To join this program you must regularly attend our General Program (Wednesday evening, Sunday morning, or Saturday events) classes for a minimum of three months. Please contact the Education Program Coordinator at EPC@meditationincolorado.org for more information if you have been attending classes at KMC Colorado.
The Foundation Program is a global study program that is offered in hundreds of Buddhist Centers around the world.
Our FP gives you the opportunity to engage in a step by step study and practice of the essential teachings and meditations of the Buddhist spiritual path to enlightenment, right here at KMC Colorado, with a highly qualified Buddhist teacher.
To make successful and consistent spiritual progress, it is invaluable to have a close connection with a qualified teacher who can give us personal advice and encouragement, to listen to qualified Dharma teachings, and to be a part of a strong spiritual community.
Through regular teachings & meditation, in-depth study, contemplative prayers, and group discussion, the FP offers the same training followed by spiritual practitioners in an unbroken lineage dating all the way back to Buddha Shakyamuni.
The purpose of the Foundation Program is to provide a systematic presentation of particular subjects of Mahayana Buddhism to enable practitioners to deepen their knowledge and experience of Buddhism.
1. The stages of the path to enlightenment (Lamrim), based on the commentary, Joyful Path of Good Fortune
2. Training the mind (Lojong), based on the commentaries, Universal Compassion and The New Eight Steps to Happiness
3. The Heart Sutra, based on the commentary, The New Heart of Wisdom
4. Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, based on the commentary, Meaningful to Behold
5. Types of Mind (Lorig), based on the commentary, How to Understand the Mind
The Foundation Program is not a drop-in class but a study program requiring enrollment. Official enrollment into the program is for one book (or part of a longer book) at a time, a period of approximately 4-8 months. Please e-mail the Education Program Coordinator, Erica, with any additional questions, and/or to enroll in the Foundation Program at KMC CO.
Email: EPC@meditationincolorado.org
Cost: Any Level of Membership
Foundation Program fees are part of our Monthly Supporter program, and also cover all weekly classes at the Center, as well as discounts on day courses, guided retreats, and other special events.
Thursdays, 6:30-8:30pm
This book is divided into four parts, each part will take approx 4-8 months, and students enroll for one part at a time.
Joyful Path of Good Fortune is the perfect guidebook to the Buddhist path.
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 along every stage of our spiritual journey. Joyful Path is a clear and comprehensive exploration of the stages of the entire path to enlightenment, known as Lamrim, which is key in developing a structured, consistent, and effective spiritual practice throughout our life.
With this book, Venerable Geshe Kelsang offers us step-by-step guidance on all these meditation practices, based on his own deep experience and the teachings of Buddha, Je Tsongkhapa, and many other great Buddhist masters. With extraordinary clarity, he presents all Buddha’s teachings in the order in which they are to be practised, enriching his explanation with stories and illuminating analogies.
All in all, Joyful Path equips practitioners, including relative beginners, with all the necessary tools and knowledge to embark on a meaningful, enjoyable, and transformative spiritual journey, one that ultimately leads to the attainment of full enlightenment.
The Foundation Program is based on study programs that have been taking place in Buddhist monasteries and Centers since the time of Buddha. The FP has been tried and tested for decades, and enabled many people all over the world to gain authentic experience of Buddha's teachings, Dharma, while maintaining their contemporary lifestyle.
Kadam Lucy was actually appointed by Venerable Geshe Kelsang as one of the first three FP teachers in the NKT, when this program started back in 1986! She has taught hundreds if not thousands of FP students since that time. Also, as an editor on most of his books, her knowledge and experience of Buddhism is exceptional.
By studying on this program we shall gain great confidence in meditation – from basic techniques for overcoming our everyday problems to practices leading to unsurpassed happiness and permanent inner peace of liberation and enlightenment.
Because the program is by enrollment only, students get to know each other well, developing warm friendships, inspiring each other, sharing insights, and supporting each other along the spiritual path.
The secret of the Foundation Program’s success lies in the manageable commitment made by the student and in the clear structure of study. Students sign up to study a book (or part of a book if it is a longer book) and agree to attend every class (or catch up), study the material, discuss with a rotating assigned partner, and take a self-assessment test at the conclusion of each module.
Prior to class, students read a portion of the text, usually a few pages long, and take to heart the essential points.
Most classes consist of contemplative prayers, guided meditation, and a reading and explanation of the text. The students then divide into pairs to discuss the material. Once the teacher has answered any questions, she and the students conclude by deciding how to bring these insights into daily life that week.
Some classes are group discussions, which are very helpful and enjoyable.
This class is once a week on Thursdays from 6:30-8:30pm during term times. Everybody is requested to attend the classes in person. However, if this is not possible, you are also able to attend some or all of the classes online, depending on certain qualifying factors such as health, distance, or family situation.
When you have to miss a class, you need to let the FP Coordinator know, and try to catch up the class within 1-2 weeks (ideally before the next class). There is a short study summary to fill in for catch-up classes.
This way all the students stay on the same page, which means that the teacher and class can keep progressing through the book each week, without having the teacher having to re-explain the material.
4840 W 29th Ave, Denver, CO 80212
Gen Kelsang Gomlam is an American Buddhist nun and the US Western National Spiritual Director of the New Kadampa Tradition. She is the Resident Teacher of Kadampa Meditation Center Colorado, and has been studying, practicing and teaching Kadam Dharma for many years. Gen Gomlam’s heartfelt and practical teachings are presented with warmth and humor, making them accessible to everyone. Through her loving kindness, sincere concern for others, and deep understanding of Buddha’s teachings, Gen Gomlam provides an inspiring example of someone who has taken Buddha’s teachings to heart.
303.813.9551
support@meditationincolorado.org
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