Part Two: Yogacara, Tathagatagarbha, and the Madhyamaka Synthesis
A Three-Part Course on the Buddhist View of Reality From the Buddha to Mipham the Great, and Everything In Between
Led by Derek Kolleeny and Chris Willcox
Tuesdays From January 20 thru April 14, 2026, 7-9:15 PM ET
Hosted by Rime Shedra NYC via Zoom
All scriptures should be realized free of contradiction,
And their teachings emerge as transformative precepts.
Then, the Buddha’s intention is easily understood,
And the pitfall of abandoning the Dharma is avoided.
- Atisha Dipamkara
This is part two of a three-part exploration of the evolution of the view of the nature of reality in the Buddhist tradition. Throughout this series, our emphasis is not on history or philosophy as theoretical pursuits, but on direct experience, understanding the view as it relates to meditation practice and daily life. By reading primary philosophical texts along with later interpretations, we will explore how Buddhist debates continued to evolve in India and developed across cultural and historical boundaries, laying the foundations for the flourishing of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy in the centuries to come.
In this second part of the series, we will explore three major ways that Buddhism manifested after the appearance of madhyamaka and Nagarjuna, focusing on the refinement of the view. Readings will all be from a sourcebook available in pdf format.
We will begin with the second major development within Mahayana Buddhism, the Yogacara. In this tradition, the Buddhist philosophical project turns inward, emphasizing consciousness, rather than a supposed external world, as the foundation of human experience and the spiritual path. We will start with the sutra sources and proceed to works by Maitreya, Asanga, and Vasubandhu.
Next we will explore the emergence of teachings on Tathagatagarbha or Buddha Nature. These teachings were unusual in that they never actually coalesced into an identifiable tradition in India, and seemed to lay dormant for centuries, only to turn up in about the tenth century and become the most controversial topic among the various traditions. We will start with the sutra sources and then explore Maitreya’s landmark text, the Uttaratantra.
Lastly, we will examine the way that Madhyamaka and Yogachara were brought together by Shantarakshita and his followers Kamalashila and Jnanagarbha. This synthesis was implanted by them into Tibet and remained there as the mainstream version of Buddhist philosophy for the next three hundred years or so.
Please join us!
Please register by email to dkolleeny@gmail.com. It is traditional to make some offering for any dharma teachings one receives. The suggested amount for this course is the mystical number $108, but any amount is fine. However, hopefully one will at least offer $25 for the sourcebook as it requires enormous resources to create.
If you are new to the Rime Shedra, please include a short description of your background in Buddhist practice and study, and please attend a couple of classes to make sure you would like to continue with the course before you make any offering.