YEARLONG BUDDHIST STUDIES COURSE - YEAR ONE
WITH ETHAN NICHTERN & TEACHING TEAM
Tuesdays, January 28th - December 9th, 2025
from 7:00pm-9:00pm ET
REGISTER NOW
IT'S TIME TO GO DEEPER.
Dharma Moon is delighted to host senior Buddhist teacher, writer, and lecturer Ethan Nichtern to offer a deep training in meditation, Buddhist philosophy and psychology, spanning the entire 2025 year. This program comprising five 6-week online courses is suited for students of all experience levels.
Designed to be highly practical (and occasionally geeky), this program will provide a comprehensive overview of the Buddhist path, with an emphasis on the psychological, metaphysical, and socially engaged elements, and will help you establish or reestablish a commitment to regular meditation practice through a variety of Buddhist techniques.
This is a live, online program that will engage students in interactive learning and community. Students will also receive lifetime access to all session recordings.
This program serves as an excellent companion to Dharma Moon’s 100-hour Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training (current students & graduates) led by founder David Nichtern.
INDIVIDUAL COURSES
The full yearlong program is comprised of five 6-week online courses. Courses can be taken individually and are suited for students of all experience levels. Registering for individual courses excludes participation in working groups and other benefits indicated above, but students who choose this option will still have access to live talks and recordings.
Please email [email protected] with any registration or payment questions.
COURSE 1: ENTERING THE PATH
Tuesdays, January 28th – March 4th, 2025
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm ET
This course focuses on The Buddhist Path, The Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, Buddhist Teachings on the Self, and the Path of Conduct and Ethics.
We begin at the beginning, by establishing a daily mindfulness meditation practice. We will explore and transform our way of looking at meditation as more than just a stress-reducing practice, and into an entire life path of study, practice and ACTION where we explore our sense of self, our confusion, and begin to transform our entire understanding of reality.
LEARN MORE ABOUT COURSE 1
COURSE 2: UNDERSTANDING KARMA AND THE SIX REALMS
Tuesdays, March 25th - April 29th, 2025
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm ET
This course covers the all-important transition from a view of awakening that is internal and personal to one that is shared and interpersonal. Our daily meditation practice will focus on the technique of Metta, or lovingkindness meditation, to begin to build a bridge.
On the philosophical/psychological level, we dive into the teachings of Karma and The Twelve Nidanas, which describes how consciousness functions and falls prey to habitual beliefs, patterns, and stuck behaviors. Why do we keep doing the same things again and again, and how can we break the habitual chains? That’s the real question to be answered here through a detailed understanding of the exact sequence of moments through which we get stuck in old patterns, including the places we can effectively shift or transform our habitual responses to what happens to us. And on the level of social imagination, we deeply explore one of the most imaginative Buddhist teachings: the 6 realms of confused existence, which describe in epic detail how the mind creates entire realms of experience in relation to other minds.
COURSE 3: THE BODHISATTVA'S PATH – EMPTINESS AND COMPASSION
Tuesdays, May 20th – June 24th, 2025
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm ET
This course focuses on the Bodhisattva Path. How do we fully prepare our hearts and minds for the compassion to be truly of benefit to others? How can we take care of ourselves in the process of opening up to the world? We will focus on the meditative technique of tonglen, or “sending and taking” compassion meditation, which has been demonstrated by Eastern students and Western psychologists alike to be deeply transformative to the hearts of everyone who practices. We will cover the meditation practice of Tonglen, The Four Great Vows of Zen, Four Styles of Idiot Compassion, Spiritual Bypassing, The Six Paramitas, and The Heart Sutra.
COURSE 4: INTRODUCTION TO TANTRA - WISDOM IS ALREADY PRESENT
Tuesdays, September 9th– October 14th, 2025
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm ET
The Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhist path contains practices and frameworks that are incredibly useful in understanding and working with our human emotions.
The tantric path also has many interesting teachings about visualization, sacredness, viewing the world as an inherently beautiful and amazing place, and dealing with death as a practice of awakening.
While Tantra has a very liberated approach in discussing the interconnection between wisdom and neurosis, sanity and confusion, it is actually a very grounded, rigorous, and compassionate path all about how to be a decent human.
This six-week course begins with a theoretical introduction to Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism, along with an experiential exploration of some of the fundamental practices associated with Buddhist Tantra.
Founded on the firmly established aspirations of self-liberation and compassion for all beings (Dharma Moon's Yearlong Buddhist Studies Courses 1-3), this course explores the Tantric or Vajrayana teachings as understood in the Indo-Tibetan and other schools of Buddhism.
Topics will include The Three Yanas, Nature of Mind meditation (Mahamudra and Dzogchen), Visualization as Meditation Practice, The Five Wisdom Energies, and an exploration of the often difficult topic of what it means to work with a "Guru" as opposed to other models of the student-teacher relationship.
COURSE 5: WARRIOR IN THE WORLD - THE PATH OF COMPLETE ENGAGEMENT
Tuesdays, November 4th – December 9th, 2024
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm ET
This course will survey modern topics applying Buddhist thought to a wide variety of issues. Topics include: The Mandala Principle in Everyday Life, Dharma Art, Buddhism and Western Psychology, Buddhism and Economics, Buddhism and Politics, Buddhism and Environmentalism, Buddhism and Racial Justice and more.
Register by December 16th and save $250!
Registration for the full program includes access to working groups with direct check-ins by course leaders, written reflection assignments, access to a discussion board with fellow students, and a certificate of completion for the course from Dharma Moon.
Yearlong Buddhist Studies Course 2025 Year One
Yearlong Buddhist Studies Course 2025 Year One, 4-Month Payment Plan
Yearlong Buddhist Studies Course 2025 Year One, 12-Month Payment Plan
ABOUT ETHAN
“[Ethan is] a supercool, deeply kind brainiac—imagine a very chilled-out blend of Pauls Auster and Rudd—who is also to-the-cushion born.”
–Sally Singer, Vogue.com
Ethan Nichtern is a Senior Buddhist teacher, author, and lecturer. For the past 19 years, Ethan has taught meditation and Buddhist psychology classes and workshops around New York City, North America and Europe, along with working with students privately.
He was formerly on the part-time faculty at Eugene Lang College at New School University and has lectured at Brown, Wesleyan, Yale, NYU, FIT, Antioch and other universities, and as well at many other meditation/yoga centers and conferences around the country and world.
Ethan is the author of the acclaimed books The Road Home: A Contemporary Exploration of the Buddhist Path and The Dharma of The Princess Bride: What The Coolest Fairy Tale of Our Time Can Teach Us About Buddhism and Relationships. He is also the author of One City: A Declaration of Interdependence, and the Novella/poetry collection, Your Emoticons Won’t Save You, and his most recent book Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life’s Eight Worldly Winds.
He founded and served as executive director (2007-11) of the Interdependence Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to secular Buddhist practice and transformational activism and arts.
Ethan primarily studied in Shambhala and Tibetan traditions, as well as Theravadan and Soto Zen Buddhism. Ethan is an avid yoga practitioner. He served as Shastri, or Senior Teacher-In-Residence, for the Shambhala Meditation Center of New York from 2010-18.
In 2018, Ethan launched his podcast, The Road Home, available on iTunes, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts.
Ethan has been featured on CNN, NPR, ABC/Yahoo News, The New York Times, Vogue.com, Business Insider, Nautilus, and Vice to discuss Buddhism and meditation in the 21st Century. His articles have been featured on The Huffington Post, Beliefnet, Shambhala Sun, Tricycle Magazine, BuddhaDharma Magazine, and Reality Sandwich as well as other online publications.
YEARLONG BUDDHIST STUDIES
TEACHING TEAM
ERIC GERARD
Eric has been practicing mindfulness for about nine years and recently graduated from the Spring 2024 MMTT cohort after three years of private study with Ethan Nichtern. He also completed the two year Year Long Buddhist Studies course, which has shaped his life and practice in meaningful ways. Originally from Chicago, Eric is an actor and also serves as the Co-Owner and Artistic Director at Blackbox Acting, a school that aims to prepare artists for their careers through a holistic approach.Eric is passionate about helping artists foster genuine connections with themselves and their work while encouraging vulnerability and bravery. He hopes to support others in developing a mindful and healthy relationship with their craft, whether that craft is art or the complex journey of existence.
LOU SHARMA
Lou Sharma has practiced meditation for over a decade, and has studied Dharma within Tibetan Buddhist traditions since 2016. In 2021, she completed Dharma Moon's Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. Lou is interested in the ways mindfulness can empower more compassionate cultures of work, inspired by 10+ years of experience as a corporate researcher and brand strategist.
HEATHER SHAW
Since 1998, Heather has been a student of yoga and meditation, steeped in the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as Western psychotherapy and neuroscience. Embodied practice is at the root of her offerings, which are influenced by her unique background in dance/choreography, combined with nearly two decades of yoga teaching experience, all underpinned by dedicated scholarship in both dharmic philosophy and contemplative psychotherapy. Heather received certification as a meditation instructor through Dharma Moon/Tibet House, as well as the Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science.
WHAT PAST STUDENTS ARE SAYING:
"This is so hard to put into words. I have gained so much from this past year through the year long study. I have gained a deeper practice, become more in touch with myself, and gained a better understanding of the world around me. I am so grateful for this course and all the nuggets of wisdom I was able to take away."
"The course has been a rock for me every week, something I can count on"
"I loved all the fabulous faculty! There were so many great insights from each member of the team!"
“The online course allowed this full time working mom to have access to the dharma and a sangha in a way that would be otherwise impossible. When the stars align and I can attend the live class, Ethan and his guests are engaging and interactive. The break out sessions are also insightful. Definitely worth investing the time and money.”
"I loved being able to complete the course and really learn about specific aspects of Buddhism that I have neglected over the years. The teachers were all wonderful with a lot of knowledge and sense of humor."
"Ethan is a remarkable teacher. I really enjoyed listening to him discuss Buddhism, his relationship to it, and how to bring it out into this crazy world."
“This course changed my life. It opened so many things in my life and path.”
"It was a lovely opportunity to engage with a variety of Buddhist traditions and practices, to share my understanding of Dharma with others, and to learn with other practitioners about how we each can bring the teachings to bear on our inner and outer lives."
"Definitely a paradigm shift, both deepening and solidifying my spiritual path, and constant new perspective on interacting with the world."
"I blocked out the time and always looked forward to meeting on Tuesday eves. I found the teaching to be superb, the group practices meaningful and found great value in the break out sessions. The faculty was great and their input was meaningful. I would love to hear more from Lou on social justice. Thank you everyone at Dharma Moon and big thank you to René for keeping the container strong."
"It was very anchoring to meet every week. Nice to approach the material in a contemporary, engaged, current in our time and place."
"Thank you. The care and attention that you all bring to this changed my life."
"Appreciated the all different meditation approaches in real-time. It felt like it was the first time I really embodied Metta, Tonglen, etc and the Tantric visualizations were new to me and very powerful."
"It was so fantastic to engage with other students. I loved beings exposed to so many ideas about how to examine our situation as people. Most of all, I think, I loved that the Course provided me a structure and reminder to practice and keep the Dharma in my mind day-to-day."
"I'm dealing with a 20+ year bout of chronic pain from a neurological standpoint. This course was a cornerstone for what can be a frustrating process. The aspects of embodied emotions etc... continue to be an integral part of the healing process. Shoutout to Jackie in particular, whose Standing/Moving body scan meditation was a sea change for me in my relationship with pain and discomfort."
"I have loved the people that we met with weekly. I have loved the aspect of humor that has been brought to studies. I love the variety. I love that people are there through the very difficult ups and downs that a year can bring. I love the breakout rooms and seeing new friends smile at you and welcome you into those rooms each week."
"You will not find another group, school, or educational experience like Dharma Moon. I grew up with many of these teachings but I have always been looking for a community and I’ve never found one. Even living in New York City. The Dharma Moon teachers and staff are fantastic. And the community that you meet is life-changing."
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