The Foundation Program (FP) is designed for those who wish to deepen their understanding and experience of Kadampa Buddhism through a systematic study of six texts by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche.
Through being a part of this program you can improve your good heart, your wisdom, and your capacity to genuinely cherish others by going deeper into your study and meditation practice. The Foundation Program is a method to solve our own problems by overcoming our negativities and nurturing our good qualities to their full. Its a way of learning to experience real happiness and fulfillment all the time no matter whats going on around us and gain the ability to help others to do the same.
Buddha’s teachings are precious wisdom insights that can open the door to a profoundly rich and meaningful life and lead us to lasting happiness. To extract their full meaning, we need to systematically familiarise our minds with these insights until we have penetrated so deeply into their meaning that they become our own.
The method for taking these teachings deep into our hearts is centred around three key activities: listening, contemplating and meditating. In Joyful Path of Good Fortune,
Geshe Kelsang says:
“To increase our wisdom arisen from listening we need to listen to correct instructions from fully qualified Spiritual Guides, read authentic Dharma books and discuss what we have heard. Wisdom arisen from contemplation arises from reflecting again and again upon what we have heard and understood, and wisdom arisen from meditation arises from meditating on what we have heard and contemplated. We need to keep increasing these three wisdoms continuously until we attain enlightenment.
Our study programs are structured to support the development of these three wisdoms.”