About the Series

A Year of Deepening in Compassion – Part III: Fearless Garuda – Emptiness and Absolute Bodhicitta is the third course in a four-part series exploring the Shambhala Mahayana teachings.

The path of the Bodhisattva Warrior begins with developing affection for ourselves and expands this to others, dissolving the barriers that divide us. To support this practice, Shambhala senior teachers taught a year-long course with contemplative and meditation practices from the Buddhist Mahayana teachings of our lineage.

Throughout this four-part series, the main practice is tonglen, taught by Ani Pema Chodron with a guided meditation and an audio talk that is posted in all four courses. Additional teachings introduce and support other practices of the Mahayana. 

This series is divided into four seasonal themes. Within each season, teachers offered talks that related to that topic with their own personal approach. The themes for the four seasons echo the virtues of the Four Dignities of the Shambhala Path: Tiger, Lion, Garuda and Dragon.

About the Course

Part III – Fearless Garuda: Emptiness and Absolute Bodhicitta

The power of the Mahayana comes from its clarity regarding the true nature of reality. This clarity is described as penetrating insight (prajna), that sees that the world is actually different from what we habitually think it is. Instead of assuming that beings, objects and systems are solid, truly existing independently, the bodhisattva sees that everything is empty of concepts and reference points (shunyata).  

• Six recorded classes, led by different teachers.
• Readings and book suggestions to deepen our understanding of these teachings
• Contemplations to help us integrate these fundamental teachings into our daily lives

Course Topics

Class 1 – Prajnaparamita and Absolute Bodhicitta with Judith Simmer-Brown

Class 2 – Heart Sutra with David Schneider

Class 3 – Feminine Principle with Judith Simmer-Brown

Class 4 – Shunyata with Melissa Moore

Class 5 – Prajna and Compassion with Judith Simmer-Brown