What are the three principal paths? In this first course of the Asian Classics Institute 18 Foundation Courses, ACI 1, The Principal Teachings of Buddhism, you'll find out what they are and why they are so central to the study and mastery of Buddhism. You'll get all the basics of the Buddhist path, from how to take a lama; to how you can figure out what to give up and what to take up as you learn more about the path; to why you need the wish for enlightenment; to what correct view is (and is not). Do you think you are a good student? ACI 1 will give you the real story on what it means to be a good student.
The two wings of Buddhism are method (or compassion), and wisdom. To fly you need both wings—if you only have one, you'll never get off the ground. ACI 1 will give you the first set of the many tools you'll need to get the two wings for yourself.
Je Tsongkapa (1357-1419), the brilliant founder of the tradition we study, wrote the main text used in ACI 1. Its actual name is The Three Principal Paths. The course will also cover the commentary on this work, The Key that Unlocks the Door to the Noble Path, by Pabongka Rinpoche (1878-1941), another important figure in our tradition. Studying these two masters will give you an excellent foundation for your Buddhist studies.
In ACI 1, you'll find out about the problems of the pot and how they might apply to your daily life. You'll find out about the different kinds of students in the different schools and traditions of Buddhism. You'll get an introduction to the central Buddhist idea of emptiness in a correct and useful fashion. This is important because incorrect ideas about emptiness are responsible for many wrong turns along the path, and getting a correct teaching will help you navigate the twists and turns that the Buddhist path of study and practice can bring. You'll get the basics on the laws of karma, which is something you'll rely on in every subsequent ACI course you take. We'll define and discuss the crucial idea of bodhichitta and you'll get your own special invitation to become a bodhisattva (a person who practices bodhichitta). And did you know that there are two realities, not just one? And what about samsara—what is it, and how can you get out of it? In ACI 1, we will even begin discussing the puzzling notion of self-existence: what it means and why it's important in the story of the pen and how you face your daily life.
As you discover what separates the Mahayana path from others, you will understand more about the direct perception of emptiness and what you need to do to get it. And if you are interested in the Diamond Way, mastering the three principal paths is the only way to begin approaching it.
