with Geshe Tenzin Legtsok

Twelve Monday Teaching Sessions
June 15 – August 31, 2026
6:30pm – 8:30pm PDT (Pacific Daylight Time)
in-person at OCBC and online

The first class on June 15 will be online only.

Two Sunday afternoon Practice Days
July 26 and August 30, 2026
2:00pm – 5:00pm PDT
in-person at OCBC and online

Three 90-minute Study Group Sessions
Thursday Group:

July 9, July 30, August 20
7:00pm – 8:30pm PDT

Sunday Group:

July 12, August 2, August 23
4:00pm – 5:30pm PDT

online only

Registration closes on June 22.

Program Category: Dharma Education — Foundational

Exploring Buddhism is the newest foundational-level course co-developed by FPMT Education Services and senior FPMT teachers, including Geshe Tenzin Namdak, Geshe Tenzin Legtsok, and Venerable Joan Nicell. It was conceived as a bridge between the FPMT Discovering Buddhism and the FPMT Basic Program.

The Exploring Buddhism program presents selected topics that provide a strong basis for more advanced study. The program is intended for students with a good understanding of basic Buddhism.

Read an overview of the Exploring Buddhism program that will be offered at Ocean of Compassion and Vajrapani Institute.

This module teaches the right views we need to know and realize with our mind to bring about transformation by uprooting successively more subtle levels of ignorance that are the roots of suffering. In particular, we examine the various aspects of the tenet systems of the main schools of Buddhist philosophy, culminating in the Middle Way view, which clarifies the deepest meaning of emptiness.

In this course, you will learn:

• The two truths, four truths and dependent origination
• Introduction to the four Buddhist tenet schools with emphasis on their presentation of the two truths and selflessness
• Introduction to the Middle Way school
• The way to generate the correct view of selflessness according to the Middle Way school — recognition of the object to be refuted, presentation of different types of reasoning (four-point analysis, sevenfold reasoning and reason of dependent origination)

Please review the prerequisites for this course on our Exploring Buddhism program page. Completion of the Year 1 Exploring Buddhism courses is not required to participate.

Please read our Exploring Buddhism FAQ for answers to frequently asked questions.

If you have more questions about the program, please enter them here, and we will update the FAQ page.

Geshe Tenzin Legtsok has been ordained as a Buddhist monk since 2001 and is the first American to complete the twenty-year Geshe Studies Program in classic Indian Buddhist treatises and their Tibetan commentaries at Sera Jey Monastic University in South India, following the tradition of ancient Nalanda University. In 2025, he completed the traditional study of tantra at Gyudmed Tantric Monastery.

With over two decades of study and practice under the guidance of great masters, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Geshe Legtsok brings profound insights into the application of Buddhist teachings. Born in Virginia, USA in 1973, he earned a Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon College in 1995. His quest to answer the question, “What makes for the most happy and meaningful life,” led him to major in philosophy, eventually guiding him to study meditation and philosophy with teachers among the exiled Tibetan communities in India and Nepal since 1999.

Dedicated to studying and teaching Buddhist philosophy, Geshe Legtsok seamlessly blends ancient wisdom with modern-day relevance. His teachings emphasize understanding and transforming the mind through practice, and he is committed to helping others navigate the spiritual path with clarity and patience.