Preparing for Ordination – School Starts Today

Partly because I am inclined to be a career student and partly because I know that my own studies of Buddhism so far have been neither systematic nor complete and partly because I know that, as a monk, I will be expected to know certain things and may even be expected to teach others, I registered and enrolled in Dharmakirti College's “Course 101 – Survey of Tibetan Buddhism, Part 1.” Today I finished the enrollment process and first looked at the course outline and format. For me it is exciting to be returning to school, even online. I have always been eager to study anything and everything I could. When I enlisted in the Navy, a cousin who had a very successful 30 year career in the Navy, going from Seaman Recruit (E-1) to Lieutenant (O-3), advised me to take every course they would give me, “even basket weaving.” While I didn't wind up making a career of the Navy myself and this is not the US Navy, I think that the advice applies now as well and the more practical the course, the better.

I anticipate learning many new things, filling in the gaps in my study so far. Furthermore, I expect to integrate my current knowledge with itself, with the new knowledge and, most of all, with practice and application. However, this is only the first of the courses that I shall take from Dharmakirti College. I plan to take every course they offer online as far as they go.

Naturally, today was not particularly difficult. I glanced over each week's subject areas and organized my notebook for the course, making dividers out of each week's outline page. I did get a little creative making stickers to cover the printing on the outside of my recycled 3-ring binder. I even printed out the first two items for Week 1, the directions for Shamata meditation and the homework questions that I shall be expected to answer from my readings.

I really look forward to the whole program with courses like: Level 1 - Survey of Tibetan Buddhism I/II , Chenrezig , White Tara ; Level 2 - Natural Liberation I/II /III/IV; Level 3 - Ngondro Parts I/II , Bodhisattva's Way of Life I/II , Buddha Nature ; Level 4 - Generation Stage I/II , 403/404M - Chakrasamvara I/II , 403/404D - Three Roots Parts I/II , Improving Your Practice ; Level 5 - 501/502M - Five-Path Mahamudra I/II , 501/502D - Introduction to Dzogchen I/II , Madhyamaka I/II , Leading Practice ; Level 6 - 601/602M - Vajrayogini I/II , 603/604M - Six Yogas of Naropa I/II , 601/602D - Trekcho I/II , 603/604D - Guided Practice , 605 - Teaching Dharma ; Level 7 - 701/702M - Kalachakra I/II , 701/702D - Togal I/II , Guided Study and Thesis, 799 - Guided Retreat.

That is what I call a real course of study. I may not be able to go to one of the monasteries in India to go through the traditional program for a monk, especially at my age, but I have something here that just might suffice to get me from where I am to where I need to be educationally as a monk. It looks like a beautiful balance between the theoretical and the practical. Furthermore, it appears to be fully in accord with my purpose in becoming a monk: being of maximum service to all sentient beings.