for the final exam.

While a three-month lamrim retreat ideally completes the FPMT Basic Program, the retreat requirement for the BP homestudy completion certificate is a one-month lamrim retreat. This retreat can be done individually, or, which is highly recommended, by participating in a month (or longer) of one of the retreats that are organized by FPMT centers. These retreats are listed on the FPMT Basic Program Retreats web-page.

The retreat can be done before or after the final exam; best is at the end of the BP so its function of integrating learning has most impact - if done earlier in the BP it should be done after completing the BP subject Stages of the Path.

When all elements of the program have been completed, the BP Homestudy Completion Certificate, designed and signed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, is issued by FPMT Education Services.

An overview of the requirements for a Homestudy Completion Certificate is available in PDF format.

For further information please contact the FPMT Education Services Basic Program coordinator.

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