Ngondro Training

Starts February 23

The traditional training in Tibetan tantra begins with the series of profound meditations known as ngondro. They offer a reorientation of the body and mind, an opening into a greater sense of oneself, ones purpose and ones resources in an interconnected world built in altruism.

Ngondro means ‘before going.’ In traditional Vajrayana practice, it represents the cognitive, physical, emotional and philosophical components which are keys to the practice of liberation. It is the basis for all Vajrayana practice and thus it is used as a the pre-requisite for the great practices of the Vajrayana tradition. However, ngondro itself is a beloved meditation series for its own sake. It is often practiced many times throughout a life cycle by great yogis of the Nyingma tradition such as Patrul Rinpoche (eighteenth century).

Join Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute for a journey into Ngondro, the core practice of Buddhist tantra.

3 Dakinis Chod

Rinchen Trengwa Retreat with Pema Khandro

San Diego – March 11-15

Online – March 11-14  

Step into the classical practice and study of one of Tibetan Buddhism’s most profound and transformative practices. Chöd—literally meaning “to cut”—offers a direct path to cut the root of suffering through radical compassion and fearless self-awareness. Chod challenges practitioners to offer their mental body as food for all beings, transforming the poison of self-grasping into the nectar of bodhicitta.

Upcoming Events

Daily
Daily Meditation Online

1st & 2nd Wednesdays
Vajrayana Training

Feb 18
Tibetan New Year – Losar Celebration

Feb 23
Ngondro Training Begins

March
Three Dakinis Chod
Retreat in San Diego and Online
General Public: Mar 11-15
Online: Mar 11-14 (morning sessions only)
Vajra Sangha: Mar 10-16

April 17-19
Finding Wisdom Awareness:
Longchenpa’s Treasury of Words & Meanings 
with David Germano & Pema Khandro

SAVE THE DATE – CONFIRMED
September 1-12 
Pilgrimage Journey to Bhutan

Ngondro Training

Starts February 23

The traditional training in Tibetan tantra begins with the series of profound meditations known as ngondro. They offer a reorientation of the body and mind, an opening into a greater sense of oneself, ones purpose and ones resources in an interconnected world built in altruism.

Ngondro means ‘before going.’ In traditional Vajrayana practice, it represents the cognitive, physical, emotional and philosophical components which are keys to the practice of liberation. It is the basis for all Vajrayana practice and thus it is used as a the pre-requisite for the great practices of the Vajrayana tradition. However, ngondro itself is a beloved meditation series for its own sake. It is often practiced many times throughout a life cycle by great yogis of the Nyingma tradition such as Patrul Rinpoche (eighteenth century).

Join Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute for a journey into Ngondro, the core practice of Buddhist tantra.

3 Dakinis Chod

Rinchen Trengwa Retreat with Pema Khandro

San Diego – March 11-15

Online – March 11-14  

Step into the classical practice and study of one of Tibetan Buddhism’s most profound and transformative practices. Chöd—literally meaning “to cut”—offers a direct path to cut the root of suffering through radical compassion and fearless self-awareness. Chod challenges practitioners to offer their mental body as food for all beings, transforming the poison of self-grasping into the nectar of bodhicitta.

Upcoming Events

Daily
Daily Meditation Online

1st & 2nd Wednesdays
Vajrayana Training

Feb 18
Tibetan New Year – Losar Celebration

Feb 23
Ngondro Training Begins

March
Three Dakinis Chod
Retreat in San Diego and Online
General Public: Mar 11-15
Online: Mar 11-14 (morning sessions only)
Vajra Sangha: Mar 10-16

April 17-19
Finding Wisdom Awareness:
Longchenpa’s Treasury of Words & Meanings 
with David Germano & Pema Khandro

SAVE THE DATE – CONFIRMED
September 1-12 
Pilgrimage Journey to Bhutan

Upcoming Events

Daily
Daily Meditation Online

1st & 2nd Wednesdays
Vajrayana Training

Jan 26 – June 27
Meditation Teacher Training

Feb 6-8
Buddha Nature:
Longchenpa’s Treasury of Words & Meanings
with David Germano & Pema Khandro

Feb 18
Tibetan New Year – Losar Celebration

Feb 23
Ngondro Training Begins

March
Three Dakinis Chod
Retreat in San Diego and Online
General Public: Mar 11-15
Online: Mar 11-14 (morning sessions only)
Vajra Sangha: Mar 10-16

April 17-19
Finding Wisdom Awareness:
Longchenpa’s Treasury of Words & Meanings
with David Germano & Pema Khandro

September 1-12
Pilgrimage Journey to Bhutan

Dear Friends,

If you are distraught about the condition of the world today, there is something you can do. You can become a certified Meditation teacher offering leadership, compassion, support and the possibility of peace.

Many of you wrote to us this past week asking for a little more time. In response, and with the wish to make this training accessible to all who feel called, we have extended the Early Bird rate for the 2026 Meditation Teacher Training until December 1st.

This program is one of our most cherished offerings. It brings together seasoned practitioners, new meditators, and dedicated students who wish to deepen their experience, stabilize their practice, or learn to guide others with clarity and confidence. It is a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in the Buddhist lineage while receiving practical tools for teaching meditation in modern contexts.

If you have been considering joining us, this extension creates a little more space to listen deeply, settle your intention, and take your next step.

What This Training Offers
• A full curriculum rooted in Buddhist philosophy
• Direct support and mentorship from Pema Khandro, Aruna Rigdzin and Satya Shiva
• A community committed to authenticity, inquiry, and transformation
• Skill-building in guiding meditation with presence, precision, and compassion
• Opportunities for practice, and embodied understanding
• Completion of a foundational pillar of Buddhist Chaplaincy Training.
• For graduates who feel called to teach: the opportunity to apply for BSI’s Daily Meditation Online teaching team and future support roles.

Whether you plan to teach meditation formally or simply wish to stabilize your own inner life, this training offers a profound journey. Many graduates tell us that the most meaningful outcomes were the deep relationships, the sense of belonging, and the transformation that arose through steady practice.

If you feel that pull toward deeper practice, toward sharing meditation with others, or toward understanding the Buddhist path more fully, we welcome you to join us.

Extended Early Bird Tuition
The Early Bird rate is now available through December 1st. After that date, standard tuition applies.

We encourage you to register soon if you intend to participate. Space is limited, and we want all who are committed to join with ease.

May this training support your practice, deepen your confidence, and nurture your wisdom in the year ahead.

With warmth,
The Team at the Buddhist Studies Institute

200-Hour Certification

Meditation Teacher Training
Self-Paced Course Content Accessible Now
Live classes Jan 26 – June 27, 2026

Grounded in the unbroken Tibetan tradition and informed by modern best practices, the Meditation Teacher Training program blends classical Zhine methods with practical teaching skills rooted in ethics, boundaries, and cultural humility.

• Begin now: access the self-paced curriculum, readings, and pre-reqs.

• Establish momentum: start your Daily Meditation Accumulation

• Live cohort: gather weekly from late January through June with mentorship and teaching practicum grounded in Tibetan tradition.

• Train with expert teachers and a heartfelt community. Learn directly with Tulku Pema Khandro, Ph.D., senior faculty, and dedicated sangha mentors.

Daily Meditation Online

Free  ~  30 Minutes  ~  Join Any Day  ~  Join Every Day!

12pm PST 3pm EST | 8pm GMT

These short, steady sessions offer a serene space to cultivate peace and clarity, support your meditation discipline, and connect with community. Whether you are new to practice or well-established, our instructors will guide you through methods that foster tranquility, insight, and resilience.

Many MTT graduates continue their path here—supporting sessions, leading practice, and deepening their teaching presence within a warm and supportive environment.

Upcoming Events

Daily
Daily Meditation Online

1st & 2nd Wednesdays
Vajrayana Training

Jan 1, 2026
21 Day Meditation Marathon

Jan 21
Vajra Sangha 3rd Wednesdays Begins

Jan 26 – June 27
Meditation Teacher Training

Feb 6-8
Buddha Nature:
Longchenpa’s Treasury of Words & Meanings
with David Germano & Pema Khandro

Feb 18
Tibetan New Year – Losar Celebration

Feb 23
Ngondro Training Begins

March
Chod Retreat in San Diego and Online
General Public: Mar 11-15
Online: Mar 11-14
Vajra Sanga: Mar 10-16

April 17-19
Finding Wisdom Awareness:
Longchenpa’s Treasury of Words & Meanings
with David Germano & Pema Khandro

Choying Dzod
Awakening to the Expanse

September 5-7
Online with Khenpo Yeshi
and Tulku Pema Khandro, PhD

Awakening to the Expanse
Beyond effort and achievement is the state of natural ease, the basic space of being. How to breakthrough to find this innate expanse is the focus of a profound Buddhist meditation manual known as The Treasury of Basic Space, The Choying Dzod (chos dbyings rin po che’i mdzod). It presents the essence of esoteric Tibetan Buddhism, known as Great Perfection, or Dzogchen (rdzogs chen) in verse form. Venerated as a manifestation of the expanse of reality itself,  is the quintessential Dzogchen text by the fourteenth century master, Longchenpa.  It refers to the expanse of reality and pure experience of meaningfulness as the revelation of the ground of being.

The Treasury of Basic Space is a manual for meditation and liberation, as well as being a text that one reads to a dying person to introduce them to the nature of mind at death. Read during dying, it offers the crucial support at the most important time, by guiding the dying person to realize the nature of mind. Indeed, The Treasury of Basic Space has been read at the time of death of many great Dzogchen masters.

The Treasury of Basic Space details the elements of breakthrough meditation (trek cho), instructions which cut through misunderstandings of emptiness and point to the vivid wakefulness of sublime knowing.

Join Buddhist Studies Institute for this special program taught online by Khenpo Yeshi, Dzogchen Nyingthig scholar and Drikung Kagyu teacher and Dr. Pema Khandro, Dzogchen scholar, lama and lineage holder of the Nyingma tradition. The three days of online classes will include the lung (the oral initiation into this profound text by Khenpo Yeshi), study, and practice led by Khenpo Yeshi and Dr. Pema Khandro.

Intrinsic Wisdom
Ngondro Module 4

September 8 – Oct 13, 2025
Online with Tulku Pema Khandro, PhD

This Ngondro training focuses on the foundational esoteric practices of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism which emphasizes reliance on intrinsic wisdom, through its highest teaching, Dzogchen. The Heart of the Vast Expanse is a cherished cycle of the Nyingma lineage that prepares for the path of Dzogchen. It is also known as the Longchen Nyingthig, (klong chen snying thig) Ngondro. This is a cycle revealed by the brilliant eighteenth century Buddhist yogi, Jigme Lingpa, poet, leader, historian, and treasure revealer, whose texts synthesize the teachings of Nyingma luminary, Longchenpa.

This module focuses on the key theme of Vajrayana, which is empowerment, to experience the power of the indestructible buddhanature within oneself. It begins with Vajrayogini meditation and the seven line prayer, a prayer used widely in the Nyingma tradition to supplicate the awakened mind. This is followed by the guru yoga meditation and merging into Buddhahood.

This comprehensive course on Ngondro is taught in four modules to support the accomplishment of practice over the period of one year. Join any module of Ngondro Training at the first Live Webinar Class. Get support to accomplish the mantra accumulations with a weekly online practice group and an accountability partner. Find clarity by bringing questions to a live monthly class with Pema Khandro.

Upcoming Events

1st & 2nd Wednesdays
Vajrayana Training

Tuesdays, Thursday, Saturday at noon
Meditate Online

Aug 18 – Sep 15 (Monday Nights)
Laughter of the Dakinis – Chod Training

Sep 5-7
Choying Dzod with
Pema Khandro and Khenpo Yeshi

Sep 8 – Oct 13
 Ngondro Module 4: Intrinsic Wisdom

Sep 22 – Oct 13 (Monday Nights)
Funerary Chod Training – Death & Dying

Nov 7-9 Online
+ Nov 10-23 practice sessions
The Six Yogas

Heart of the Dakini

Bhutan Pilgrimage with Tulku Pema Khandro PhD
and the Buddhist Studies Institute

October 14 – 26, 2025

Teachings and practice in the Last Vajrayana Kingdom

Space is limited – Reserve Your Spot Now

For Vajrayana practitioners, Bhutan represents the last remaining Buddhist kingdom on earth, where Tantric Buddhism remains the living state religion, serving as a sanctuary for authentic lineage holders who have preserved the unbroken transmission of esoteric teachings for over a thousand years.  

Surrounded by living monasteries, active lineage holders, and a culture where every mountain, river, and valley is revered as sacred, practitioners can experience Vajrayana Buddhism not as historical study but as vibrant, immediate reality—making pilgrimage to Bhutan an irreplaceable opportunity for spiritual transformation that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else on earth.

Join Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute for an unforgettable life experience.

Upcoming Events

1st & 2nd Wednesdays
Vajrayana Training

Tuesdays, Thursday, Saturday at noon
Meditate Online

Aug 18 – Sep 15 (Monday Nights)
Laughter of the Dakinis – Chod Training

Sep 5-7
Choying Dzod with
Pema Khandro and Khenpo Yeshi

Sep 8 – Oct 13
 Ngondro Module 4: Intrinsic Wisdom

Sep 22 – Oct 13 (Monday Nights)
Funerary Chod Training – Death & Dying

Oct 14-26
Heart of the Dakinis
Bhutan Pilgrimage with Pema Khandro

Save the Dates: Nov 7-9
Plus Nov 10-23 Practice Sessions
The Six Yogas