Nitartha Institute

Mind & Its World 4 Course Description:

This course continues the integrated study of the phenomenal world and how mind perceives it. Specifically, this class is a systematic overview of the Buddhist philosophical tenet systems of the foundational vehicle: the Vaibhashika and Sautrantika schools, exploring their ground, path and fruition, their shared assertions as well as the differences. A thorough familiarity with these views is beneficial for practicing the progressive stages of meditation on emptiness.

Debate 3 Course Description:

This course trains in enhancing debate skills on the basis of the skills acquired in Debate 1 & 2 classes. The new aditional skills include bringing absurd consequences as a technique into debate and mastering the shorter form of formulating reasoning and modes challenge. Regarding the content, the class will continue debating classification of objects in terms of entity as well as causes, conditions and results in terms of entity; adding debating methods that lead to cognition of objects and subjects.

Mode of instruction:

Mind & its World 4 course will be presented through twelve 90 min. presentation and discussion sessions, which also include review of previous foundational material, accompanied by nine analytical meditation sessions. Debate 3 course consists of eleven debate sessions and a final class presentation.

Presentation and discussion sessions as well as analytical meditation sessions will be web-casted in real time and archived in MP3 audio files in the Moodle asynchronous class supplement. The debate sessions will not be web-casted or archived. Online students will practice debate via a separate Nitartha Online Debate class. See below for instructions.

Prerequisite

• Mind & Its World 1
• Debate 2

However, other students are welcome to join the class per instructor’s permission. Email Jirka@nitartha-institute.org for being accepted in the class.

Required Texts

• Mind & Its World 4 Sourcebook, Nitartha Institute Publications
• Gateway for Fresh Minds, Nitartha Institute Publications

Please order your texts before the class begins from Tashi Wangmo, VP for Publications nitartha.institute.pubs@gmail.com

Debate for online students

Online students are encouraged to find a debate partner, and setup a calendar for 12 one hour debates in Skype during the time of this course. Instructions for the gradual debate training are posted in the Online Debate class.