Buddhist Science of Mind: Recognizing Confusion on the Path of Liberation

Rinpoche will be teaching a two weekend Shedra course focused on non-valid cognition as presented in the sutras and clarified through Indian and Tibetan Buddhist commentary.

This course continues the study of Lorig, the Buddhist science of mind and cognition, with an emphasis on how mistaken ways of knowing arise, how they function, and why they bind us only when they go unrecognized. Rather than approaching mind and cognition as an abstract philosophical topic, this course treats it as a practical investigation into how confusion operates in meditation and daily life.

By studying non-valid cognition in depth, students learn how the mind mistakes experience through memory, assumption, projection, doubt, and distortion, and how recognizing these processes naturally lessens obscuration and suffering. This recognition creates the conditions for valid cognition to arise directly in practice.

Grounded in the Mahayana path, this course connects the science of mind to refuge, trust in the Three Jewels, and the path of liberation, showing how clarity of knowing supports confidence, compassion, and responsibility on the path.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, students will:

✔️ Understand the role of non-valid cognition within the Buddhist science of mind
✔️ Learn how mistaken cognition functions and why it binds only when unrecognized
✔️ Develop the ability to identify mistaken views and perceptions in their own practice
✔️ Clarify how recognition of confusion naturally reduces obscuration
✔️ Strengthen confidence in the mind’s capacity for valid cognition
✔️ Connect how we know things truly directly to meditation, view, and conduct
✔️ Deepen trust in the Mahayana path, refuge, and the Three Jewels

Weekly Course Schedule

This course will run from March 7-8 and March 14-15.

🗓️ Live Lectures: Saturdays and Sundays at 6 AM PT (8 AM CT)

All sessions will be recorded. Students will have ongoing access to lecture recordings and course materials throughout the program.

Course Fee

The full course fee is $108, which includes access to all live and recorded teachings.