Foundation Program
with Gen Kelsang Chenma
Sundays 2:00 – 4:00pm
Foundation program is a unique in-depth study program including guided meditation, teachings, and discussion. It is a perfect option for those wishing to go deeper into their practice in a structured way.
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The Foundation Program is a structured weekly study program by enrollment that involves a number of commitments that help support our practice including attending every weekly class (Sundays 2 - 4pm, with breaks for holidays) and studying small sections of the text in advance.
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We are currently studying Universal Compassion.
You can join Foundation Program at any time.
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The heart of Buddha’s teachings is unconditional love and compassion. In this inspiring explanation of the popular Buddhist poem Training the Mind in Seven Points, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso reveals powerful and far-reaching methods for us to develop these altruistic states. Ancient meditative techniques that have been tried and tested for centuries are brought alive and made relevant to our everyday experiences. Also included is a practical explanation of how we can transform our day-to-day problems—even the most demanding and difficult conditions—into opportunities for personal and spiritual development. By pointing the way to an unchanging freedom and happiness, this immensely readable book challenges us to grow, and will have a remarkable impact on our life.
Class Format:
Each class includes prayers, meditation, teaching and paired discussion.
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Gen Kelsang Chenma
Foundation Program Teacher
What is the Foundation Program?​
The Foundation Program is a unique structured study program that enables us to gain experience of Buddhist teachings with a deeper understanding and to develop a regular meditation practice.
The Foundation Program is for those who wish to deepen their understanding and experience of Buddhism by engaging in the systematic study of six essential Buddhist texts.
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The program comprises the following five subjects, based on Buddha’s Sutra teachings and the corresponding commentaries by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso:
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1. The Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, based on the commentary Joyful Path of Good Fortune
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2. Training the Mind, based on the commentaries Universal Compassion and The New Eight Steps to Happiness
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3. The Heart Sutra, based on the commentary The New Heart of Wisdom
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4. Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, based on the commentary Meaningful to Behold
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5. Types of Mind, based on the commentary How to Understand the Mind
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We meet each week during term times and have regular term breaks and a longer break in the summer.
Benefits of the Foundation Program:​
Click here to read about the benefits of the program by contemporary Buddhist master Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche.
Through regular teachings, meditation, systematic study and group discussion, the Foundation Program offers deep support for your spiritual life. In essence, it is the same training followed by spiritual practitioners in an unbroken lineage dating back to Buddha Shakyamuni. Its special quality is that we can gain authentic experience without abandoning our modern lifestyle. By studying on this program we will gain great confidence in meditation – from basic techniques for overcoming our everyday problems, to practices leading to unsurpassed happiness and permanent inner peace.
How to join the Foundation Program:​
The fee for Foundation Program is $65 per month, which includes membership for all Foundation classes, general program classes at the Center and our branch locations, and all workshops, retreats and some special events.
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To find out more about the Foundation Program classes at KMC Phoenix, to arrange to observe a class, or to join, please email our Foundation Program Coordinator at fp@meditationinarizona.org.​
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche has designed a variety of special study programs to help students systematically progress in their practice of Kadampa Buddhism.
"Our present understanding and experience of Dharma is quite superficial. We are like someone who has entered a huge food store and seen many things but sampled only a few. We may have received many different teachings from many different teachers, but we have taken in very little, just a few morsels.
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There is a gap between us and the Dharma. It feels as if the Dharma is there and we are here. Our mind is not mixed with Dharma and so we cannot apply it in our daily lives. As a result, our ordinary everyday problems remain. We also find it difficult to integrate our spiritual path into our daily lives so we cannot use this Dharma to solve our daily problems.
When we study Dharma out mind remains passive, like someone watching television. Therefore our life and our Dharma remain completely separate and unrelated.
Why is this? It is because we are not studying and practicing systematically according to a specially designed spiritual program. If we just dabble superficially in a spiritual path we will never gain a deep and stable experience, and our wisdom will never develop to its full potential. This is why the spiritual programs offered by the New Kadampa Tradition are so important.”
