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MASTERS PROGRAM 1998: STUDY MATERIALS All study materials produced in relation to the five main and five supplementary subjects studied in the Masters Program 1998 are available as pdf files on CD. MAIN SUBJECTS • Ornament (Abhisamayalamkara) • Middle Way (Madhyamakavatara) • Treasury (Abhidharmakosha) • Grounds and Paths of Secret Mantra • Guhyasamaja Tantra SUPPLEMENTARY SUBJECTS (click here for a description of these subjects) • Awarenesses and Knowers (lo rig) • Tenets (drup ta) • Interpretable and Definitive Meanings according to the Chittamatra school • Naturally Abiding Lineage – Buddha Nature • Twenty Sangha Requirements To study the Ornament, Middle Way, and Treasury, as well as the supplementary subjects, it is advisable to have some familiarity with the study and practice of the lam-rim, the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, as these subjects tend to be quite dense and assume some prior knowledge of basic Buddhist philosophy. In order to study the Grounds and Paths of Secret Mantra it is absolutely necessary to have received a highest yoga tantra (mahanuttarayogatantra) empowerment. Highest yoga tantra empowerments, such as that of Yamantaka, Chakrasamvara, Kalachakra, Guhyasamaja, Gyelwa Gyatso, and Hevajra, must be received from a qualified lama and entail the taking of the bodhisattva and tantra vows along with the commitment to do the Six Session Guru Yoga practice on a daily basis. In order to study the Guhyasamaja Tantra, it is necessary to have received the highest yoga tantra empowerment of Guhyasamaja. Please note that it is not necessary to have studied a previous subject in order to study a subsequent one, and, in fact, it is advisable to begin with the material related to either the Middle Way or Treasury, as the Ornament is very difficult. |
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