Week Five: Buddhist Philosophy II – The Nature of Thought, Perception, and Insight

This fifth week of the Samye Institute Summer Immersion: The Buddhist Arts & Sciences continues the integration of inner and outer sciences at the heart of the program, picking up directly from the philosophical inquiry of the previous week. Participants now turn from the broad framework of Buddhist concepts to the specific question of how we know — extending the inner science of buddha dharma into the territory of Buddhist epistemology. The week unfolds through meditation, study, and dialogue, with study sessions led by Seth Auster-Rosen at its center.
The week's centerpiece is the Outer Science of Buddhist Epistemology, taught by Seth Auster-Rosen. The way we perceive and think shapes our understanding of the world, and Buddhist epistemology is the study of what we really know and how. Through philosophical examination and contemplative experimentation, participants will investigate the nature of thought, language, and conceptual knowledge — and consider how conceptual understanding meets and gives way to the non-conceptual clarity cultivated in meditation. The week opens an inquiry into the inner workings of mind itself: how perception arises, how thought structures experience, and how insight emerges when the two are held together.
Continuing the inner science thread, the contemplative portion of the week — led by Tulku Migmar Tsering — offers a complementary practice.
Together, the two strands invite participants to hold rigorous inquiry and lived contemplative practice as two sides of a single path — the way the Buddhist tradition itself has always understood the relationship between knowing and being.

Format
The week weaves together several modes of learning and practice:


Talks introducing the principles and practice of Buddhist epistemology
Guided meditations and contemplative exercises
Facilitated Q&A and group discussion
Space for personal practice and movement

Free & Open to All
Several sessions each week are free and open to anyone, with no registration required. We warmly welcome locals and newcomers to drop in:


The weekly public talk
The Wednesday evening Introductory Talk, which opens the week
All morning and afternoon meditation sessions, every day of the week

If you've been curious about Samye Institute, Buddhist epistemology, or Buddhist practice, these are an easy way to step in and experience the teachings firsthand.

Schedule
The course opens on the evening of Wednesday, July 15, allowing participants to arrive earlier in the day and settle in. From July 16 through July 18, each day follows a full rhythm of morning and afternoon meditation alongside two teaching sessions in the afternoon and evening. The program concludes on the morning of Sunday, July 19, followed by lunch and departure.
Wednesday, July 15 — Arrival


3:00 – 5:00 pm — Registration
6:00 – 7:00 pm — Dinner
7:00 – 8:30 pm — Introductory Talk (free and open to all)

Thursday – Saturday, July 16–18


7:00 – 8:00 am — Personal Practice
9:00 – 9:45 am — Breakfast
10:00 – 10:45 am — Guided Meditation (free and open to all)
12:30 – 1:15 pm — Lunch
1:30 – 2:15 pm — Inner Science Meditation (free and open to all)
3:00 – 4:30 pm — Buddhist Epistemology with Seth Auster-Rosen
4:30 – 5:00 pm — Break
5:00 – 6:00 pm — Q&A / Discussion
6:00 – 7:00 pm — Inner Science with Tulku Migmar Tsering
7:00 – 8:00 pm — Dinner

Sunday, July 19 — Closing


8:00 – 8:45 am — Breakfast
10:00 – 11:30 am — Closing Session
12:30 – 1:15 pm — Lunch and Departure

Attendance & Hybrid Access
Participants are welcome to register for the full week or for individual days as their schedules allow. To help sessions begin on time, we ask that all attendees arrive 15 minutes early. If you are interested in attending for less than the full program, but would like to book a room, please contact us directly at contact@samyenewyork.org to organize accommodations.
The Outer Science, Inner Science, and Q&A / Discussion sessions are offered in a hybrid format, accessible both in person and online. Recordings of these sessions will be made available to all registered attendees, so anyone who joins partway through will receive recordings of the days they missed.
Commuter registration includes lunch and dinner; residential registration includes all meals and on-site lodging. Scholarships are available on request — please reach out if cost is a barrier to attending.
Note: Week Five concludes on Sunday, July 19, which is also the opening day of our final offering — Noble Living, Noble Caring, Noble Dying — beginning that afternoon with a public talk at Origins Cafe. Participants are warmly invited to continue on.
Prerequisites
No prior experience is necessary. This week is open to participants of all backgrounds, whether or not they attended earlier weeks of the immersion. Participants who joined the previous week's Buddhist Philosophy I will find this week a natural continuation, while newcomers will find it a self-contained introduction to Buddhist epistemology. It will be especially meaningful for those drawn to questions of perception, language, and the meeting point of thought and meditation.