The Institute of Buddhist Studies provides graduate level education in the entirety of the Buddhist tradition with specialized instruction supporting Jodo Shinshu Buddhist ministry.
Tricycle Retreats |
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Week 2 Roundup: The Buddha's Original Ideas
We're finishing up week 2 of Rita Gross's Tricycle Retreat, "Buddhist History for Buddhist Practitioners," today. This week Gross discussed India's spiritual scene at the time of the Buddha. She reminds us that the Buddha didn't come up with his philosophy all on his own, that he made use of many of the ideas popular with his spiritual contemporaries. For example, the Buddha did not invent notions of karma, rebirth, and a vast cosmos.Gross has been wonderful at responding to comments left by retreat participants, especially ones that have to do with history. One participant comments that she thought of the Buddha's leaving home as a metaphor. More » -
The Buddha's Original Ideas: Week 2 of Rita Gross's Retreat
Week 2 of Rita Gross's Tricycle Retreat, "Buddhist History for Buddhist Practitioners," starts today. This week, entitled "The Buddha's Original Ideas," explores the questions: How much of what the Buddha taught was original? How much of it was something that other people were already saying as part of the religious teachings of India in his day? There's an excerpt from Gross's teaching below and well of a preview of this week's video. Enjoy! More » -
Week 1 Retreat Roundup: Evaluate the message, not the messenger.
Week 1 of Rita Gross's retreat, "Buddhist History for Buddhist Practitioners" is finishing up today. The topic this week was "Biographies of the Buddha," and in the video Gross explores the differences between understanding stories literally and symbolically. One retreat participant writes: More » -
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An interview with Anam Thubten (2009)
In the video interview below watch Tricycle's Joan Duncan Oliver speak with Anam Thubten Rinpoche about his book No Self, No Problem. This is a Tricycle Book Club interview from 2009. More » -
The Final Week of Rodney Smith's "Selfless Practice"
Rodney Smith's Tricycle Retreat, "Selfless Practice," ends this week. Over the last month, through his videos and discussion comments, Smith has been investigating the Buddha's teaching of anatta, or no-self. Smith has invited us to discover the truth of anatta for ourselves by offering us advice on what to be on the lookout for when dealing with the subtle ways of the ego. Paradoxically, sometimes trying too hard to understand anatta can become an obstacle for understanding. In Week 4 of the retreat, "Applying the Practice," Smith makes the following statement in the discussion: More » -
Surrender: Week 4 of Rodney Smith's "Selfless Practice"
In Week 4 of his Tricycle Retreat, Rodney Smith talks about two different strategies we can use to deal with problems in our lives: adaptation and surrender. After discussing some of the limitations of using adaptation as a strategy, Smith considers the strengths of surrender as a means to end suffering. Smith says: More »
