The Middle Way in Buddha Dharma, a path of moderation free from extremes, can be understood in two ways:

• conduct – how one lives, and
• view – one's philosophical outlook.

In terms of conduct, Buddha Shakyamuni began life as Prince Siddharth, a crown prince enjoying sensory indulgence, through which he eventually realised that all his pleasures could not bring satisfaction. Turning his back on worldly life, he then engaged in the severe ascetic practices prevalent at the time among spiritual seekers, but even after six years of tireless ascetic struggle including severe fasting, these practices failed to bring him to liberation. Again, satisfaction and peace were elusive.

Only under the bodhi tree here in Bodhgaya, having abandoned severe asceticism and taken healthy nourishment, after a night of profound meditative concentration on the bare nature of phenomena, did he achieve enlightenment.

Through concentration combined with insight, he attained yogic direct perception of ultimate reality, a view free from the philosophical extremes of grasping at permanence (the dissatisfied mind's exaggerated view of inherent, true existence) but also free from nihilism (an exaggerated negation of even the dependent mode in which phenomena appear and function).

Lord Buddha's realisation of the two levels of truth – dependent arising and emptiness – constitutes the Buddha's Middle Way view.

In this course, Charok Rinpoche will guide us to avoid unhealthy extremes and gain freedom of mind inspired by the path of Shakyamuni Buddha himself.

Format of the course will incorporate:

• Dharma teachings
• review / question and answer sessions, and
• guided meditations.

Course outline

• Course outline – PDF

Teacher

Learn about Charok Rinpoche's depth of knowledge and experience on our page – visiting teachers and course leaders.

Schedule

Note: This schedule is subject to change.