Discovering Buddhism - Module 14. Special Integration Practices

Doing a Lamrim Course

The best way to complete this requirement is by making pilgrimage to Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal and attending the renowned “Kopan November Course.” This one-month course is an invaluable opportunity to deepen your experience and understanding of the lamrim. In addition to daily lectures, usually by a Western monk or nun, there is time for open discussion and for meditation. Lama Zopa Rinpoche traditionally teaches for about ten days during the course. Kopan is where the FPMT first began and there is no better “rite of passage” into the heart of Tibetan Buddhism as practiced in FPMT than to go to Kopan. To find out more about the Kopan November Course, see Kopan Monastery’s website.

If you are not able to participate in the November Course, attendance at any of the ten-day introduction to Buddhism courses offered at Kopan Monastery or Tushita Meditation Centre in Dharamsala, India, also fulfills this requirement. From time to time other FPMT centers also offer Kopan-style lamrim courses that fulfill this requirement. See Discovering Buddhism retreats. 

Another option that fulfills this requirement is to attend at least two weeks of one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s annual teaching events or retreats, which are offered in different regions of the world every year. While these are sometimes deity-based retreats, the emphasis of Rinpoche’s teachings is always the lamrim. See the schedule of teaching events and retreats with Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Doing a Lamrim Retreat on Your Own

If none of the above options are available to you, you can do a two-week lamrim retreat in your own home. This, of course, requires self-discipline and familiarity with both the lamrim and how to engage in a retreat. To fulfill the requirement in this way, it is recommended to follow the three-day lamrim cycle found in Module 3. Presenting the Path and repeat the cycle five times:

5:30 am Take the eight Mahayana precepts (optional)
6:00 am Tea
6:30–7:15 am Morning motivation with prostrations to the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas
7:15–8:30 am Breakfast and a break
8:30–9:15 am A Meditation on Shakyamuni Buddha with meditation on the precious human rebirth* 
9:30–10:15 am Impermanence and death
10:30–11:15 am Death dissolution
11:15–3:00 pm Lunch and a break
3:00–3:45 pm Suffering of the lower realms: hell realms
4:00–4:45 pm Suffering of the lower realms: preta realm
5:00–5:45 pm Suffering of the lower realms: animal realm
5:45–6:30 pm Tea break
6:30–7:15 pm Refuge
7:15–8:15 pm Dinner or tea break
8:15–9:00 pm Karma: four characteristics of karma followed by a short Vajrasattva practice together with the four opponent powers

*Alternatively, do this in a simple way: take refuge and bodhichitta, visualize Shakyamuni at your crown, entrust yourself to his care, recite his mantra for purification and blessings for approximately 5–10 minutes, then enter into the meditation. All lamrim sessions should start in this way. Other deities can also be used, such as Chenrezig when meditating on the great scope, Manjushri when meditating on emptiness, and so on.

Day 2

5:30 am Take the eight Mahayana precepts (optional)
6:00 am Tea
6:30–7:15 am Morning motivation with prostrations to the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas
7:15–8:30 am Breakfast and a break
8:30–9:15 am A Meditation on Shakyamuni Buddha with meditation on the precious human rebirth
9:30–10:15 am Karma: ten nonvirtues and their results
10:30–11:15 am Suffering of the higher realms: human realm
11:15–3:00 pm Lunch and a break
3:00–3:45 pm Suffering of the higher realms: deva and asura realms
4:00–4:45 pm 8, 6, and 3 sufferings (Choose one set for each cycle.)
5:00–5:45 pm Four Noble Truths
5:45–6:30 pm Tea break
6:30–7:15 pm Wheel of life
7:15–8:15 pm Dinner or tea break
8:15–9:00 pm Generating the mind of renunciation followed by a short Vajrasattva practice

Day 3

5:30 am Take the eight Mahayana precepts (optional)
6:00 am Tea
6:30–7:15 am Morning motivation with prostrations to the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas
7:15–8:30 am Breakfast and a break
8:30–9:15 am A Meditation on Shakyamuni Buddha with meditation on the precious human rebirth
9:30–10:15 am Equanimity
10:30–11:15 am Bodhichitta: six causes and one effect
11:15–3:00 pm Lunch and a break
3:00–3:45 pm Equalizing and exchanging self with others
4:00–4:45 pm Tong-len
5:00–5:45 pm Concentration
5:45–6:30 pm Tea break
6:30–7:15 pm Emptiness
7:15–8:15 pm Dinner or tea break
8:15–9:00 pm Short Vajrasattva practice followed by the King of Prayers

You can also use a lamrim prayer such as The Three Principal Aspects of the Path or The Foundation of All Good Qualities. Visualize Shakyamuni Buddha, take refuge, and generate bodhichitta. Then visualize the Buddha coming to rest on the crown of your head to bless your meditation session. Recite the lamrim prayer at the beginning of every session, stopping at the topic you have reached, doing the appropriate meditation, and then finishing the prayer before dedicating. In this way, each session becomes a complete lamrim review, with special emphasis on a particular topic.

In Conclusion

The special integration experience requirements of Discovering Buddhism were advised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, FPMT Spiritual Director, for those wishing to get the highest benefit from this program. While the practices may at first seem daunting, the benefits of engaging in them are immeasurable. They are the foundational practices that clear away negative karmas collected from beginningless lifetimes, preparing you for not only a peaceful death and a good future rebirth, but also for the ultimate happinesses of liberation and enlightenment.

If you have further questions or concerns regarding this module or any other aspect of the Discovering Buddhism program, please contact:

Foundational Program Coordinator
FPMT Education Services
fpc@fpmt.org