Essential Buddhist Teachings
Deepen your understanding through the Buddha’s teachings and the practices of Insight Meditation.
with Mark Coleman
Rooted in the Buddha’s Teachings. Grounded in Insight Meditation.
Essential Buddhist Teachings is a detailed introduction to the Buddha’s teachings and the practices of Insight Meditation. This course emphasizes the cultivation of mindful awareness and learning how to apply and live these wisdom and heart practices in our daily lives. The course covers the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the Four Noble Truths, the Four heart practices known as the Divine Abidings (“four flavors of love”), and the Noble Eightfold Path. These are essential teachings for building a baseline understanding of the Buddhist path of practice.
Reflections from Past Participants
What You'll Practice
- How to cultivate mindful awareness in daily life and meditation
- The Buddha’s core teachings on suffering, its causes, and the path to freedom
- Practical tools to develop lovingkindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity
- How to live ethically, speak wisely, and bring intention into action
- The principles of right concentration and right effort
- How these teachings can support you in moments of challenge and clarity
This Course is for You if:
- You are new to meditation and want a comprehensive, accessible entry point.
- You seek a deeper understanding of Buddhist philosophy and practice.
- You want practical tools for navigating life with more wisdom and compassion.
- You’re looking to reconnect with foundational teachings in a structured way.
- You’d benefit from structure and accountability in your practice.
What You Receive
25 hrs of video teachings
4 hrs Guided meditations
Readings, Self-Inquiry, and Integration Practices
Live Community Question & Response sessions
Interviews with Founding Insight Meditation teachers
Lifetime Access to Course
Course Syllabus
- Homepage
- Intro & Welcome
- Intro to the Pāli Canon
- Introduction: What is Mindfulness?
- Mindfulness of the Body
- Practice: Mindfulness of Breathing
- Q & A: Mindfulness of the Body & Breathing
- Mindfulness of Feeling Tone
- Practice: Mindfulness of Feeling Tone
- Q & A: Feeling Tone
- Inquiry: Mindfulness Out Loud
- Mindfulness of Mind
- Practice: Mindfulness of Mind
- Q & A: Mindfulness of Mind
- Mindfulness of Dhammas
- Q & A: Mindfulness of Dhammas
- Practice: Walking Meditation
- Q & A: Walking Meditation
- Practice: Mindfulness of Breathing
- The Four Noble Truths
- Q & A: Suffering
- The Truth of the Cause of Suffering
- Practice: Unsatisfactoriness & Reactivity
- Inquiry: Reactivity
- Q & A: Unsatisfactoriness & Reactivity
- Liberation from Suffering
- Q & A: The Cessation of Suffering
- The Truth of the Path
- Inquiry 3: Path
- Q & A: Path
- Lovingkindness
- Practice: Lovingkindness
- Q & A: Lovingkindness
- Inquiry: Lovingkindness
- Compassion
- Practice: Compassion
- Q & A: Compassion
- Inquiry: Compassion
- Appreciative Joy
- Practice: Appreciative Joy
- Inquiry: Appreciative Joy
- Q & A: Appreciative Joy
- Equanimity
- Practice: Equanimity
- Q & A: Equanimity
- Wise View
- Practice: Wise View
- Q & A: Wise View
- Wise Intention
- Inquiry: Wise Intention
- Q & A: Wise Intention
- Practice: Wise Intention
- Wise Speech
- Inquiry: Wise Speech
- Q & A: Wise Speech
- Wise Action
- Practice: Forgiveness
- Q & A: Wise Action
- Inquiry: Wise Action
- Wise Livelihood
- Q & A: Wise Livelihood
- Inquiry: Wise Livelihood
- Wise Effort
- Q & A: Wise Effort
- Inquiry: Wise Effort
- Wise Mindfulness
- Practice: Standing & Walking Meditation
- Q & A: Wise Mindfulness
- Inquiry: Wise Mindfulness
- Practice: Wise Concentration
- Wise Concentration
- Practice: Wise Concentration & Mindfulness
- Inquiry: Wise Concentration
- Q & A: Wise Concentration
Meet The Teacher
Mark Coleman
Essential Buddhist Teachings
Mark has trained extensively in the Buddhist tradition, both in the Insight meditation and in the Dzogchen tradition. He is a senior teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and has taught insight meditation retreats since 1997.
Mark is a life-long nature lover and is passionate about guiding people into the beauty of meditation and nature. He has led wilderness nature retreats worldwide for over twenty years. Through his organization Awake in the Wild Mark leads year long nature meditation teacher trainings in the US and Europe.
Co-founder of the Mindfulness Training Institute Mark also leads year long professional mindfulness teacher trainings in Europe and the US.
He is author of Awake in the Wild – Mindfulness in nature as a path to self-discovery, Make Peace With Your Mind, From Suffering to Peace and his recent book A Field Guide to Nature Meditation.
Select Your Rate
Payment Plan
- Guided meditation sessions with master teachers
- Hear inspiring stories from decades of teaching
- Apply mindfulness to daily challenges
- Insights from Buddhism's influential teachers
- Live Q&A with teachers
- Lifetime access to recordings
11 weekly payments of
$99
Full Payment
- Guided meditation sessions with master teachers
- Hear inspiring stories from decades of teaching
- Apply mindfulness to daily challenges
- Insights from Buddhism's influential teachers
- Live Q&A with teachers
- Lifetime access to recordings
.
$999
- Scholarships are very limited and reserved for those who are truly experiencing financial hardship. Click here to apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I access my program on the Online Learning Platform?
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To access the course:
• Use a computer and the Chrome or Firefox browser to log in at courses.spiritrock.org.
• Please note: Your login for the Online Learning Platform is separate from your Spirit Rock website login.
• Once logged in, your dashboard will display all your enrolled courses.
• Click on your program, then use the menu on the left to navigate through course sections.
How can I best view the content?
Although the Online Learning Platform works on mobile and tablet devices, for the best experience, use a desktop or laptop. This might be an easier way to find all the areas of the site as you are learning how it works.
What is the course format?
All of our on-demand courses are offered in a flexible self-study format, so you can access the materials whenever is good for you. Readings, video, audio, and all resources are structured for sequential access in our Online Learning Platform.
Can I participate from a different time zone?
Yes of course! We have students from all over the world participate in our courses. These self-paced study and practice courses are available wherever you are in the world, and whenever works best for you.
How long will I have access to the course?
You have lifetime access to the course and all materials.
I have more questions. Can you help me?
Yes! Please email us at courses@spiritrock.org with any questions that you might have.
