Learning from Buddha College & Seminary

Welcome to the Learning from Buddha College & Seminary: A Buddhist On-Line Institution & Seminary featuring the True Buddha Dharma from the Holy Vajrasana Temple & Retreat Center and the Xuanfa Institute.

Do you want to learn the highest teachings of the Buddha? Do you want to know how to traverse these troubled times and find peace and happiness in this mess that can seem darker with each passing day? How do we exist and prosper in what Shakyamuni Buddha predicted would be the Dharma Ending Age?

It is not well known in the West, but a very special Buddha—the teacher of Shakyamuni Buddha—incarnated in China in the last century and settled in America around the beginning of this millennia. He just left us, but He left behind what Buddhas do—a path we can follow to enable us to be enlightened holy beings who can help others out of our suffering and pain. His teachings are not readily available yet in English, but we have many that are available as preliminary translations and when COVID necessitated using the internet to share these translations it was possible to start a virtual college and seminary that enables us to learn directly from Buddha on-line at the Learning from Buddha College & Seminary (LFBCS).

H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has been recognized by the most highly realized practitioners of Buddhism as the third incarnation of the original Buddha, Dorje Chang Buddha (Buddha Vajradhara). Dorje Chang Buddha is the teacher of all Buddhas–past and future–including the Buddha of our current era, The Most Honored One, Shakyamuni Buddha.

Many do not understand what the phrase “most highly realized practitioners” means. These are the saints or holy beings who through their own efforts of diligently cultivating themselves to be like buddhas and practicing holy teachings or Dharmas to become buddhas have actually achieved some recognizable accomplishments. Many are not so well known, as they have spent their lives in isolation so as to perfect their cultivation and practice and remained out of the limelight. Not all famous or well-known Buddhists are accomplished, but some are. There were sixty dharma kings and others who recognized the accomplishments of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. This recognition was based on His accomplishments in all of the five vidyas. Many Buddhists–probably most–do not even know what the term “five vidyas” means, but if you carefully research the historic accounts, you will find that it was based on such accomplishments that the great Buddhists of times past were recognized and not by worldly sources. Several of the courses at LFBCS discuss H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and his accomplishments in the five vidyas.

We should all agree that these are the dharma ending days that Shakyamuni Buddha predicted. It was also predicted that great holy beings would incarnate from time-to-time to help those with the karmic affinity to receive such help through this difficult period. We should remember our Buddha Master’s parting words to us:  “. . . At all times, we must think about bringing auspiciousness, serenity, happiness, and peace to living beings and to the world, to the extent of giving our all and even our lives. I have already brought true Buddha Dharma to this world. Everyone who practices in accordance with The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation and Expounding the Absolute Truth Through the Heart Sutra will surely attain liberation. That’s all. I wish all living beings happiness.” We use preliminary English translations of these two great works and other sutras and discourses by His Holiness as the core of our programs at LFBCS.

Our courses are designed to help us develop our cultivation of character and of our minds through the practice of various Dharmas. Cultivation is a term translated from the Chinese term “xiuxing” to explain an essential part of being a Buddhist. It is part of what a practicing Buddhist does. “Xiu” does mean to cultivate or repair, but “xiuxing” means much more in Chinese. It is the art of practicing perfection, to become a Buddha or perfect one. There is no equivalent word in English, but it involves self-reflection on what you do and what you do to other beings, comparing your behavior to that of a Buddha, and vowing to do better until you can become like a Buddha. All the 84,000 dharma methods of the Buddha are teachings to help us become moral so that we can behave like a Buddha in speech and actions and develop our minds so that we can think like a Buddha and understand the true nature of reality and thus know how to better behave like a Buddha.

Enrollment Options

We do require you become a member to be able to listen to the recorded readings of discourses by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, because these are only preliminary translations, and we need to know how to inform you when we have authorized translations available. There are three levels of membership available: Free Auditing, Buddhist Studies, and Xiuxing Seminary with two programs available at the Seminary—one with both an academic and practice focus and one that focuses more on the practice. The Certificate programs do not require and undergraduate degrees but the Master’s degrees to require a degree from an accredited school.

Free Auditing Student Program:  Anyone may join this program. No undergraduate degree is required to enroll in individual (A) courses. You can also download many sutras and articles to read from other courses. Auditing students do not receive homework assignments and are not allowed to participate in debates or presentations and are not usually included in ZOOM discussions. You do not receive any certificate or degree and this membership is free.

Buddhist Studies Program:  Enrolling in this membership plan gives you all the free courses plus related courses that include homework assignments, discussion groups, exams and a 36-credit Buddhist Studies Master’s degree or Certificate. If space permits, you may also participate in the course debates, and you can take the courses at your own pace for a $10 monthly fee. You do not need to become a Buddhist to enroll in this program, but you should take at least one seven-day retreat.

Xiuxing Seminary Program:  This program includes everything in the Buddhist Studies Program plus additional practice-oriented courses. It is for the student who wants to become a Dharma Master and be able to have his or her own Dharma Center or temple, take students, and/or focus on a serious Buddhist practice. You do need to take refuge and be a Buddhist to enroll in this program and be able to attend several meditation retreats including at least a 30-day or longer solitary retreat to receive the Xiuxing Master’s degree or Certificate. You will participate in debates and/or make presentations on what you have learned from the courses. Again, you can complete this 72-credit program at your own pace for a $15 monthly fee.

Xiuxing Practice Program:  This list of courses does not lead to any degree or certificate but is oriented to the student who just wants to focus on his or her practice of the Dharma learned from H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. It is considered a subset of the Xiuxing Seminary Program that grew out of the requirements needed to be able to have an effective Solitary Retreat at the Holy Vajrasana Temple. It also requires that the student has received and is actively practicing a certain number of Dharmas.

CLICK for more details concerning each class, then click on “Available Courses” and click name of course.

CLICK for links to a description and curriculum for each of the required and other courses and then click “Courses” for thumbnail descriptions and the ability to select categories of courses.

CLICK button below to download brochure that provides listing of required classes for each of Free Accounting, Buddhist Studies, Xiuxing Seminary, and Xiuxing Practice Programs.

CLICK for link to LFBCS Website.

CLICK to become a member and enroll as an “Auditing,” a “Buddhist Studies,” a “Xiuxing Seminary,” or a “Xiuxing Practice” Student.