Are you ready for the FPMT Basic Program?
A new cycle of the multi-year course in Buddhist philosophy, psychology and practice starts May 2027, taught by Geshe Tenzin Namdak. An unmissable opportunity to deepen your Buddhist practice.
Step 1
Thinking about joining
the FPMT Basic Program?
Sign up for updates.
Step 2
Make sure you’re ready to start.
Students should be familiar with at least the first two modules of Exploring Buddhism before starting the Tenets subject of the FPMT Basic Program.
About the Program
The FPMT Basic Program in Buddhist Studies of Sutra and Tantra (BP) is a five-year, twelve-subject course of studies designed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. It provides a practice-oriented transmission of the Buddhadharma to committed students ready to progress to in-depth study and practice.
Some of Tibetan Buddhism’s most treasured texts form the heart of the program. Je Tsongkhapa’s Middle Length Lamrim; Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacharyavatara; the Heart Sutra; Jetsun Chokyi Gyaltsen’s Tenets; Maitreya’s Ornament for Clear Realization and Tathagata Essence; the Wheel of Sharp Weapons, and other texts guide the practitioner through a comprehensive study of sutra and tantra.
The 9 Main Subjects
A deep-dive into some of the greatest texts of the tradition.
Stages of the Path (Lamrim)
The whole path to enlightenment for beings of three capacities, based on Je Tsongkhapa’s Middle Length Lamrim.
Tenets
The philosophical systems of the four schools of Buddhist thought, culminating in the Middle Way view.
Mahayana Mind Training
Transforming adversity through the logic of karma and the antidotes to self-cherishing.
Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds
Shantideva’s classic on the six perfections and how to live them: generosity, ethics, patience, joyous effort, concentration, and wisdom.
Heart Sutra
Emptiness and the phenomena qualified by it — the very heart of the Perfection of Wisdom teachings.
The Tathagata Essence
The buddha-nature or potential for awakening present in every sentient being.
Mind and Cognition
How the mind knows its objects, and the mental factors that make up our moment-to-moment experience.
Ornament for Clear Realization
Maitreya’s map of the hidden meaning of the Perfection of Wisdom — the stages and realisations of the path to omniscience.
Grounds and Paths of Secret Mantra
An overview of the four classes of tantra and the structure of the Vajrayana path.
Schedule
- 10:00 – 11:30
- 12:00 – 13:00
- 14:00 – 16:00
- Teaching TermMay – July
- Teaching TermSeptember – November
- Review & PracticeJanuary – March
- 2 hours per session
The Teacher
Geshe Tenzin Namdak
The first Westerner to complete the 20-year Geshe degree at Sera Jey Monastic University in India and the one-year Vajrayana programme at Gyume Tantric College, Geshe Namdak has taught prolifically as Jamyang Buddhist Centre’s Resident Teacher since 2019. Blending storytelling, scientific perspectives and personal experience of putting the teachings into practice, Geshe Namdak’s unique style has inspired hundreds of students around the world.
Course elements
Regular classes and Q&A sessions
A community of peers on the same learning journey
Interactive Review Sessions with Teaching Assistants
Meditation, practice and discussion sessions
Retreat opportunities
Quizzes and assessments to check your progress
Learning experience
Hybrid: Join in-person or online
Recordings and materials published on bespoke learning platform
Ongoing support from a dedicated team
Are you ready to start?
Check your understanding of the material by completing the quiz below honestly. At the end, you’ll either be confirmed as ready for the FPMT Basic Program or be directed to the registration page for Exploring Buddhism: Mind and View, which launches in September 2026 and will prepare you for the FPMT Basic Program.
From the last FPMT Basic Program cycle
Ready to begin?
Complete the readiness quiz to confirm you’re ready to start, or sign up for updates if you’re still deciding.
