
In-Depth Study Programs
With Kadam Heather Rocklin
FOUNDATION PROGRAM
TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM
The Foundation Program
Thursday & Saturday Options
About the Foundation Program

The Foundation Program (FP) is a unique structured study program that enables us to gain deeper understanding and experience of Buddhist teachings and to develop a regular meditation practice. It is ideal for those who have a general understanding of Buddhism and wish to learn more. FP meets once a week during term times with breaks in between and a longer break in the summer. Students are requested to enroll for a section of the text and commit to attend all the classes.
Through regular teachings and meditation, systematic study and group discussion the Foundation Program offers deep support for your spiritual life. In essence it is the same training followed by spiritual practitioners in an unbroken lineage dating back to Buddha Shakyamuni. Its special quality is that we can gain authentic experience without abandoning our modern lifestyle. By studying on this program we will gain great confidence in meditation – from basic techniques for overcoming our everyday problems, to practices leading to unsurpassed happiness and permanent inner peace.
Thursday Foundation Program
With Kadam Heather Rocklin
Book: Meaningful to Behold
Thursdays | 9:30am – 11:30pm

Meaningful to Behold by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Many people have the compassionate wish to benefit others, but few understand how to accomplish this successfully in daily life. Bodhisattvas are friends of the world, who have such strong compassion that they are able to transform all their daily activities into ways of benefiting others. The path of the Bodhisattva was exquisitely explained in the universally loved poem Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life by the 8th century master Shantideva. With this commentary, the full effectiveness and profundity of this wonderful poem are revealed in full and made applicable for our time. This practical handbook is essential for those wishing to follow a way of life characterized by greater empathy and compassion for others.
Purchase Meaningful to Behold from Tharpa.com or from our bookstore.
Saturday Foundation Program
With Kadam Heather Rocklin
Book: Universal Compassion
Thursdays | 9:00am – 11:00am

Universal Compassion is a commentary to a twelfth-century text on training the mind, entitled Training the Mind in Seven Points, which was composed by the great Tibetan Bodhisattva, Geshe Chekhawa.
The supreme Dharma of training the mind (Tib. Lojong) is an unsurpassed method for controlling our mind, and reveals the principal path to enlightenment. There are many different sets of Lojong instructions, such as those contained in the One Hundred Practices of Training the Mind. The present text, Universal Compassion, explains how to put into practice the Lojong instructions given by Bodhisattva Geshe Chekhawa in his root text Training the Mind in Seven Points.
To have the opportunity to practice this precious and profound teaching is infinitely more meaningful than being given all the precious jewels in the world. If we understand how extremely worthwhile it is to read, listen to, study, contemplate, and engage in the practice of this very special Dharma, we will do so with great faith and a happy mind. – Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
Purchase Universal Compassion from Tharpa.com or from our our bookstore.
Interested in joining the Foundation Program?
Foundation Program Enrollment Information

Cost: $75/month for Level Two Support
How to Enroll: To inquire about joining or for more information about this special opportunity, please contact the center at info@meditationinoregon.org or 503-233-6747. You are welcome to join Foundation Program at any time.
Teacher Training Program
With Kadam Heather Rocklin
About the Teacher Training Program
The Teacher Training Program (TTP) is designed for people who wish to train as authentic Dharma Teachers or simply engage with Buddha’s teachings in the deepest possible manner. In addition to completing the study of fourteen texts of Sutra and Tantra, the student is required to observe certain commitments with regard to behavior and way of life, and to complete a number of meditation retreats. Through a deep and continuing commitment to the program of study, meditation, discussion, and retreat, we can gain deep experience of Buddha’s teachings, establish a strong meditation practice and become a qualified teacher in our own right.
In TTP we will be starting the book “Great Treasury of Merit” on Sunday, September 20th, 2020.
Enrollment: $85/month for Level Three Support. If you have questions concerning this program, or a sincere interest in joining please contact the Center at 503-233-6747 or info@meditationinoregon.org.

Book: Great Treasury of Merit
Saturdays | 4:30pm – 8:00pm
Great Treasury of Merit provides a full explanation of how to practice Offering to the Spiritual Guide, one of the most important meditation practices of Kadampa Buddhism. A work of unparalleled profundity and clarity, this book contains a wealth of accessible and practical instructions on Lamrim, Lojong and Tantric Mahamudra, the very essence of Buddha’s teachings. An indispensable handbook for all those who wish to accomplish the swift path to enlightenment. You can purchase Great Treasury of Merit from Tharpa.com or from our bookstore.

Resident Teacher Kadam Heather Rocklin
Kadam Heather, a disciple of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso for 23 years, has been the Resident Teacher of Mahasiddha Kadampa Buddhist Center in Portland since 2006. A working mother of a 7 year old, Kadam Heather shows how Buddha’s teachings are practical and beneficial for everyone. Her teachings are clear and compassionate and she presents with a warmth that makes them very accessible.