- Fall 2026 Course Registration -

NOW OPEN

TURNING THE DHARMA WHEEL

INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHISM

Ten-week online course

September 17 – November 19, 2026

4:00pm - 5:30pm (Pacific)

A traditional way of learning Buddhism is called anguttara, ‘adding one’ – wherein the teachings of the Buddha are presented numerically in increasing order, such as the Three Poisons, the Four Noble Truths, and the Five Aggregations. This 10-week course uses a similar step-by-step method to explore fundamental Buddhist concepts and their interrelations. The ideas presented in each week’s session increase in complexity and build on previous session topics, thus 'turning the Dharma wheel.’ This course is designed to be both an intellectual and a spiritual journey—one that can open pathways to lasting change, a more awakened relationship with the world, and a transformation that continues long after the final session.

ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ om mani padme hum

THE KARANDAVYUHA SUTRA

Advanced Sutra Study Course

Tuesday nights
September 22 – November 10, 2026
7:00pm - 8:30pm (Pacific)

Oṃ maṇi padme hūm̐ is one of the most famous mantras in all of Buddhism. But where does it come from? What does it mean?

This eight-week course is an in-depth study of the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra (Treasure Box Array), the original source of the Oṃ maṇi padme hūm̐ mantra. Based on a new translation from the Chinese, this course will examine the sutra’s complex narrative structure wherein the Buddha tells a series of adventure stories about the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteśvara. These stories, however, often contain deeper stories buried within them, creating multiple levels of recursion which become difficult to keep track of without a certain degree of mental concentration. Hidden within this linguistic palace is a mysterious dhāraṇī practice that combines esoteric technologies of mantra recitation and maṇḍala visualization.

BUDDHISM IN TRANSLATION

Online Dharma talk & discussion

w/ M.C. Owens
Sunday nights
7:00pm - 8:30pm
San Francisco Dharma Collective

What is Buddhism, and why does it look so different in different places? How did the teachings of the Buddha travel across the world and evolve within various cultures? How are they evolving today, here and now? This class brings together wisdom from Buddhist texts, historical perspectives from across Buddhist traditions, and practical experiences of life to shed light on these and other relevant questions.

Every Sunday evening, we will examine key Buddhist ideas and practices and explore major Buddhist schools and their diverse expressions. Through dharma talks, open discussions and close readings, we will consider what it means to translate not only texts, but traditions, grappling with the challenge of making sense of the many different Buddhisms that exist today and what they mean in our modern lives.

This class is by donation and open to all! More information available HERE