FAQ - INTRODUCTION COURSE

Can you tell me about Tushita's Introduction to Buddhism course? 

Tushita’s Introduction to Buddhism courses are usually 10 days long and residential. During the first six days of the introductory course, our teachers will explain about Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and meditation from a modern, Western perspective. Topics include: the mind and emotions, karma, rebirth, love and compassion and the nature of reality. The daily schedule combines teachings with various styles of meditation and discussion groups. The course ends with a two-day intensive meditation retreat to give you the chance to familiarize yourself with and gain insight into the topics that were covered in the teachings. Most importantly, you will learn how to apply these Buddhist techniques to increase peace, happiness and compassion in your daily life.

This course provides an opportunity to learn about Buddhist philosophy, not seeking to convert anyone, simply allowing access to those who are interested in gaining knowledge and wisdom from a tradition with over 2,500 years of experience!

Click here for a detailed course schedule.

back to top

Is the introductory course held in silence?

This varies depending on the course teacher’s policy. Some courses are held in complete silence, while on others talking is allowed in the afternoons in restricted areas. On all courses there is a one-hour ‘discussion group’ session in each of the first 6 days. Participants are allowed to take notes and keep journals related to their experiences on the course, and reading of Dharma books is encouraged.

I have no experience with Buddhism or meditation. Can I attend a course?

Yes. There are no prerequisites to attend our introductory courses (we mostly host 10-day introductory courses and sometimes in the monsoon months shorter courses). Many students who attend these courses have had little or no contact with Buddhism or meditation. Students with previous experience can also join our introductory courses in order to review and contemplate more deeply the essential points of the path. 

Who are the teachers?

Our courses are mainly taught by experienced Western teachers, often monks or nuns in the Tibetan tradition. We also invite Tibetan Lamas and Geshes (Tibetan equivalent to a professor in Buddhist philosophy, you need to undergo at least 15-20 years of traditional studies to be able to earn this title) as guest teachers for our introductory courses. 

For more information click here.

back to top 

What language is the course taught in?

The entire course will be taught in English, but do not worry too much if English is not your first language. On average, more than half of the participants on our courses are not native English speakers. The teachers on the course know this and try to speak clearly and to explain Buddhist terms. Feedback from former students suggests that if you understand English fairly well, you should be okay.

back to top

What kind of meditation is practiced in the introductory courses?

There are various types of meditation in Tibetan Buddhism, and we practice a few of them in our introductory courses. In order to develop concentration for the rest of the day the morning session is generally a mindfulness meditation, focusing on the breath for example, while in the other sessions the teacher will guide students in doing analytical meditations on the topics covered in the previous classes. All meditations are led by the teacher or experienced Buddhist practitioners.

How many people take part in the introductory courses?

The maximum number of course participants we can accept is around 55. In high seasons (March to June and mid September to October) the courses have usually long waiting lists by the time the course starts.

back to top

I see that there is a yoga session in the course. Do you also offer yoga courses?

We do not offer yoga courses. There is a 45-minute daily optional ‘simple yoga’ session scheduled into our introductory courses, because simple yogic and stretching exercises can increase one's ability to sit comfortably in meditation. We offer this basic instruction during introductory courses whenever a teacher is available. 

I have been having emotional problems recently. Do you think that your introductory course might help me to gain some balance in my life?

This is a very difficult and subjective question to answer. The nature of mind and emotions are extremely important topics in Buddhist philosophy and will be covered in some detail on the introductory course. In the teaching sessions, you will learn about Buddhist perspectives on mind and the problems we all deal with, which can be summarized as delusions based on desire, hatred and ignorance. In the meditation sessions, you will have time to investigate the relevancy of these Buddhist perspectives to your own experience and learn techniques to deal with negativity and increase peace, happiness and compassion in your daily life.

Students are cautioned from thinking of this course as being a ‘cure’ for all the troubles of our everyday lives. Be realistic; this is a great start but by no means the end of all our worries. Please be aware that this is a course of instruction, it is not intended to be a therapy retreat and the teachers and staff are not trained psychotherapists. There will be opportunities to ask questions to clarify any difficulties you may be having in understanding the philosophical points raised, but in such large courses (usually around 75 people), teachers cannot extensively counsel students on personal difficulties they might be experiencing.

Also, if you have been experiencing severe emotional problems, this may not be the right time to take part in a course that introduces such new and challenging ideas. Meditation can also access new awareness of physical and mental experiences that can be unsettling, particularly if you have a history of emotional instability. In which case, for the safety and comfort of yourself and all the students and teachers on the course, we ask that you honestly question whether this course would be appropriate for you at this time. If you feel that it would be a healthy decision to join the course, we ask that you inform Tushita management of any concerns or psychological history when registering, so that we can offer appropriate support should it be needed.

To learn about Buddhism is to learn about yourself; how your mind works and how this affects your life. It’s up to you to apply this wisdom!

back to top

I am taking medications. Is it okay for me to join the course?

Please inform us about any medications you are taking when you register for the course!

Please note that among the common side effects of the anti-malaria medication Larium (Mefloquine) listed by the Center for Disease Control are: "…anxiety, vivid dreams, and visual disturbances.  Mefloquine has rarely been reported to cause serious side effects, such as seizures, depression, and psychosis."
It is our experience at Tushita that meditating while taking Larium may increase the likelihood and/or severity of these side effects and therefore we discourage students from taking Larium while meditating or participating in our courses.

Please see the health section for more information.

back to top

How do I register?

First of all, please carefully read the information on our website regarding the introductory courses (basic course discipline, what to bring etc.), and if you would then like to join one of our courses, please fill out our on-line registration form. Once you have registered for the course and have received the registration confirmation email, there is nothing else you must do. 
You can see that we have kept the registration process very simple (no long forms or deposits), so please just register for a course if you are sure you will attend. Please also keep in mind that most of our introductory courses have long waiting lists by the time the course starts. If you later realize that you cannot attend the course, PLEASE let us know (just send a short email), so as not to deny anyone else the chance to attend.

back to top

When is the deadline to register for a course?

Unless specified in the course description, there is no specific deadline for registration. However, space in the meditation hall and accommodation is limited (with app. 55 people), especially during our busiest months of March to June, when we have long waiting lists. So please register as soon as you are certain that you will attend.

How and when do I make the donation for my course?

We can accept donations in Indian Rupees only when you arrive for the course. Unfortunately we CANNOT accept any foreign currency, traveller's cheques or donations made by credit card. 

How should I prepare for my course?

As noted in the course discipline, we ask course participants not to leave Tushita property for the entire course, so please settle all travel arrangements, emails, calls etc BEFORE you come to Tushita.

Though it is not necessary, some students like to do some preparatory reading.
For introductory course students we suggest:

• Anything by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, though please note that some of His Holiness' books are much more advanced than others.  ‘The Path to Enlightenment’ (previously titled ‘Essence of Refined Gold’) provides a good overview of the Buddhist path.  (Snow Lion Publications)
• ‘How To Meditate’ by Kathleen McDonald (Wisdom Publications)
• ‘Wisdom Energy’ by Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche (Wisdom Publications)
• ‘Spiritual Friends: Meditations by Monks and Nuns of the International Mahayana Institute’ (Wisdom Publications)
• For very quick and easy reading: any of the free distribution books by Lama Thubten Yeshe available in print or via download at Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive (www.lamayeshe.com): ‘Essence of Tibetan Buddhism’, ‘Becoming Your Own Therapist’, ‘Make Your Mind an Ocean’, and others
  

Click here for a more comprehensive reading list.

Do you offer Vipassana courses

No. If you are interested in studying Vipassana as taught by Goenka please visit: www.dhamma.org (international). There is a Vipassana centre next door to Tushita, offering 10-day courses starting on the 1st & 15th of the month, from April to November. 

For more information please visit www.sikhara.dhamma.org, email or call 221309.

back to top

I'm not sure whether to take your course or a 10-day Goenka Vipassana Course. Do you have any advice?

Both courses are excellent, and we are happy to recommend Vipassana courses. The Tushita ‘Introduction to Buddhism’ course and Goenka Vipassana courses are both residential, 10 days in duration, held in silence, and are open to anyone of any religion. However, they are very different from each other in other regards and each may be more suitable to different people at different times. Here are some points to consider (please keep in mind that the following points only apply to Vipassana courses as taught by Goenka, not other forms of Vipassana courses, for example like those you can find in Thailand):

    Emphasis:     On the Vipassana course you can expect to learn a meditation technique and have the opportunity to practice it over 10 days of strict silence. Apart from a 90 minute video each evening, there is almost no teaching of the philosophy involved, while the emphasis of Tushita's course is on explaining Buddhist philosophy, using a few different meditation techniques to help you to absorb and apply this knowledge to your own experiences.

    Schedule:      Students may find the Tushita schedule lighter than a Vipassana course. In a Vipassana centre, the wake-up time is 4am, and sessions of sitting meditation run pretty much continuously throughout the day from 4:30am up to around 9pm (see their website for the exact schedule), this means that you are sitting for approximately 13 hours a day. At Tushita, the wake-up time is 6am, sessions run from 6:45 to around 9pm and there is a mixture of meditation, teaching, stretching (simple yoga), discussion groups, and a break after lunch for reading, resting or contemplation.

    Silence:     Vipassana courses are held in ‘Noble Silence’, which as well as not speaking, means avoiding eye contact, not writing and not reading anything other than Vipassana literature. Silence is also observed on Tushita courses, however, you need not avoid eye contact, and there is one discussion group session a day (except in the last 2 days of meditation retreat), where students are divided into groups of 8-10 people to discuss what they have learned in the previous day, resuming silence after the session. Also, since our courses involve a lot of information, we actually encourage people to take notes, and we have a well-stocked library from which you are welcome to read any Dharma material.

In short…! If you're looking for a deep meditation retreat, you may prefer Vipassana; if you're interested in gaining knowledge about Buddhist philosophy and a few techniques to increase balance and harmony in your life, then Tushita may be for you!

I am coming to McLeod Ganj just for a short visit. Do you offer shorter introductory courses?

With over 30 years of experience Tushita has found that our 10-day residential courses are providing the most conducive format for giving a thorough introduction to Buddhist philosophy and meditation to a broad variety of students from all over the world. Usually we offer shorter non-residential introductory courses only during the monsoon months. Most of these courses will be scheduled at short notice, so check with the Tushita office when you are in the area. 

If you are coming to this area just for a short visit please feel welcome to visit Tushita and enjoy its peaceful forest setting, two inspiring meditation halls and an excellent library. There you also find a assortment of books, Dharma materials and gifts for sale and a cozy reading room, where you can watch one of many videos on Buddhist philosophy (during library hours).

For recommendations for other Dharma activities in the area please see McLeod Ganj/ Buddhist studies.

Your course dates don't fit with my travel itinerary.  Can you recommend another centre where I can take a similar course?

We have many sister centres throughout the world.  Please see www.fpmt.org for the complete list of the 145+ meditation centres and social service projects in 30+ countries.
 
In India and Nepal, Root Institute in Bodhgaya (www.rootinstitute.com) and Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu (www.kopanmonastery.com) offer 10-day courses similar to Tushita’s. Kopan monastery also hosts an excellent 1-month course in Nov/Dec that we highly recommend.

FPMT’s other meditation centres in India and Nepal are:

• Tushita Mahayana Meditation Centre in Delhi, India (www.tmmc.tripod.com)
• Choe Khor Sum Ling in Bangalore, India (www.choekhorsumling.org)
• Himalayan Buddhist Meditation Centre in Kathmandu (Thamel), Nepal (contact)
• Ganden Yiga Chozin Buddhist Meditation Centre in Pokhara, Nepal (www.pokharabuddhistcentre.com)
  

In general, courses in Introductory Buddhist philosophy are difficult to find in India. Although Buddhism originated here, today only around 1% of Indians are Buddhist and there are surprisingly few places to receive authentic instruction here, while Westerners often find courses and retreats in their home countries are prohibitively expensive (to research other non-FPMT courses, please see www.buddhanet.net). Tushita’s introductory course really is an amazing, hard-to-find opportunity to learn about Buddhism, grab it while you can!

 back to top