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Vajra Yoga Practices Through the Buddha's Three Vehicles
Welcome + Course Materials
Welcome from Michele Loew (5:41)
Course Manual
Comprehensive Reading List
Bonus Asana Videos
Livestream Vajra Yoga with Michele Loew - Saturday 11/20
Beginning Tibetan Yoga with Michele Loew (136:22)
Vajra Yoga Class w/ Michele Loew - 10/30 (52:45)
Nejang Practice with Michele Loew (37:40)
Pranic & Apanic Patterns in Asana + The Samadhi Pada w/ Michele Loew (158:31)
Week One [October 11-14]
Reading for Week One
What is Vajra Yoga? History and Evolution (43:47)
What is Vajra Yoga? History and Context of Vajra Yoga & Buddhist Thought (81:12)
What is Vajra Yoga? The Vajra Yoga Objective (37:57)
What is Vajra Yoga? Impact of Buddhism + The Inner Revolution (3:50)
Orientation, Philosophy - Q&A with Robert Thurman - Re-Play (89:32)
Week Two [October 18-21]
Reading for Week Two
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: Pranic & Apanic Patterns (13:40)
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: Sadhana Pada (85:13)
Mahasatipatthana Sutta - Introduction (12:33)
Mahasatipatthana Sutta : Breathing + Counting Meditation (10:48)
Mahasatipatthana Sutta : Walking, Body Deglamourization, Sensations, Mind Objects, Vipassana vs. Not-Thinking (24:31)
Mahasatipatthana Sutta : Cessation of the Craving - Integration of Sutta and Tantra (2:54)
Mahasatipatthana Sutta - Mind Contact: What is Agreeable and Pleasurable (26:22)
Mahasatipatthana Sutta - Mind Contact: What is Agreeable and Pleasurable Continued (1:53)
Mahasatipatthana Sutta - Meditation on 5 Aggregates and 12 media (34:12)
Mahasatipatthana Sutta - Contemplating Body as Body (7:52)
Mahasatipatthana Sutta - Walking, Moving, Eating (1:17)
Mahasatipatthana Sutta: Controlling Lust and Desire & Offensive Body Scan (20:07)
Yoga Sutras, Meditation, Mahasatipatthana Sutta - Week Two Q&A with Robert Thurman (118:33)
Week Two Q&A Written Responses & Suggested Study Materials by Robert Thurman
Week Three [October 25 - 28]
Reading for Week 3
Yoga Sutras - Verses 1-5 Yoga Sutras - Samadhi, Craving, Cessation and Mahasatipatthana Sutta (20:03)
Yoga Sutras - Verses 1-5 Yoga Sutras - The Condition of the Experiencer in its own Clear Light (10:19)
Yoga Sutras - Verses 1-5 Yoga Sutras - Awareness (7:58)
Yoga Sutras - Verses 1-5 Yoga Sutras - Klishta & Aklishta (7:58)
Sankhya Philosophy (3:53)
The Sankhya Philosophy Paradox (22:02)
Sankhya Philosophy - Dharma (8:34)
Sankhya Philosophy - Everything Happens Naturally (3:38)
Yoga Sutras - Sleep, Memory, Practice and Renunciation (3:33)
Yoga Sutras - Mindfulness & Ultimate Remebering (2:49)
Yoga Sutras - Practice & Surrender (3:31)
Sammanaphala Sutta : The Fruits of Homeless Life Sutta Part One (74:42)
Sammanaphala Sutta : The Fruits of Homeless Life Sutta Part Two (73:36)
Four Noble Truths - The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (36:32)
Four Noble Truths - Chanting the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (3:05)
Four Noble Truths - The Dhammacakkappavattana Suta - The 4 Friendly Facts (26:23)
Yoga Sutras, Sankhya Philosophy, Fruits of Homeless Life & Four Noble Truths Suttas Week Three Q&A with Robert Thurman (91:53)
Week Four [November 8 - 11]
Reading for Week 4
Yoga Sutras : Dualism and Time Non-Dual vs Dual (3:18)
Yoga Sutras : Dualism and Time Effort, Detachment & Time (8:39)
Yoga Sutras : Sankhya Philosophy with Michele: Non Attachment (3:53)
Yoga Sutras : Sankhya Philosophy with Michele: The Independence of Pure Awareness (4:02)
Yoga Sutras : Obstacles and Liberation with Michele: Stilling, Liberation and Repetition (5:04)
Yoga Sutras : Obstacles and Liberation with Michele: Obstacles and the Four Brahmaviharas (5:31)
The Four Brahmaviharas with Michele (5:44)
The Four Brahmaviharas : Parallels in The Yoga Sutras (8:24)
The Four Brahmaviharas : Love in Evolution (2:12)
The Four Brahmaviharas: Opening, Empathizing and the Skill of Helping (2:50)
Flower Ornament Sutra: Bodhicitta, Noble Truths, Eight-Fold Path and the 4 Immeasurables (22:00)
Access Concentration : 4 Contemplative States & Joyful Renunciation (16:31)
Access Concentration : Immeasurable Love & Quantum Physics (4:24)
Meditation on the Four Immeasurables with Michele (3:59)
Yoga Sutras & 4 Brahma Viharas - Q&A with Robert Thurman | Replay (98:43)
Week Five [November 15 - 18]
Reading for Week 5
Bhagavad Gita : Invocation to Ganesh (1:32)
Bhagavad Gita : Ganesh the Scribe (0:56)
Bhagavad Gita : Introduction to the Text w/ Richard and Mary (2:23)
Bhagavad Gita : Impermanence, Ethical Dilemmas, Vows, Gunas (31:54)
Bhagavad Gita : Sankhya, Ignorance, Lust & Anger (8:13)
Bhagavad Gita : Irritation (0:49)
Vipassana vs Shamata Meditation (5:35)
Vipassana : About the Meditation (5:27)
Shamata : About the Meditation (3:58)
Shamata Meditation Preparations : Purification Breath (7:13)
Shamata Meditation Preparations : Refuge Field (13:40)
Shamata Meditation : Introduction (7:21)
Shamata Meditation : Additional Preparations (2:07)
Shamata Meditation : Visualizing a living Buddha in front of you (31:15)
The Four Keys (17:27)
Bodhicitta : Meditation on the Conception of the Spirit of Enlightenment (27:01)
Shunyata Karuna Garbham : Meditation on Self and Others (33:41)
Heart Sutra : Chanting and Commentaries (46:19)
Bhagavad Gita, 4 Bhrama Viharas, Compassion, Loving Kindness Meditations, Heart Sutra - Q&A with Robert Thurman | Re-Play (102:02)
Week Six [November 29 - December 2]
Reading for Week 6
Bhagavad Gita : Gita Dhyanam (1:53)
Bhagavad Gita : Meditation on the Gita Dhyanam, The Gunas in Action (9:44)
Bhagavad Gita : Dharma (8:34)
Sankhya, Prakriti & Parusha : Lila, Yoga and the Sankhya Paradox (22:02)
Sankhya Philosophy : Agility to make a reform "concepts" (9:18)
Vimalakirti Sutra : Quick Hello to the Vimalakirti (1:04)
Vimalakirti Sutra : The Pure-Land-Non-Issue (16:30)
Vimalakirti Sutra : The Pure-Land-Non-Issue Reading (4:36)
Vimalakirti Sutra : Course Body & Vajra Body (5:07)
Vimalakirti Sutra : Consolation of the invalid; Sentimental Compassion vs. Real Compassion (8:39)
Vimalakirti Sutra : Speech and Nirvana (6:51)
Vimalakirti Sutra : Shariputra's silence (8:36)
Vimalakirti Sutra : Cognitive Dissonance (4:20)
Shantideva : Bhusuku's graduation lecture at Nalanda University (5:11)
Shantideva: "The Way of the Bodhisattva" : Chapter 1 (25:07)
Shantideva: Chapter 9 - Wisdom; Opening to non-dual experience; Relative & Absolute truth (10:56)
Shantideva: Chapter 9 - Epistemology; cognizing vs. re-cognizing experience; Buddhahood (22:13)
Shantideva: Chapter 9 - Conceptuality and Using Dualism (7:15)
Shantideva: Chapter 9 - Reasoning & referring to “things” (2:53)
Shantideva: Chapter 9 - The yogini reality & meaning of "Yoga" (5:20)
Shantideva: Chapter 2 - Offerings & Wellness (5:39)
Shantideva: Chapter 2 - Going for Refuge (8:44)
What does it mean to Take Refuge? (16:16)
Bhagavad Gita, Vimalakirti, Shanti Deva A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life - LIVE Q&A with Robert Thurman | Replay (88:52)
Bonus Material : Full "Teachings of the Vimalakirti Sutra" with Tenzin Thurman
The Teachings of Vimalakirti - Introduction (90:09)
The Teachings of Vimalakirti - Session Two (85:18)
The Teachings of Vimalakirti - Session Three (61:42)
The Teachings of Vimalakirti - Session Four (59:22)
The Teachings of Vimalakirti - Session Five (73:39)
The Teachings of Vimalakirti - Session Six (78:55)
The Teachings of Vimalakirti - Session Seven (85:39)
The Teachings of Vimalakirti - Session Eight (75:51)
The Teachings of Vimalakirti - Session Nine (61:59)
The Teachings of Vimalakirti - Session Ten (69:25)
The Teachings of Vimalakirti - Session Eleven (73:37)
The Teachings of Vimalakirti - Session Twelve (95:02)
Week Seven [January 3 - 9]
Reading for Week 7
Bhagavad Gita: Concept of pausing; Dharma (teaching), Dharma (duty); Karma, inheritance and destiny; Mindfulness; Karma as creative process (10:42)
Bhagavad Gita: Practice as getting back; empty of self; attachment to the fruit of action; sacrifice = give the fruit away (ecstatic release (16:31)
Bhagavad Gita: Tiers of comprehension; training to be steady and stable; wisdom sacrifice; paradox as fullness and deep understanding, visceral experience of who you are; humor; paradox (equal views) vs. orthodox (one way, my way) (18:59)
Bhagavad Gita: Ashtanga Closing Chant (0:50)
Shantideva: Chapter 3: Open to the Spirit of Enlightenment (Bodhicitta) (12:15)
Shantideva: Chapter 3: Pros and cons of dying; giving it all away (12:44)
Shantideva : Chapter 4: Carefulness, 6 Paramitas, When to take a Vow (24:01)
Shantideva: Chapter 4: Field Minds; Inner Strength (9:43)
Shantideva: Chapter 4: Useful Fear (7:08)
Shantideva: Chapter 4: Preciousness of human life; being here now is evolutionarily skillful (7:32)
Shantideva: Chapter 4: Overly glamorizing the first noble truth; being a slave to anger and lust; overcoming afflictions (9:16)
Shantideva: Chapter 4: Essence of Tantra (5:06)
Danger of Cults; Value of Monastic Sangha vs. Protestant Thinking (2:54)
Shantideva: Chapter 5: Vigilant Introspection; the ego habit; internal conquest (7:28)
Shantideva: Chapter 5: Binding the mind, examples throughout history (6:35)
Shantideva: Chapter 5: Mindfulness and the Importance of willingness in performing skillfully; the ignorant mind as a wound (9:11)
Shantideva: Chapter 5: Introspection includes mindfulness, yet goes deeper (4:35)
Shantideva: Chapter 5: Etiquette & Behavioral Conditioning (8:12)
Shantideva: Chapter 5, verse 94: How to skillfully indicate directions (0:50)
Being the goldsmith of your own critical insight - doctrine vs. teaching (3:43)
Three Principles of the Path: Intro; The liberty and opportunity of the human embodiment (6:05)
Three Principles of the Path: Seek transcendent renunciation; in light of the immediacy of death; it is now or never (8:21)
Three Principles of the Path: Bodhicitta mind as prerequisite for supreme bliss, mother-recognition (2:30)
Three Principles of the Path : Relativity as prerequisite for cutting the root of the Cyclic Life (15:55)
Three Principles of the Path: Four Verses as preliminaries for Tantra (2:30)
Bhagavad Gita Studies : The best compost for our soil of Consciousness (3:52)
Bhagavad Gita Studies : Being able to see both sides in everything (1:29)
Bhagavad Gita Studies : How to Apply these Teachings (8:25)
Bhagavad Gita Studies : When you don't know what to do... (0:19)
Being the Creator of Meaning (2:14)
Sankhya Philosophy : Prakriti and Purusha as female and male disentangled - the usefulness of dualism (6:23)
Sankhya Philosophy : Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, verse 62 Samsara, reading all of time as just pure destruction, vs design of vows (9:53)
Sankhya Philosophy : The subliminal resentment against the omnipotent creator; having the power to save yourself (5:04)
Yoga, Kundalini and the Power for Opening the Sensitivity and Radiating Bliss (5:41)
Shantideva: Chapter 8: Verse 98; everything is changing (2:49)
Bhagavad Gita, Comparative Buddhist studies, Shantideva’s A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life - LIVE Q&A with Robert Thurman | Re-Play (73:20)
Week Eight [January 10 - 16]
Reading for Week 8
Bhagavad Gita, Comparative Buddhist studies, Shantideva’s A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life - LIVE Q&A with Robert Thurman | Re-Play (89:10)
Bhagavad Gita: deliberate slowing down; things coming down from the theistic pedestals; compassion and Bodhisattva elements; interconnectedness (11:23)
Bhagavad Gita: I am the taste of water; wrapping direct experience with labels (5:53)
Bhagavad Gita: Bhakti, Atman; seeing other beings clearly, where you recognize them (26:16)
Bhagavad Gita: universal form; infinity in every aspect; seeing time; intriguing impermanence (15:11)
Bhagavad Gita : Link between sacrifice of sacrifice and Bhakti; Give up all Dharmas as they are scaffolding to point out the inexpressible; trust (5:06)
Comparative Buddhist Philosophy : sacrifice vs renunciation (0:52)
Comparative Buddhist Philosophy : “When Love Comes to Light": The Gita and Vishnu's presumed monotheism non-dually re-visited as pantheistic heresy where God invites you to “be me” in a mainstream text (43:34)
Comparative Buddhist Philosophy : Meditation on Your Nose; "no intrinsically real nose" - it disappears under analysis (9:31)
Comparative Buddhist Philosophy : Three levels of subtlety (3:02)
Comparative Buddhist Philosophy : Neither conscious-nor-unconscious, nor seeming nothingness, nor infinite consciousness, nor infinite space being the real thing; the royal reason of relativity saving you from becoming a Komodo dragon (5:54)
Intrinsicity Meditation: The thingness of things, Plato; Physics and Meta-physics (7:40)
Intrinsicity Meditation - Ontology; Intrinsic Reality, Objectivity and Identity (4:26)
Intrinsiticity Meditation : The cup screams "cup", A screams "A"; When does it stop screaming?; (9:17)
Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika: Introduction (2:29)
Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika : Relativity, dependent origination emptiness of nothingness the Buddhist critique of pure reason (7:31)
Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika : Meditation on uncreatedness (2:53)
Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika : Meditation on uncreatedness cont'd: Uncausation; illusoriness of everything (8:48)
Nagarjuna's Meditation on uncreatedness cont'd : Action, agency, condition and the primal cause of suffering (7:05)
Nagarjuna's Meditation on uncreatedness cont'd: When the going gets tough... (11:42)
Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika : Why we are so tired at the end of the day (3:07)
Shantideva: Chapter 6: Patience - becoming invulnerable to hatred; using pain positively (10:24)
Shantideva: Chapter 6: Patience - reality awareness - Looking into “What caused this injury?” (6:30)
Shantideva: Chapter 6: Patience of Forgiveness, non-retaliation; “even if they kill us, we will die happy” (6:09)
Shantideva: Chapter 8: Mediation; Compassion through the sameness of self and other (10:35)
Shantideva: Chapter 8: Mediation; Dealing with one’s own pain and the pain of the others (56:54)
Shantideva: Chapter 8: Suffering has no possessor; empathy, mirror neurons and the good doctor (5:30)
Shantideva: Chapter 8: Freedom of infinite relationships; “Buddhas have more fun” vs. Romeo and Juliet (3:42)
Shantideva: Chapter 8: Just lay aside all Self-Cherishing vs. Self-Loathing; Identifying with Everybody (3:42)
Shantideva: Chapter 8: Evolutionary Skillful and Unskillful Consequences - Connecting Self Promotion / Self Progress with Altruism; “Be a wise a selfish” and “If you want to be happy, don’t seek your own happiness” (10:26)
Shantideva: Chapter 8: The Practice - take others, lower, higher, equal, as yourself… and notice your comparing and judging habit, then exchange position with the other (9:52)
Shantideva Chapter 8, Verses 141-154: Being jealous of the higher one, shooting gurus, killing Buddhas; Competing; Contempt (5:28)
Shantideva Chapter 8: “Why am I not jealous of myself?”; “Maybe I did it” (4:40)
Shantideva Chapter 8: Accept others hurting your ego (3:13)
Shantideva Chapter 8: De-Overly-Cherishing the Body; “Alive or dead - what difference does it make?” (2:45)
Shantideva Chapter 8: The Gist of Lojong: Our Heroic Self Adopting the Bodhisattva Mind as the First Grain of Inconceivability: Inconceivable, impossible, that’s what we do (1:31)
Week Nine [February 7 - 13]
Tibetan Book of the Dead, Intro to Tantra, Deity Yoga, Subtle Body - LIVE Q&A with Robert Thurman Friday, February 11th | Re-Play
Reading for Week 9
Your next life - an impulse buy?
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Introduction; the real title; the between
The Book of the Dead: Introduction cont'd - basic ideas; history; target audience
Intro to Tantra : Theravada is Tantra; HHDL : Sutra before Tantra
Intro to Tantra : Guided meditation on the Mahayana Path
Intro to Tantra : Tantra and Mahayana
Intro to Tantra : Tantra recreates the universe
Intro to Tantra : Tantra as Co-creation
Intro to Tantra : Vijnana Bhairava Tantra
Intro to Tantra : The 3 Yanas or Buddhist schools of thought
Intro to Tantra : Awakening / Enlightenment Buddha’s Enlightenment [Esoteric & Exoteric Versions] Mandala & Deities Importance of Shamatha / Vipassana / Bodhisatva vows in Tantra
Intro to Tantra : Mandala Offering
Intro to Tantra : Deity Yoga in Tantra; Guhyasamaja Mandala
Intro to Tantra : Guhyasamaja Tantra The Esoteric Commentary Tantra Reading
Intro to Tantra : Richard Freeman & Tenzin Thurman in conversation : Yoga Travail verses 1-10
Deity Yoga : Reading from Tantric Techniques - Jeffrey Hopkins; Meditation in Sutra and Tantra Tantra and Dzogchen
Deity Yoga : Avalokitesvara Simhanada Sadhana Story of Shiva and Sati
Deity Yoga : Avalokitesvara Sadhana from HHDL teachings
Deity Yoga : Avalokitesvara Sadhana from Kriya Yoga Tantra
Deity Yoga : Tantric Techniques by Jeffrey Hopkins
Deity Yoga : Tantric Techniques by Jeffrey Hopkins [contd]
Subtle Body: Subtle Body and Subtle Mind
Subtle Body : Asana to connect to your subtle body; wisdom as a prerequisite
Subtle Body : Subtle Body and the Individual Vehicle
Subtle Body : Meditation on the mental sense faculty and the subtle body
Week Ten [February 14 - 20]
Tibetan Book of the Dead, Dzogchen, Unexcelled Yoga Tantra, Creation and Perfection Stages - LIVE Q&A with Robert Thurman [12-1:30 PM EST Thursday, February 17]
Reading for Week 10
The Book of the Dead: the root verses; the death point between; importance of reaching out as a yogi
The Book of the Dead: The Prayer for Help From The Buddhas And Bodhisattvas
The Book of the Dead : The Guidebook to the Betweens
The Book of the Dead: Cultivating openness; giving oneself away
The Book of the Dead: Stages of dissolution
The Book of the Dead: Stages of dissolution cont'd: the subtle mind; instinctual surges
The Book of the Dead: The betweens; not fearing your own visions go for the bright light
The Book of the Dead: Orientation to the Existence Between; powers and problems as a between-being
The Book of the Dead: incorporating the clearlight into your experience
The Book of the Dead: The Power of Visualization
Dzogchen: The Great Connection with Tsultrim Allione
Dzogchen : The Great Connection and the Barking Dog
Dzogchen: The Great Connection of Wisdom and Compassion
Dzogchen: Teaching of HHDL: About empowerment
Dzogchen: Teaching of HHDL cont'd: ritual objects, mantras, entering a new family, mediumism, good teachers
Dzogchen: Teaching of HHDL cont'd: Samadhi
Dzogchen: Teaching of HHDL cont'd: primordial purity; two levels of reality; mind
Dzogchen: Teaching of HHDL cont'd: ordinary mind and pure awareness; concepts, knowing and wisdom
Dzogchen: Teaching of HHDL cont'd: when your brain becomes the Universe
Dzogchen: Teaching of HHDL cont'd: the fundamental innate mind of clearlight; using concepts to freeing yourself of concepts
Dzogchen: Teaching of HHDL cont'd: yogas; concepts permeated by direct experiential awareness
Dzogchen: Teaching of HHDL cont'd: phat! rigpa - tantric awareness; PHAT! Dharmakaya - reality embodied
Dzogchen: Teaching of HHDL cont'd: Confidence, Buddha pride; gatey, gatey...; exploding into emanation bodies
Unexcelled Yoga Tantra : Short List of Unexcelled Yoga Tantras
Unexcelled Yoga Tantra : Transformation of the 3 Kayas
Unexcelled Yoga Tantra: Into the Infinite Now with the Greatest Efficacy
Unexcelled Yoga Tantra: What is it with the "unexcelled"?
Unexcelled Yoga Tantra: The Non-Duality of Unexcelled Yoga Tantras; Mother and Father Tantras
Unexcelled Yoga Tantra : Introducing the Kalachakra Mandala
Unexcelled Yoga Tantra : Kalachakra Mandala Continued
Uexcelled Yoga Tantra : The Kalachakra Mandala cont'd: "You can get a glass of wine, but you won't get a bottle."
Unexcelled Yoga Tantra : The Kalachakra Mandala cont'd: no attainment and no non-attainment; Dzogchen; "Alright already"
Unexcelled Yoga Tantra : The Kalachakra Mandala cont'd: In the Middle - everywhere and everywhen
Creation and Perfection Stages: Creation Stage, Creative Meditation
Creation and Perfection Stages : Jump into the Perfection Stage? Taking Back Projections and Your Murky Interior
Creation and Perfection Stages: definitive meaning vs. interpretable meaning in creation and perfection stages
Creation and Perfection Stages: the breath as the mantra; mandala and evolutionary triumphs
Creation and Perfection Stages: Revelation of superficial reality
Creation and Perfection Stages: The Clearlight Stage; the Magic Body
Creation and Perfection Stages: Communion
Creation and Perfection Stages: Coming to terms with ‚Communion‘
Creation and Perfection Stages: Time and Communion - retroactively enjoying being here and at the same time inhabiting what is actually the case
Creation and Perfection Stages : Linguistic meaning, common, hidden and ultimate
Creation and Perfection Stages : Achieving body isolation, speech isolation and mind isolation upon entering the perfection stage and a happy ending for the Universe
Week Eleven [February 17 - February 24]
Closing Q&A with Robert Thurman [12-1:30 PM EST Thursday, February 24]
Bonus Materials Fons Vitae Keynote
Thomas Merton & Hinduism with Robert Thurman (44:23)
Learn More & Connect
Related Audio Teachings
Comparative Buddhist Philosophy : Three levels of subtlety
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