If you are a lifelong seeker of answers to the troubling questions of suffering, trouble, and injustice that so often seem to prevail in our world, ACI 1, The Principal Teachings of Buddhism, is very good news for you. The aim of Buddhism is to end suffering for all beings, and ACI 1 introduces you to the reasoning behind how things really work, and what you need to do for you and others  to be happy.  You’ll be  introduced to the three principal paths and a thorough study of the three great realizations (the three principal paths) that comprise the basis of Buddhist philosophy. These are: renunciation, which is the recognition that there’s nothing ‘outside’ that can shelter us from pain; the Wish for Enlightenment, the burning desire to perfect ourselves so we will be able to help others escape from pain; and correct view, the understanding that there is nothing—including pain—that doesn’t come from how we’ve treated others in the past.

You'll discover ideas that will be helpful throughout your studies, like the problem of the pot, which discusses the types of students attracted to studying Buddhism; explanations of terms you may have heard about but don't yet understand, like nirvana, mahamudra, bodhichitta, bodhisattva, and samsara; and the difference between compassion and wisdom, and how you can use each in your daily life. And did you know the Buddha has four bodies? You can find out what they are in ACI 1. We will explore how you can find your heart lama and what that means; learn to appreciate the unbroken chain of authentic teachings passed down directly from the Buddha himself; and find out what karma really is. The Wish for Enlightenment is a central tenet of Madhyamika Buddhism. Who can make this Wish, what does it entail, and why would anyone want to do it? ACI 1 will investigate these questions. And ACI 1 will touch on some deep Buddhist teachings like the transformational idea that there are constantly two realities that we are all navigating between every day, deceptive reality and ultimate reality, giving you a taste for exploring this idea more deeply. In addition, we'll touch on the idea of the 12 links of cause-and-effect that Buddhism is built on, commonly called dependent origination. You'll have the opportunity to go deeper into this idea as well. Finally, ACI 1 begins to engage with the crucial but challenging idea of emptiness.

All in all, ACI 1 is a comprehensive and detailed introduction to all the ideas of Buddhism you need to get started on a path to improve your life significantly. Past students have commented that ACI 1 answered all their questions about how things really work that they always had but never got answers to. Best of all, you'll be able to apply these ideas to your daily life and very likely see improvements during the course.