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FAQ about Discovering Buddhism Online
1. Is the Discovering Buddhism Online program self-paced?
2. Does it matter in what sequence I do the fourteen modules?
3. Are there any retreats that complement what I will be learning?
4. What readings are provided in the module packages and what readings do I need to purchase?
7. How and when do I complete Module 14. Special Integration Practices?
1. Is the Discovering Buddhism Online program self-paced? That is, can I complete the modules on my own schedule?
Yes! Discovering Buddhism Online is designed to accommodate students’ needs and individual situations. Therefore, you are free to study the modules in the order and timeframe that suits you.
In fact, because the topics of Discovering Buddhism are meant not only to be understood but to be put into practice in daily life, it is best to spend some time with each module. For example, it can be helpful to listen to the audio teachings or read the transcripts several times while also reflecting and meditating on them. In this way, you will not only gain an intellectual understanding of the topics but they will also bring about a transformation in your habitual ways of thinking and attitudes.
Also, you do not need to fulfill the various requirements for an individual module in any particular order. For example, if you are doing DB Module 1, you can listen to the teachings and do the meditations straight away, but do the intensive practice day later on when you have time.
2. Does it matter in what sequence I do the fourteen modules?
It is generally advised that you go through the modules sequentially from Module 1-13, but ultimately it is up to you to decide the order in which you go through the modules. For example, depending on your interest in understanding the need to rely on a guru, you could do Module 4. The Spiritual Teacher between Module 12 and Module 13.
However, one exception to sequentially going through the modules is Module 14. Special Integration Practices. We suggest that committed students start this module early on in the program, for example, after completing Module 6. All About Karma, because it contains some significant practice requirements. You could, for example, begin either the prostrations or Vajrasattva mantras as a daily practice, rather than leaving them until the end of the program. In this way you can be completing Module 14 as you go through Modules 1-13. You can read more about Module 14 on this page.
In short, the intention of this particular program is to give complete freedom to the student to go through the program in whatever way suits them best.
3. Are there any retreats that complement what I will be learning?
These are short retreats (1 -3 days) for the first thirteen modules and some longer retreats for module 14. The retreats can be done at home or elsewhere on your own. In addition, some FPMT centers host these retreats from time to time.
Instructions for how to do the intensive practice days are available with each online module. These retreats are required for students who wish to receive the Certificate of Achievement for a particular module. Otherwise, they are entirely optional.
4. What readings are provided in the module packages and what readings do I need to purchase?
The readings that you will receive with any given module are indicated on the Foundation Store page where you purchase the module. For example, for Module 2. How to Meditate, you will see on the Foundation Store page that the book How to Meditate is not included with your package. There are a few such books in the program, including Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, which is necessary for most modules. What are always provided are the readings referred to as “Discovering Buddhism Readings” as well as all readings published by Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.
5. What is the advantage of receiving a Certificate of Achievement for the individual modules and a Completion Certificate upon completion of all fourteen modules?
Discovering Buddhism Online can be done on either a casual basis or as a certificate program. As a certificate student there are various requirements for each module. When you have completed them, you will receive a downloadable Certificate of Achievement for that particular module.
When you have fulfilled all the requirements for all fourteen modules, you will receive a Completion Certificate from FPMT Education Services signed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. This Completion Certificate can provide a sense of accomplishment, just as does any degree or certificate received from any institute.
Another purpose of the Discovering Buddhism Completion Certificate is that it indicates that you could potentially teach Discovering Buddhism. Since FPMT, as a well respected Dharma organization, must ensure a high standard of criteria for our teachers, we provide a certificate to say that a student has studied and practiced a certain topic adequately. In this case it is not sufficient to complete Discovering Buddhism Online and receive a Completion Certificate. In addition, you will need to be vetted by an FPMT center or study group, complete an additional assessment for each of the fourteen modules, and go through the FPMT teacher registration process to ensure that you also fulfill the additional criteria for a teacher.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has advised that all of FPMT education programs include an academic component of listening and reflecting (which includes some form of examination, be it an assessment, a “public exam,” or an actual sit-down exam), a behavior component, and a practice component. When these programs are run in a center, they also include an attendance component. Anyone who completes all of the components qualifies to receive a Completion Certificate in that particular program.
6. The practice of Vajrasattva is one of the module 14 practices. Can I engage in this practice without the initiation?
There is no problem to do the Vajrasattva practice without the initiation. The only thing you can’t do is visualize yourself as Vajrasattva. However, you can do the entire practice by visualizing Vajrasattva on your crown and imagining light descending, ascending, and absorbing into your heart. In the Vajrasattva practice you don’t visualize yourself as Vajrasattva anyway so there is no problem. There is some explanation about this in The Preliminary Practice of Vajrasattva.
7. How and when do I complete Module 14, Special Integration Practices?
Please refer to the following two pages for further information about module 14:
- Instructions for how to do the special integration practices
- Frequently asked questions about the special integration practices