Buddhist Yogis News

Pema Khandro and Buddhist Yogis News Archive

SEND 1/16/24

Upcoming Events

Bardo Teachings – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro, Father Francis Tiso, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, Chagdud Khadro, Shugen Roshi, Julie Rogers, Jim Tucker, M.D., Koshin Paley Ellison and Dr. William McGrath

Open Dates
Teachings on Death and Dying Facing realities of dying, death, and grief are central to our human experience. This program offers practical instructions for helping others in the process of dying and an overview of essential knowledge on death, bardo, and rebirth. This includes self-paced lectures on dying, loss, grief, and illness from Lamas and scholars of Buddhist Studies.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhism & Sexuality – Self Paced Course

With Dr. Nicole Willock, Julie Regan, Ph.D., Pema Khandro, Lama Willa Miller, Amy Langenberg , Dr. Ann Gleig, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, Lama Rod Owens, Dr. Jim Hopper, Dr. Elizabeth Call and Damchö Diana Finnegan

Open Dates
Join Pema Khandro and a group of esteemed Buddhist Studies scholars for an exploration of the history of Buddhist Sexualities from celibacy, to sacred sexuality in Buddhist Tantra and a simple approach to embodied integration with nature in Dzogchen.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhist Ethics – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This course on Buddhist Ethics goes through the Five Buddhist Precepts. The five precepts form the basis of a Buddhist way of life and the vows that Buddhists Seek to follow. The Five Precepts are a discipline of freedom, honor, and precision that cover the potent themes of life from the extraordinary perspective of non-duality.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Women in Tantric Buddhism – Self Paced Course

With Holly Gayley, Judith Simmer-Brown, Sarah Jacoby, Amy Langenberg , Damchö Diana Finnegan, Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo and Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This is the missing history of women in Tantric Buddhism. This course addresses the fascinating story of nuns, mothers, teachers, consorts, prophets, and disciples. Taught by scholar-practitioners whose groundbreaking research on women and Buddhism has changed the way we think of Buddhist history. This course will address the history of women in Buddhism, the history of yoginis and dakinis in India and Tibet, the stories of important Buddhist women, Buddhist philosophy on gender, sex, and sexuality, and the role of the consort in historical Tibet, and contemporary manifestations and so much more. Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for…
Register Now

Ngondro Module 4: Funerary Chod

With Pema Khandro

September 22 - October 13, 2025
Embark on a transformative journey into the heart of Dzogchen Chod with Tulku Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute. TTake your Chod practice to the next level and cultivate fierce compassion and psychological transformation while studying the Tibetan tradition. Module 4 – Sept 22, 29, Oct 6 – Closing Session Oct 13 Discover the profound tradition of funerary Chöd, an extraordinary Buddhist practice that transforms our understanding of death, consciousness, and compassion. This ancient Tibetan ritual system, emerging from the wisdom tradition of Machig Labdrön, offers sophisticated techniques for working with death and dying that remain remarkably relevant for…
Register now

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Buddhist Studies Institute

FREE 40-Day Meditation Marathon

This is an invitation to join us for practice every single day until Losar (Tibetan New Year) on February 10th. It’s so wonderful to be able to share this commitment with others and we invite you to join us every day for our free Daily Meditation sessions. Each 30-minute session is led by a Certified Meditation Instructor from the Buddhist Studies Institute. Whether you practice on your own time or join us live, we will celebrate all those who complete the 40-day marathon at our Losar Event on February 12.


Join the 40-day Meditation Marathon

Buddhist Fasting Retreat

Online with Pema Khandro

January 26 – January 28, 2024
9am – 12pm PST | 12pm – 3pm EST | 5pm – 8pm GMT

Join Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute for a weekend of fasting, purification, and re-envisioning ones life.

A profound cleansing of body and mind, the Buddhist Fasting practice, “Nyungne” is a practice of disintegrating previous ways of being to re-emerge within the ground of one’s own intrinsic liberation. The fasting practice includes vows, mantras, Avalokiteshvara meditation, and silent practice to purify karma and heal body and mind.

This Buddhist fasting tradition comes from a Tibetan nun, Gelongma Palmo, from the eleventh century, who used fasting for liberation in the face of extreme illness. The online retreat will follow the journey of Palmo and by engaging in the meditation of the Buddha of Compassion, Chenrezig. The weekend will include instructions on Buddhist Fasting practice, along with supportive instructions for nutrition and detoxification according to Tibetan Medicine and Ayurveda to support those both new to fasting and those whose bodies are familiar with it.

Worried about fasting? Fasting can be done in ways that are helpful or harmful to the body. Let our experts in Tibetan Medicine, Chinese Medicine, and Ayurveda guide you in fasting safely for your body.


Register for the Buddhist Fasting Retreat

Ngondro Training
Heart of the Vast Expanse with Pema Khandro

Module 1 begins January 29, 2024


Mondays Online

5pm – 6:30pm PT San Francisco

8pm – 9:30pm ET New York

12pm- 1:30pm AEDT Sydney

Ngondro presents the core practices of Buddhist psychology, working with core needs in identity, relationality, forgiveness and repair, resources and the sense of empowerment. Join Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute for a journey into Ngongro, the core practice of Buddhist tantra.

Ngondro meditation is the foundation of a solid experience of spiritual growth. Ngondro refers to a series of meditation practices for purifying, training and empowering the mind & body. 

“There are different approaches to Ngondro, for some schools of Tibetan Buddhism it is reserved for much later. But for the Nyingma tradition we open the door to Ngondro meditations sooner, because for us it is the core or nucleus of spiritual training.”  – Pema Khandro on Ngondro

Register for Ngondro Module 1

Losar ~ Tibetan New Year Celebration
with Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute
Online – February 12th, 2024

5pm – 7pm PT San Francisco

8pm – 10pm ET New York

12pm- 2pm AEDT Sydney

All are welcome to join Pema Khandro for our annual Tibetan Lunar New Year Celebration This is a free online program. Open to the public.

  • Vajrakilaya Dances Performed

  • Losar Address with Pema Khandro

  • Celebration of 40-Day Meditation Marathoners

  • Dedications of Merit

  • Year of the Wood Dragon Begins!

Donate below any amount to celebrate The Buddhist Studies Institute’s mission to help the Buddhist Teachings flourish.

Register Now

Meditation Instructor Training 2024

February 19 – August 5

People all over the world have turned to Buddhist meditation as a source of wisdom. Meditation offers a powerful method to access a sense of spaciousness, peace and authentic presence. The practical benefits of meditation are well documented. Research shows it improves mood, reduces stress (Brown & Warren 2003), it improves memory, visuospatial reasoning, sustained attention and executive brain function (Zeidan et al. 2010). It reduces sub-clinical depression and anxiety (Schreiner and Malcolm 2012).

From a Buddhist point of view, when we know how to meditate, we learn how to work with mind and emotions. We have a practice for unraveling conditioned scripts and unconscious habits. Meditation is a pathway to discovering human goodness by making peace with our mind. Ultimately it is a method for getting free from dissatisfaction, resolving confusion and waking up to see reality more clearly.

The Meditation Instructor Training supplies the fundamental knowledge and experience necessary to lead meditation classes and one-day meditation intensives.

3 Modules

Traditional Meditation

Teaching Practicum

Teaching Ethics

This training is a pre-requisite for the Chaplaincy Certificate offered summer of 2024.

Learn More about Meditation Instructor Training

The Freedom of Being: The Choying Dzod Retreat

Online with Khenpo Yeshi & Pema Khandro

February 23 – February 25

9am – 12pm PST | 12pm – 3pm EST | 5pm – 8pmGMT

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.

Register for Choying Dzod – The Freedom of Being Retreat

Speaking for the Silenced
by Pema Khandro

The Opening Dharma Access Podcast interviewed Pema Khandro about listening to BIPOC teachers. Check out the podcast below.  

Listen Here

Are you interested in helping us spread the dharma?

The Buddhist Studies Institute is actively seeking a Manager to be available for 5-10 hours a week. This is a volunteer position.

Manager Responsibilities Include:

  • Create clear project plans and goals.

  • Establish a work plan at each stage of the project, and allocate resources accordingly.

  • Create and manage project budgets.

  • Review project plan to determine time frames

  • Remind team members of deadlines and keep team members on deadlines

  • Identify and remove any obstacles that might hinder the team’s ability to meet deadlines.

  • Effectively communicate project-relevant details throughout the organization.

  • Facilitate project-related team meetings.

  • Share project reports with governance committee

  • Collaborate on the Organization’s plans and priority

  • Design and launch evaluation surveys among team and community members.

  • Be the main point of contact for projects.

For more information, please email info@buddhiststudiesinstitute.org or simply click the box below.


Interested? Email Us.

2024 Schedule of Events

ONGOING MONTHLY TRAINING

Daily Meditation Online
Vajrayana Training – 1st & 2nd Wednesday of each month
Ngakpa Training – 3rd Wednesday of each month

JANUARY

Buddhist Fasting Retreat – January 26 – January 28

Ngondro Training – January 29 – October 28

FEBRUARY

Losar Celebration – February 12

Meditation Instructor Training – February 19 – August 9
Choying Dzod: The Freedom of Being – February 23- 25

APRIL

Touching Earth: Buddhism and the Environment – April 5- April 7

MAY

Vajrayogini Retreat – May 31 – June 2


*All Times are noted in Pacific Time (PT) – Check your Timezone


Early Registration Ends Tomorrow for the Buddhist Fasting Retreat – Send 1/11/23

Upcoming Events

Bardo Teachings – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro, Father Francis Tiso, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, Chagdud Khadro, Shugen Roshi, Julie Rogers, Jim Tucker, M.D., Koshin Paley Ellison and Dr. William McGrath

Open Dates
Teachings on Death and Dying Facing realities of dying, death, and grief are central to our human experience. This program offers practical instructions for helping others in the process of dying and an overview of essential knowledge on death, bardo, and rebirth. This includes self-paced lectures on dying, loss, grief, and illness from Lamas and scholars of Buddhist Studies.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhism & Sexuality – Self Paced Course

With Dr. Nicole Willock, Julie Regan, Ph.D., Pema Khandro, Lama Willa Miller, Amy Langenberg , Dr. Ann Gleig, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, Lama Rod Owens, Dr. Jim Hopper, Dr. Elizabeth Call and Damchö Diana Finnegan

Open Dates
Join Pema Khandro and a group of esteemed Buddhist Studies scholars for an exploration of the history of Buddhist Sexualities from celibacy, to sacred sexuality in Buddhist Tantra and a simple approach to embodied integration with nature in Dzogchen.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhist Ethics – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This course on Buddhist Ethics goes through the Five Buddhist Precepts. The five precepts form the basis of a Buddhist way of life and the vows that Buddhists Seek to follow. The Five Precepts are a discipline of freedom, honor, and precision that cover the potent themes of life from the extraordinary perspective of non-duality.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Women in Tantric Buddhism – Self Paced Course

With Holly Gayley, Judith Simmer-Brown, Sarah Jacoby, Amy Langenberg , Damchö Diana Finnegan, Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo and Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This is the missing history of women in Tantric Buddhism. This course addresses the fascinating story of nuns, mothers, teachers, consorts, prophets, and disciples. Taught by scholar-practitioners whose groundbreaking research on women and Buddhism has changed the way we think of Buddhist history. This course will address the history of women in Buddhism, the history of yoginis and dakinis in India and Tibet, the stories of important Buddhist women, Buddhist philosophy on gender, sex, and sexuality, and the role of the consort in historical Tibet, and contemporary manifestations and so much more. Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for…
Register Now

Ngondro Module 4: Funerary Chod

With Pema Khandro

September 22 - October 13, 2025
Embark on a transformative journey into the heart of Dzogchen Chod with Tulku Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute. TTake your Chod practice to the next level and cultivate fierce compassion and psychological transformation while studying the Tibetan tradition. Module 4 – Sept 22, 29, Oct 6 – Closing Session Oct 13 Discover the profound tradition of funerary Chöd, an extraordinary Buddhist practice that transforms our understanding of death, consciousness, and compassion. This ancient Tibetan ritual system, emerging from the wisdom tradition of Machig Labdrön, offers sophisticated techniques for working with death and dying that remain remarkably relevant for…
Register now

by






*|MC:SUBJECT|*






Buddhist Studies Institute

Early Registration Ends January 12!

Join Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute for a weekend of fasting, purification, and re-envisioning ones life.

A profound cleansing of body and mind, the Buddhist Fasting practice, “Nyungne” is a practice of disintegrating previous ways of being to re-emerge within the ground of one’s own intrinsic liberation. The fasting practice includes vows, mantras, Avalokiteshvara meditation, and silent practice to purify karma and heal body and mind.

This Buddhist fasting tradition comes from a Tibetan nun, Gelongma Palmo, from the eleventh century, who used fasting for liberation in the face of extreme illness. The online retreat will follow the journey of Palmo and by engaging in the meditation of the Buddha of Compassion, Chenrezig. The weekend will include instructions on Buddhist Fasting practice, along with supportive instructions for nutrition and detoxification according to Tibetan Medicine and Ayurveda to support those both new to fasting and those whose bodies are familiar with it.

Worried about fasting? Fasting can be done in ways that are helpful or harmful to the body. Let our experts in Tibetan Medicine, Chinese Medicine, and Ayurveda guide you in fasting safely for your body.

Register Early (before January 13) and pay only $175


Register for the Buddhist Fasting Retreat

2024 Upcoming Events

ONGOING MONTHLY TRAINING

Daily Meditation Online
Vajrayana Training – 1st & 2nd Wednesday of each month
Ngakpa Training – 3rd Wednesday of each month

JANUARY

Buddhist Fasting Retreat – January 26 – January 28

Ngondro Training – January 29 – October 28

FEBRUARY

Losar Celebration – February 12

Meditation Instructor Training – February 19 – August 9
Choying Dzod: The Freedom of Being – February 23- 25

APRIL

Touching Earth: Buddhism and the Environment – April 5- April 7

MAY

Vajrayogini Retreat – May 31 – June 2


*All Times are noted in Pacific Time (PT) – Check your Timezone


SEND 1/9/23

Upcoming Events

Bardo Teachings – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro, Father Francis Tiso, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, Chagdud Khadro, Shugen Roshi, Julie Rogers, Jim Tucker, M.D., Koshin Paley Ellison and Dr. William McGrath

Open Dates
Teachings on Death and Dying Facing realities of dying, death, and grief are central to our human experience. This program offers practical instructions for helping others in the process of dying and an overview of essential knowledge on death, bardo, and rebirth. This includes self-paced lectures on dying, loss, grief, and illness from Lamas and scholars of Buddhist Studies.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhism & Sexuality – Self Paced Course

With Dr. Nicole Willock, Julie Regan, Ph.D., Pema Khandro, Lama Willa Miller, Amy Langenberg , Dr. Ann Gleig, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, Lama Rod Owens, Dr. Jim Hopper, Dr. Elizabeth Call and Damchö Diana Finnegan

Open Dates
Join Pema Khandro and a group of esteemed Buddhist Studies scholars for an exploration of the history of Buddhist Sexualities from celibacy, to sacred sexuality in Buddhist Tantra and a simple approach to embodied integration with nature in Dzogchen.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhist Ethics – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This course on Buddhist Ethics goes through the Five Buddhist Precepts. The five precepts form the basis of a Buddhist way of life and the vows that Buddhists Seek to follow. The Five Precepts are a discipline of freedom, honor, and precision that cover the potent themes of life from the extraordinary perspective of non-duality.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Women in Tantric Buddhism – Self Paced Course

With Holly Gayley, Judith Simmer-Brown, Sarah Jacoby, Amy Langenberg , Damchö Diana Finnegan, Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo and Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This is the missing history of women in Tantric Buddhism. This course addresses the fascinating story of nuns, mothers, teachers, consorts, prophets, and disciples. Taught by scholar-practitioners whose groundbreaking research on women and Buddhism has changed the way we think of Buddhist history. This course will address the history of women in Buddhism, the history of yoginis and dakinis in India and Tibet, the stories of important Buddhist women, Buddhist philosophy on gender, sex, and sexuality, and the role of the consort in historical Tibet, and contemporary manifestations and so much more. Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for…
Register Now

Ngondro Module 4: Funerary Chod

With Pema Khandro

September 22 - October 13, 2025
Embark on a transformative journey into the heart of Dzogchen Chod with Tulku Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute. TTake your Chod practice to the next level and cultivate fierce compassion and psychological transformation while studying the Tibetan tradition. Module 4 – Sept 22, 29, Oct 6 – Closing Session Oct 13 Discover the profound tradition of funerary Chöd, an extraordinary Buddhist practice that transforms our understanding of death, consciousness, and compassion. This ancient Tibetan ritual system, emerging from the wisdom tradition of Machig Labdrön, offers sophisticated techniques for working with death and dying that remain remarkably relevant for…
Register now

by






*|MC:SUBJECT|*






Buddhist Studies Institute

Buddhist Fasting Retreat

Online with Pema Khandro

January 26 – January 28, 2024
9am – 12pm PST | 12pm – 3pm EST | 5pm – 8pm GMT

Join Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute for a weekend of fasting, purification, and re-envisioning ones life.

A profound cleansing of body and mind, the Buddhist Fasting practice, “Nyungne” is a practice of disintegrating previous ways of being to re-emerge within the ground of one’s own intrinsic liberation. The fasting practice includes vows, mantras, Avalokiteshvara meditation, and silent practice to purify karma and heal body and mind.

This Buddhist fasting tradition comes from a Tibetan nun, Gelongma Palmo, from the eleventh century, who used fasting for liberation in the face of extreme illness. The online retreat will follow the journey of Palmo and by engaging in the meditation of the Buddha of Compassion, Chenrezig. The weekend will include instructions on Buddhist Fasting practice, along with supportive instructions for nutrition and detoxification according to Tibetan Medicine and Ayurveda to support those both new to fasting and those whose bodies are familiar with it.

Worried about fasting? Fasting can be done in ways that are helpful or harmful to the body. Let our experts in Tibetan Medicine, Chinese Medicine, and Ayurveda guide you in fasting safely for your body.


Register for the Buddhist Fasting Retreat

FREE 40-Day Meditation Marathon

This is an invitation to practice with us every single day until Losar (Tibetan New Year) on February 10th. It’s so wonderful to be able to share this commitment with others and we invite you to join us every day for our free Daily Meditation sessions. Each 30-minute session is led by a Certified Meditation Instructor from the Buddhist Studies Institute. Whether you practice on your own time or join us live, we will celebrate all those who complete the 40-day marathon at our Losar Event on February 12.


Join the Free 40-Day Meditation Marathon

Ngondro Training
Heart of the Vast Expanse with Pema Khandro

Module 1 begins January 29, 2024


Mondays Online

5pm – 6:30pm PT San Francisco

8pm – 9:30pm ET New York

12pm- 1:30pm AEDT Sydney

Ngondro presents the core practices of Buddhist psychology, working with core needs in identity, relationality, forgiveness and repair, resources and the sense of empowerment. Join Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute for a journey into Ngongro, the core practice of Buddhist tantra.

Ngondro meditation is the foundation of a solid experience of spiritual growth. Ngondro refers to a series of meditation practices for purifying, training and empowering the mind & body. 

“There are different approaches to Ngondro, for some schools of Tibetan Buddhism it is reserved for much later. But for the Nyingma tradition we open the door to Ngondro meditations sooner, because for us it is the core or nucleus of spiritual training.”  – Pema Khandro on Ngondro

Register for Ngondro Module 1

Losar ~ Tibetan New Year Celebration
with Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute
Online – February 12th, 2024

5pm – 7pm PT San Francisco

8pm – 10pm ET New York

12pm- 2pm AEDT Sydney

Tibetan New Year Celebration

All are welcome to join Pema Khandro for our annual Tibetan Lunar New Year Celebration This is a free online program and open to the public.

  • Vajrakilaya Dances Performed

  • Losar Address with Pema Khandro

  • Celebration of 40-Day Meditation Marathoners

  • Dedications of Merit

  • Year of the Wood Dragon Begins!

Donate below any amount to celebrate The Buddhist Studies Institute’s mission to help the Buddhist Teachings flourish.

Register Now

Meditation Instructor Training 2024

February 19 – August 5

People all over the world have turned to Buddhist meditation as a source of wisdom. Meditation offers a powerful method to access a sense of spaciousness, peace and authentic presence. The practical benefits of meditation are well documented. Research shows it improves mood, reduces stress (Brown & Warren 2003), it improves memory, visuospatial reasoning, sustained attention and executive brain function (Zeidan et al. 2010). It reduces sub-clinical depression and anxiety (Schreiner and Malcolm 2012).

From a Buddhist point of view, when we know how to meditate, we learn how to work with mind and emotions. We have a practice for unraveling conditioned scripts and unconscious habits. Meditation is a pathway to discovering human goodness by making peace with our mind. Ultimately it is a method for getting free from dissatisfaction, resolving confusion and waking up to see reality more clearly.

The Meditation Instructor Training supplies the fundamental knowledge and experience necessary to lead meditation classes and one-day meditation intensives.

3 Modules

Traditional Meditation

Teaching Practicum

Teaching Ethics

This training is a pre-requisite for the Chaplaincy Certificate offered summer of 2024.

Learn More about Meditation Instructor Training

The Freedom of Being: The Choying Dzod Retreat

Online with Khenpo Yeshi & Pema Khandro

February 23 – February 25

9am – 12pm PST | 12pm – 3pm EST | 5pm – 8pmGMT

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.

Register for Choying Dzod – The Freedom of Being Retreat

One Nun’s Hardship & Beauty
The Story of Gelongma Palmo

by Pema Khandro

Our upcoming Buddhist Fasting Retreat in January will feature practices based on the founder of this fasting tradition, Gelongma Palmo. Read what Dr. Pema Khandro shares about her fascinating story.

Read More

Are you interested in helping us spread the dharma?

The Buddhist Studies Institute is actively seeking a Manager to be available for 5-10 hours a week. This is a volunteer position.

Manager Responsibilities Include:

  • Create clear project plans and goals.

  • Establish a work plan at each stage of the project, and allocate resources accordingly.

  • Create and manage project budgets.

  • Review project plan to determine time frames

  • Remind team members of deadlines and keep team members on deadlines

  • Identify and remove any obstacles that might hinder the team’s ability to meet deadlines.

  • Effectively communicate project-relevant details throughout the organization.

  • Facilitate project-related team meetings.

  • Share project reports with governance committee

  • Collaborate on the Organization’s plans and priority

  • Design and launch evaluation surveys among team and community members.

  • Be the main point of contact for projects.

For more information, please email info@buddhiststudiesinstitute.org or simply click the box below.


Interested? Email Us.

2024 Schedule of Events

ONGOING MONTHLY TRAINING

Daily Meditation Online
Vajrayana Training – 1st & 2nd Wednesday of each month
Ngakpa Training – 3rd Wednesday of each month

JANUARY

Buddhist Fasting Retreat – January 26 – January 28

Ngondro Training – January 29 – October 28

FEBRUARY

Losar Celebration – February 12

Meditation Instructor Training – February 19 – August 9
Choying Dzod: The Freedom of Being – February 23- 25

APRIL

Touching Earth: Buddhism and the Environment – April 5- April 7

MAY

Vajrayogini Retreat – May 31 – June 2


*All Times are noted in Pacific Time (PT) – Check your Timezone


Meditation Marathon Starts Today! Send 1/1

Upcoming Events

Bardo Teachings – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro, Father Francis Tiso, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, Chagdud Khadro, Shugen Roshi, Julie Rogers, Jim Tucker, M.D., Koshin Paley Ellison and Dr. William McGrath

Open Dates
Teachings on Death and Dying Facing realities of dying, death, and grief are central to our human experience. This program offers practical instructions for helping others in the process of dying and an overview of essential knowledge on death, bardo, and rebirth. This includes self-paced lectures on dying, loss, grief, and illness from Lamas and scholars of Buddhist Studies.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhism & Sexuality – Self Paced Course

With Dr. Nicole Willock, Julie Regan, Ph.D., Pema Khandro, Lama Willa Miller, Amy Langenberg , Dr. Ann Gleig, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, Lama Rod Owens, Dr. Jim Hopper, Dr. Elizabeth Call and Damchö Diana Finnegan

Open Dates
Join Pema Khandro and a group of esteemed Buddhist Studies scholars for an exploration of the history of Buddhist Sexualities from celibacy, to sacred sexuality in Buddhist Tantra and a simple approach to embodied integration with nature in Dzogchen.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhist Ethics – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This course on Buddhist Ethics goes through the Five Buddhist Precepts. The five precepts form the basis of a Buddhist way of life and the vows that Buddhists Seek to follow. The Five Precepts are a discipline of freedom, honor, and precision that cover the potent themes of life from the extraordinary perspective of non-duality.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Women in Tantric Buddhism – Self Paced Course

With Holly Gayley, Judith Simmer-Brown, Sarah Jacoby, Amy Langenberg , Damchö Diana Finnegan, Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo and Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This is the missing history of women in Tantric Buddhism. This course addresses the fascinating story of nuns, mothers, teachers, consorts, prophets, and disciples. Taught by scholar-practitioners whose groundbreaking research on women and Buddhism has changed the way we think of Buddhist history. This course will address the history of women in Buddhism, the history of yoginis and dakinis in India and Tibet, the stories of important Buddhist women, Buddhist philosophy on gender, sex, and sexuality, and the role of the consort in historical Tibet, and contemporary manifestations and so much more. Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for…
Register Now

Ngondro Module 4: Funerary Chod

With Pema Khandro

September 22 - October 13, 2025
Embark on a transformative journey into the heart of Dzogchen Chod with Tulku Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute. TTake your Chod practice to the next level and cultivate fierce compassion and psychological transformation while studying the Tibetan tradition. Module 4 – Sept 22, 29, Oct 6 – Closing Session Oct 13 Discover the profound tradition of funerary Chöd, an extraordinary Buddhist practice that transforms our understanding of death, consciousness, and compassion. This ancient Tibetan ritual system, emerging from the wisdom tradition of Machig Labdrön, offers sophisticated techniques for working with death and dying that remain remarkably relevant for…
Register now

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Buddhist Studies Institute

Happy New Year!

Wishing you a very Happy New Year from Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute!

If you resolved to practice more this year, we are here to support you with many exciting events, starting today! We hope you will take advantage of this wonderful and FREE opportunity to practice meditation with us for the next 40-days. Read on to learn more…

FREE 40-Day Meditation Marathon Starts Today!

January 1st is the kick-off to our 40-day meditation marathon. This is an invitation to practice every single day for 40 days from January 1st to Losar (Tibetan New Year) on February 10th. It’s so wonderful to be able to share this commitment with others and we invite you to join us every day for our free Daily Meditation sessions. Each 30-minute session is led by a Certified Meditation Instructor from the Buddhist Studies Institute. Whether you practice on your own time or join us live, we will celebrate all those who complete the 40-day marathon at our Losar Event on February 12.


Join the 40-day Meditation Marathon

Buddhist Fasting Retreat

Online with Pema Khandro

January 26 – January 28, 2024
9am – 12pm PST | 12pm – 3pm EST | 5pm – 8pm GMT

Join Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute for a weekend of fasting, purification, and re-envisioning ones life.

A profound cleansing of body and mind, the Buddhist Fasting practice, “Nyungne” is a practice of disintegrating previous ways of being to re-emerge within the ground of one’s own intrinsic liberation. The fasting practice includes vows, mantras, Avalokiteshvara meditation, and silent practice to purify karma and heal body and mind.

This Buddhist fasting tradition comes from a Tibetan nun, Gelongma Palmo, from the eleventh century, who used fasting for liberation in the face of extreme illness. The online retreat will follow the journey of Palmo and by engaging in the meditation of the Buddha of Compassion, Chenrezig. The weekend will include instructions on Buddhist Fasting practice, along with supportive instructions for nutrition and detoxification according to Tibetan Medicine and Ayurveda to support those both new to fasting and those whose bodies are familiar with it.

Worried about fasting? Fasting can be done in ways that are helpful or harmful to the body. Let our experts in Tibetan Medicine, Chinese Medicine, and Ayurveda guide you in fasting safely for your body.


Register for the Buddhist Fasting Retreat

Ngondro Training
Heart of the Vast Expanse with Pema Khandro

Module 1 begins January 29, 2024


Mondays Online

5pm – 6:30pm PT San Francisco

8pm – 9:30pm ET New York

12pm- 1:30pm AEDT Sydney

Ngondro presents the core practices of Buddhist psychology, working with core needs in identity, relationality, forgiveness and repair, resources and the sense of empowerment. Join Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute for a journey into Ngongro, the core practice of Buddhist tantra.

Ngondro meditation is the foundation of a solid experience of spiritual growth. Ngondro refers to a series of meditation practices for purifying, training and empowering the mind & body. 

“There are different approaches to Ngondro, for some schools of Tibetan Buddhism it is reserved for much later. But for the Nyingma tradition we open the door to Ngondro meditations sooner, because for us it is the core or nucleus of spiritual training.”  – Pema Khandro on Ngondro

Register for Ngondro Module 1

Losar ~ Tibetan New Year Celebration
with Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute
Online – February 12th, 2024

5pm – 7pm PT San Francisco

8pm – 10pm ET New York

12pm- 2pm AEDT Sydney

Tibetan New Year Celebration

All are welcome to join Pema Khandro for our annual Tibetan Lunar New Year Celebration This is a free online program; open to the public.

  • Vajrakilaya Dances Performed

  • Losar Address with Pema Khandro

  • Celebration of 40-Day Meditation Marathoners

  • Dedications of Merit

  • Year of the Wood Dragon Begins!

Donate below any amount to celebrate The Buddhist Studies Institute’s mission to help the Buddhist Teachings flourish.

Register Now

Meditation Instructor Training 2024

February 19 – August 5

People all over the world have turned to Buddhist meditation as a source of wisdom. Meditation offers a powerful method to access a sense of spaciousness, peace and authentic presence. The practical benefits of meditation are well documented. Research shows it improves mood, reduces stress (Brown & Warren 2003), it improves memory, visuospatial reasoning, sustained attention and executive brain function (Zeidan et al. 2010). It reduces sub-clinical depression and anxiety (Schreiner and Malcolm 2012).

From a Buddhist point of view, when we know how to meditate, we learn how to work with mind and emotions. We have a practice for unraveling conditioned scripts and unconscious habits. Meditation is a pathway to discovering human goodness by making peace with our mind. Ultimately it is a method for getting free from dissatisfaction, resolving confusion and waking up to see reality more clearly.

The Meditation Instructor Training supplies the fundamental knowledge and experience necessary to lead meditation classes and one-day meditation intensives.

3 Modules

Traditional Meditation

Teaching Practicum

Teaching Ethics

This training is a pre-requisite for the Chaplaincy Certificate offered summer of 2024.

Learn More about Meditation Instructor Training

The Freedom of Being: The Choying Dzod Retreat

Online with Khenpo Yeshi & Pema Khandro

February 23 – February 25

9am – 12pm PST | 12pm – 3pm EST | 5pm – 8pmGMT

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.

Register for Choying Dzod – The Freedom of Being Retreat

One Nun’s Hardship & Beauty
The Story of Gelongma Palmo

by Pema Khandro

Our upcoming Buddhist Fasting Retreat in January will feature practices based on the founder of this fasting tradition, Gelongma Palmo. Read what Dr. Pema Khandro shares about her fascinating story.

Read More

Are you interested in helping us spread the dharma?

The Buddhist Studies Institute is actively seeking a Manager to be available for 5-10 hours a week. This is a volunteer position.

Manager Responsibilities Include:

  • Create clear project plans and goals.

  • Establish a work plan at each stage of the project, and allocate resources accordingly.

  • Create and manage project budgets.

  • Review project plan to determine time frames

  • Remind team members of deadlines and keep team members on deadlines

  • Identify and remove any obstacles that might hinder the team’s ability to meet deadlines.

  • Effectively communicate project-relevant details throughout the organization.

  • Facilitate project-related team meetings.

  • Share project reports with governance committee

  • Collaborate on the Organization’s plans and priority

  • Design and launch evaluation surveys among team and community members.

  • Be the main point of contact for projects.

For more information, please email info@buddhiststudiesinstitute.org or simply click the box below.


Interested? Email Us.

2024 Schedule of Events

ONGOING MONTHLY TRAINING

Daily Meditation Online
Vajrayana Training – 1st & 2nd Wednesday of each month
Ngakpa Training – 3rd Wednesday of each month

JANUARY

Buddhist Fasting Retreat – January 26 – January 28

Ngondro Training – January 29 – October 28

FEBRUARY

Losar Celebration – February 12

Meditation Instructor Training – February 19 – August 9
Choying Dzod: The Freedom of Being – February 23- 25

APRIL

Touching Earth: Buddhism and the Environment – April 5- April 7

APRIL

Vajrayogini Retreat – May 31 – June 2


*All Times are noted in Pacific Time (PT) – Check your Timezone


Fundraising SEND 12/31/23

Upcoming Events

Bardo Teachings – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro, Father Francis Tiso, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, Chagdud Khadro, Shugen Roshi, Julie Rogers, Jim Tucker, M.D., Koshin Paley Ellison and Dr. William McGrath

Open Dates
Teachings on Death and Dying Facing realities of dying, death, and grief are central to our human experience. This program offers practical instructions for helping others in the process of dying and an overview of essential knowledge on death, bardo, and rebirth. This includes self-paced lectures on dying, loss, grief, and illness from Lamas and scholars of Buddhist Studies.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhism & Sexuality – Self Paced Course

With Dr. Nicole Willock, Julie Regan, Ph.D., Pema Khandro, Lama Willa Miller, Amy Langenberg , Dr. Ann Gleig, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, Lama Rod Owens, Dr. Jim Hopper, Dr. Elizabeth Call and Damchö Diana Finnegan

Open Dates
Join Pema Khandro and a group of esteemed Buddhist Studies scholars for an exploration of the history of Buddhist Sexualities from celibacy, to sacred sexuality in Buddhist Tantra and a simple approach to embodied integration with nature in Dzogchen.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhist Ethics – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This course on Buddhist Ethics goes through the Five Buddhist Precepts. The five precepts form the basis of a Buddhist way of life and the vows that Buddhists Seek to follow. The Five Precepts are a discipline of freedom, honor, and precision that cover the potent themes of life from the extraordinary perspective of non-duality.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Women in Tantric Buddhism – Self Paced Course

With Holly Gayley, Judith Simmer-Brown, Sarah Jacoby, Amy Langenberg , Damchö Diana Finnegan, Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo and Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This is the missing history of women in Tantric Buddhism. This course addresses the fascinating story of nuns, mothers, teachers, consorts, prophets, and disciples. Taught by scholar-practitioners whose groundbreaking research on women and Buddhism has changed the way we think of Buddhist history. This course will address the history of women in Buddhism, the history of yoginis and dakinis in India and Tibet, the stories of important Buddhist women, Buddhist philosophy on gender, sex, and sexuality, and the role of the consort in historical Tibet, and contemporary manifestations and so much more. Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for…
Register Now

Ngondro Module 4: Funerary Chod

With Pema Khandro

September 22 - October 13, 2025
Embark on a transformative journey into the heart of Dzogchen Chod with Tulku Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute. TTake your Chod practice to the next level and cultivate fierce compassion and psychological transformation while studying the Tibetan tradition. Module 4 – Sept 22, 29, Oct 6 – Closing Session Oct 13 Discover the profound tradition of funerary Chöd, an extraordinary Buddhist practice that transforms our understanding of death, consciousness, and compassion. This ancient Tibetan ritual system, emerging from the wisdom tradition of Machig Labdrön, offers sophisticated techniques for working with death and dying that remain remarkably relevant for…
Register now

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Buddhist Studies Institute

Dear Friends,

Making a donation to support the Buddha’s teaching would be an auspicious way to bring 2023 to a close.

The goal of funding a long overdue technology remodel of the websites, digital libraries and software of the Buddhist Studies Institute could still use your help.

Your donation makes a difference to everyone on the staff who have to do twice as much work to run out of date technology and everyone who benefits from the Buddhist teachings will have continued, improved and expanded access.

Why not make a statement on what matters to you by making a donation today?

Thank you for your support!

Donate Now

Gifts can also be made by check, payable to Ngakpa International, and mailed to Dakini Mountain, P.O. Box 2396, Nevada City, California 95959, USA.

Ngakpa International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit EIN 68-0529687 and all gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Dakini Mountain Retreat Center

P.O. Box 2396
Nevada City, California 95946
USA

May we all be more powerful in the most kind way.

Wishing you the best,

Janak

Janak Kimmel
Director of Fundraising
Ngakpa International
Buddhist Studies Institute
www.buddhiststudiesinstitute.org
P.O. Box 2396
Nevada City, California 95946
USA

Donate Now


40 Day Meditation Blast

Upcoming Events

Bardo Teachings – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro, Father Francis Tiso, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, Chagdud Khadro, Shugen Roshi, Julie Rogers, Jim Tucker, M.D., Koshin Paley Ellison and Dr. William McGrath

Open Dates
Teachings on Death and Dying Facing realities of dying, death, and grief are central to our human experience. This program offers practical instructions for helping others in the process of dying and an overview of essential knowledge on death, bardo, and rebirth. This includes self-paced lectures on dying, loss, grief, and illness from Lamas and scholars of Buddhist Studies.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhism & Sexuality – Self Paced Course

With Dr. Nicole Willock, Julie Regan, Ph.D., Pema Khandro, Lama Willa Miller, Amy Langenberg , Dr. Ann Gleig, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, Lama Rod Owens, Dr. Jim Hopper, Dr. Elizabeth Call and Damchö Diana Finnegan

Open Dates
Join Pema Khandro and a group of esteemed Buddhist Studies scholars for an exploration of the history of Buddhist Sexualities from celibacy, to sacred sexuality in Buddhist Tantra and a simple approach to embodied integration with nature in Dzogchen.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhist Ethics – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This course on Buddhist Ethics goes through the Five Buddhist Precepts. The five precepts form the basis of a Buddhist way of life and the vows that Buddhists Seek to follow. The Five Precepts are a discipline of freedom, honor, and precision that cover the potent themes of life from the extraordinary perspective of non-duality.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Women in Tantric Buddhism – Self Paced Course

With Holly Gayley, Judith Simmer-Brown, Sarah Jacoby, Amy Langenberg , Damchö Diana Finnegan, Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo and Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This is the missing history of women in Tantric Buddhism. This course addresses the fascinating story of nuns, mothers, teachers, consorts, prophets, and disciples. Taught by scholar-practitioners whose groundbreaking research on women and Buddhism has changed the way we think of Buddhist history. This course will address the history of women in Buddhism, the history of yoginis and dakinis in India and Tibet, the stories of important Buddhist women, Buddhist philosophy on gender, sex, and sexuality, and the role of the consort in historical Tibet, and contemporary manifestations and so much more. Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for…
Register Now

Ngondro Module 4: Funerary Chod

With Pema Khandro

September 22 - October 13, 2025
Embark on a transformative journey into the heart of Dzogchen Chod with Tulku Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute. TTake your Chod practice to the next level and cultivate fierce compassion and psychological transformation while studying the Tibetan tradition. Module 4 – Sept 22, 29, Oct 6 – Closing Session Oct 13 Discover the profound tradition of funerary Chöd, an extraordinary Buddhist practice that transforms our understanding of death, consciousness, and compassion. This ancient Tibetan ritual system, emerging from the wisdom tradition of Machig Labdrön, offers sophisticated techniques for working with death and dying that remain remarkably relevant for…
Register now

by






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Buddhist Studies Institute

40-Day Meditation Marathon

January 1 – February 10

Daily Online

12pm Los Angeles PT  | 3pm New York ET  | 8pm London GMT

January 1st is the kick-off to our 40 day meditation marathon. This is an invitation to practice every single day for 40 days from January 1st to Losar on February 10th. It’s so wonderful to be able to share this commitment with others and we invite you to join us every day for our free Daily Meditation sessions. Each 30 minute session is lead by an Certified Meditation Instructor from the Buddhist Studies Institute. Whether you practice on your own time or join us live, we will celebrate all those who complete the 40 day marathon at our Losar Event on February 12.


Register for the 40-day Meditation Marathon


Fundraising SEND 12/28/23

Upcoming Events

Bardo Teachings – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro, Father Francis Tiso, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, Chagdud Khadro, Shugen Roshi, Julie Rogers, Jim Tucker, M.D., Koshin Paley Ellison and Dr. William McGrath

Open Dates
Teachings on Death and Dying Facing realities of dying, death, and grief are central to our human experience. This program offers practical instructions for helping others in the process of dying and an overview of essential knowledge on death, bardo, and rebirth. This includes self-paced lectures on dying, loss, grief, and illness from Lamas and scholars of Buddhist Studies.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhism & Sexuality – Self Paced Course

With Dr. Nicole Willock, Julie Regan, Ph.D., Pema Khandro, Lama Willa Miller, Amy Langenberg , Dr. Ann Gleig, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, Lama Rod Owens, Dr. Jim Hopper, Dr. Elizabeth Call and Damchö Diana Finnegan

Open Dates
Join Pema Khandro and a group of esteemed Buddhist Studies scholars for an exploration of the history of Buddhist Sexualities from celibacy, to sacred sexuality in Buddhist Tantra and a simple approach to embodied integration with nature in Dzogchen.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhist Ethics – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This course on Buddhist Ethics goes through the Five Buddhist Precepts. The five precepts form the basis of a Buddhist way of life and the vows that Buddhists Seek to follow. The Five Precepts are a discipline of freedom, honor, and precision that cover the potent themes of life from the extraordinary perspective of non-duality.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Women in Tantric Buddhism – Self Paced Course

With Holly Gayley, Judith Simmer-Brown, Sarah Jacoby, Amy Langenberg , Damchö Diana Finnegan, Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo and Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This is the missing history of women in Tantric Buddhism. This course addresses the fascinating story of nuns, mothers, teachers, consorts, prophets, and disciples. Taught by scholar-practitioners whose groundbreaking research on women and Buddhism has changed the way we think of Buddhist history. This course will address the history of women in Buddhism, the history of yoginis and dakinis in India and Tibet, the stories of important Buddhist women, Buddhist philosophy on gender, sex, and sexuality, and the role of the consort in historical Tibet, and contemporary manifestations and so much more. Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for…
Register Now

Ngondro Module 4: Funerary Chod

With Pema Khandro

September 22 - October 13, 2025
Embark on a transformative journey into the heart of Dzogchen Chod with Tulku Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute. TTake your Chod practice to the next level and cultivate fierce compassion and psychological transformation while studying the Tibetan tradition. Module 4 – Sept 22, 29, Oct 6 – Closing Session Oct 13 Discover the profound tradition of funerary Chöd, an extraordinary Buddhist practice that transforms our understanding of death, consciousness, and compassion. This ancient Tibetan ritual system, emerging from the wisdom tradition of Machig Labdrön, offers sophisticated techniques for working with death and dying that remain remarkably relevant for…
Register now

by






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Buddhist Studies Institute

Dear Friends,

If you care about the Buddhist Studies Institute, now is a great time to make a donation.  

Why not give a gift to something you love?

Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute provide classes, retreats, trainings, meditations and more.

But it can’t be accomplished without a functional infrastructure and right now your donation is needed to fund a long overdue technology remodel of the websites, digital libraries and software.

Your donation matters and will make a difference to everyone on the staff who have to do twice as much work to run out of date technology and everyone who benefits from the Buddhist teachings will have continued, improved and expanded access.

Thank you for your support!

Donate Now

Gifts can also be made by check, payable to Ngakpa International, and mailed to Dakini Mountain, P.O. Box 2396, Nevada City, California 95959, USA.

Ngakpa International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit EIN 68-0529687 and all gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Dakini Mountain Retreat Center

P.O. Box 2396
Nevada City, California 95946
USA

Thank you!

Janak

Janak Kimmel
Director of Fundraising
Ngakpa International
Buddhist Studies Institute
www.buddhiststudiesinstitute.org
P.O. Box 2396
Nevada City, California 95946
USA

Donate Now


Fundraising SEND 12/21/23

Upcoming Events

Bardo Teachings – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro, Father Francis Tiso, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, Chagdud Khadro, Shugen Roshi, Julie Rogers, Jim Tucker, M.D., Koshin Paley Ellison and Dr. William McGrath

Open Dates
Teachings on Death and Dying Facing realities of dying, death, and grief are central to our human experience. This program offers practical instructions for helping others in the process of dying and an overview of essential knowledge on death, bardo, and rebirth. This includes self-paced lectures on dying, loss, grief, and illness from Lamas and scholars of Buddhist Studies.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhism & Sexuality – Self Paced Course

With Dr. Nicole Willock, Julie Regan, Ph.D., Pema Khandro, Lama Willa Miller, Amy Langenberg , Dr. Ann Gleig, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, Lama Rod Owens, Dr. Jim Hopper, Dr. Elizabeth Call and Damchö Diana Finnegan

Open Dates
Join Pema Khandro and a group of esteemed Buddhist Studies scholars for an exploration of the history of Buddhist Sexualities from celibacy, to sacred sexuality in Buddhist Tantra and a simple approach to embodied integration with nature in Dzogchen.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhist Ethics – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This course on Buddhist Ethics goes through the Five Buddhist Precepts. The five precepts form the basis of a Buddhist way of life and the vows that Buddhists Seek to follow. The Five Precepts are a discipline of freedom, honor, and precision that cover the potent themes of life from the extraordinary perspective of non-duality.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Women in Tantric Buddhism – Self Paced Course

With Holly Gayley, Judith Simmer-Brown, Sarah Jacoby, Amy Langenberg , Damchö Diana Finnegan, Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo and Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This is the missing history of women in Tantric Buddhism. This course addresses the fascinating story of nuns, mothers, teachers, consorts, prophets, and disciples. Taught by scholar-practitioners whose groundbreaking research on women and Buddhism has changed the way we think of Buddhist history. This course will address the history of women in Buddhism, the history of yoginis and dakinis in India and Tibet, the stories of important Buddhist women, Buddhist philosophy on gender, sex, and sexuality, and the role of the consort in historical Tibet, and contemporary manifestations and so much more. Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for…
Register Now

Ngondro Module 4: Funerary Chod

With Pema Khandro

September 22 - October 13, 2025
Embark on a transformative journey into the heart of Dzogchen Chod with Tulku Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute. TTake your Chod practice to the next level and cultivate fierce compassion and psychological transformation while studying the Tibetan tradition. Module 4 – Sept 22, 29, Oct 6 – Closing Session Oct 13 Discover the profound tradition of funerary Chöd, an extraordinary Buddhist practice that transforms our understanding of death, consciousness, and compassion. This ancient Tibetan ritual system, emerging from the wisdom tradition of Machig Labdrön, offers sophisticated techniques for working with death and dying that remain remarkably relevant for…
Register now

by






*|MC:SUBJECT|*






Buddhist Studies Institute

Dear Friends,

If you care about the Buddhist Studies Institute, now is an important time to step up and make a donation.  

It’s going to take each and every one of us.

Why does it matter?

Because like any cause, calling or noble activity, it takes effort and sacrifice to keep it going.

Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute cannot provide the classes, retreats, trainings and meditations without a functional infrastructure.

Acts of service by many people are involved in making that happen.  

Right now the need is financial.

Please make a donation to fund a much needed technology remodel of the websites, digital libraries and software.

Thank you!

Donate Now

Gifts can also be made by check, payable to Ngakpa International, and mailed to Dakini Mountain, P.O. Box 2396, Nevada City, California 95959, USA.

Ngakpa International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit EIN 68-0529687 and all gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Ngakpa International

P.O. Box 2396
Nevada City, California 95946
USA

Thank you!

Janak

Janak Kimmel
Director of Fundraising
Ngakpa International
Buddhist Studies Institute
www.buddhiststudiesinstitute.org
P.O. Box 2396
Nevada City, California 95946
USA

Donate Now


Buddhism & Technology – SEND 12/18

Upcoming Events

Bardo Teachings – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro, Father Francis Tiso, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, Chagdud Khadro, Shugen Roshi, Julie Rogers, Jim Tucker, M.D., Koshin Paley Ellison and Dr. William McGrath

Open Dates
Teachings on Death and Dying Facing realities of dying, death, and grief are central to our human experience. This program offers practical instructions for helping others in the process of dying and an overview of essential knowledge on death, bardo, and rebirth. This includes self-paced lectures on dying, loss, grief, and illness from Lamas and scholars of Buddhist Studies.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhism & Sexuality – Self Paced Course

With Dr. Nicole Willock, Julie Regan, Ph.D., Pema Khandro, Lama Willa Miller, Amy Langenberg , Dr. Ann Gleig, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, Lama Rod Owens, Dr. Jim Hopper, Dr. Elizabeth Call and Damchö Diana Finnegan

Open Dates
Join Pema Khandro and a group of esteemed Buddhist Studies scholars for an exploration of the history of Buddhist Sexualities from celibacy, to sacred sexuality in Buddhist Tantra and a simple approach to embodied integration with nature in Dzogchen.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhist Ethics – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This course on Buddhist Ethics goes through the Five Buddhist Precepts. The five precepts form the basis of a Buddhist way of life and the vows that Buddhists Seek to follow. The Five Precepts are a discipline of freedom, honor, and precision that cover the potent themes of life from the extraordinary perspective of non-duality.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Women in Tantric Buddhism – Self Paced Course

With Holly Gayley, Judith Simmer-Brown, Sarah Jacoby, Amy Langenberg , Damchö Diana Finnegan, Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo and Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This is the missing history of women in Tantric Buddhism. This course addresses the fascinating story of nuns, mothers, teachers, consorts, prophets, and disciples. Taught by scholar-practitioners whose groundbreaking research on women and Buddhism has changed the way we think of Buddhist history. This course will address the history of women in Buddhism, the history of yoginis and dakinis in India and Tibet, the stories of important Buddhist women, Buddhist philosophy on gender, sex, and sexuality, and the role of the consort in historical Tibet, and contemporary manifestations and so much more. Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for…
Register Now

Ngondro Module 4: Funerary Chod

With Pema Khandro

September 22 - October 13, 2025
Embark on a transformative journey into the heart of Dzogchen Chod with Tulku Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute. TTake your Chod practice to the next level and cultivate fierce compassion and psychological transformation while studying the Tibetan tradition. Module 4 – Sept 22, 29, Oct 6 – Closing Session Oct 13 Discover the profound tradition of funerary Chöd, an extraordinary Buddhist practice that transforms our understanding of death, consciousness, and compassion. This ancient Tibetan ritual system, emerging from the wisdom tradition of Machig Labdrön, offers sophisticated techniques for working with death and dying that remain remarkably relevant for…
Register now

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Buddhist Studies Institute

Dear Friends,

How do you feel about technology – Smartphones, Laptops, Apps, Websites, Social Media, Email?  Love it?  Hate it?  Love it and Hate it?

If you’re like me, you have mixed feelings, but it’s hard to deny the pervasive and powerful presence of technology in our lives today.

One use of technology that I have zero qualms about, that I have, in fact, seen help many people in a beautiful way is the Buddhist Studies Institute.

Here technology makes possible for the Buddhist teachings to be shared via online classes, retreats and trainings to people living around the world.

Right now, a major upgrade is needed to keep the teachings possible in this way.  The old systems are too cumbersome, out of date and not in sync with one another.  It can’t continue.

Won’t you help? $50,000 will fund a major, much needed upgrade of the digital infrastructure.  Both large and small donations will help this goal be reached.

Please donate today.

Donate Now

Gifts can also be made by check, payable to Ngakpa International, and mailed to Dakini Mountain, P.O. Box 2396, Nevada City, California 95959, USA.

Ngakpa International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit EIN 68-0529687 and all gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Dakini Mountain Retreat Center

P.O. Box 2396
Nevada City, California 95946
USA

May we all be more powerful in the most kind way.

Wishing you the best,

Janak

Janak Kimmel
Director of Fundraising
Ngakpa International
Buddhist Studies Institute
www.buddhiststudiesinstitute.org
P.O. Box 2396
Nevada City, California 95946
USA

Ngondro Training
Heart of the Vast Expanse with Pema Khandro

Module 1 begins January 29

Mondays Online

5pm Los Angeles PT  | 8pm New York ET  | 12pm Sydney AET

Ngondro presents the core practices of Buddhist psychology, working with core needs in identity, relationality, forgiveness and repair, resources and the sense of empowerment. Join Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute for a journey into Ngongro, the core practice of Buddhist tantra.

Ngondro meditation is the foundation of a solid experience of spiritual growth. Ngondro refers to a series of meditation practices for purifying, training and empowering the mind & body. 

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). 

Without proper instruction ngondro can be incredibly complex and difficult. This course offers a simple, thorough, direct and supported experience of ngondro – making the heart essence of Vajrayana accessible for serious practitioners.

Register for Ngondro Training

Meditation Instructor Training

Begins February 19th

Mondays – Online

1pm Los Angeles PT  | 4pm New York ET  | 9pm London GMT

People all over the world have turned to Buddhist meditation as a source of wisdom. Meditation offers a powerful method to access a sense of spaciousness, peace and authentic presence. The practical benefits of meditation are well documented. Research shows it improves mood, reduces stress (Brown & Warren 2003), it improves memory, visuospatial reasoning, sustained attention and executive brain function (Zeidan et al. 2010). It reduces sub-clinical depression and anxiety (Schreiner and Malcolm 2012).

From a Buddhist point of view, when we know how to meditate, we learn how to work with mind and emotions. We have a practice for unraveling conditioned scripts and unconscious habits. Meditation is a pathway to discovering human goodness by making peace with our mind. Ultimately it is a method for getting free from dissatisfaction, resolving confusion and waking up to see reality more clearly.

The Meditation Instructor Training supplies the fundamental knowledge and experience necessary to lead meditation classes and one-day meditation intensives.

3 Modules

Traditional Meditation

Teaching Practicum

Teaching Ethics

This training is a pre-requisite for the Chaplaincy Certificate offered summer of 2024.

Register for Meditation Instructor Training

40-Day Meditation Marathon

January 1 – February 10

Daily Online

12pm Los Angeles PT  | 3pm New York ET  | 8pm London GMT

January 1st is the kick-off to our 40 day meditation marathon. This is an invitation to practice every single day for 40 days from January 1st to Losar on February 10th. It’s so wonderful to be able to share this commitment with others and we invite you to join us every day for our free Daily Meditation sessions. Each 30 minute session is lead by an Certified Meditation Instructor from the Buddhist Studies Institute. Whether you practice on your own time or join us live, we will celebrate all those who complete the 40 day marathon at our Losar Event on February 12.


Register for Daily Meditation Here

Buddhism & Technology –

Bringing the Teacher & Teachings to You

with Pema Khandro

Finish 2023 strong/start 2024 on a sure foot with accessible dharma study online.

“Ongoing study of Buddhism is a potent way to find inspiration, clarity and reset your mindset. Over the long term, dharma study has an extraordinary result – it changes the way we see our world and opens us to a sense of natural goodness. In the past access to such study has limited who can study Buddhism and when.

In the past serious study required learning a foreign language, quitting one’s job to do extended retreat, travel to foreign countries along with all its perils of illness, high expenses and dubious access.

But the power of modern technology breaks through these obstacles. Access to Buddhist philosophy and practice is more possible than ever – even for those with full busy lives. Tibet’s Buddhist Yogis have demonstrated the possibility of balancing spiritual development with commitment to family, work and society.” ~Pema Khandro

Watch Free Online Teachings Here

Are you interested in helping us spread the dharma?

The Buddhist Studies Institute is actively seeking a Manager to be available for 5-10 hours a week. This is a volunteer position.

Manager Responsibilities Include:

  • Create clear project plans and goals.

  • Establish a work plan at each stage of the project, and allocate resources accordingly.

  • Create and manage project budgets.

  • Review project plan to determine time frames

  • Remind team members of deadlines and keep team members on deadlines

  • Identify and remove any obstacles that might hinder the team’s ability to meet deadlines.

  • Effectively communicate project-relevant details throughout the organization.

  • Facilitate project-related team meetings.

  • Share project reports with governance committee

  • Collaborate on the Organization’s plans and priority

  • Design and launch evaluation surveys among team and community members.

  • Be the main point of contact for projects.

For more information, please email info@buddhiststudiesinstitute.org or simply click the box below.


Interested? Email us!

2024 Schedule of Events

ONGOING MONTHLY TRAINING

Daily Meditation Online
Vajrayana Training – 1st & 2nd Wednesday of each month
Ngakpa Training – 3rd Wednesday of each month

UPCOMING EVENTS

JANUARY

Ngondro Training – January 29th – October 28

FEBRUARY

Meditation Instructor Training – February 19 – August 9
Losar Celebration – February 12

Click Here to view the BSI Calendar View
Click Here for Events List and Registration
*All Times are noted in Pacific Time (PT) – Check your Timezone


Upcoming Winter Calendar – SEND 12/13

Upcoming Events

Bardo Teachings – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro, Father Francis Tiso, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, Chagdud Khadro, Shugen Roshi, Julie Rogers, Jim Tucker, M.D., Koshin Paley Ellison and Dr. William McGrath

Open Dates
Teachings on Death and Dying Facing realities of dying, death, and grief are central to our human experience. This program offers practical instructions for helping others in the process of dying and an overview of essential knowledge on death, bardo, and rebirth. This includes self-paced lectures on dying, loss, grief, and illness from Lamas and scholars of Buddhist Studies.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhism & Sexuality – Self Paced Course

With Dr. Nicole Willock, Julie Regan, Ph.D., Pema Khandro, Lama Willa Miller, Amy Langenberg , Dr. Ann Gleig, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, Lama Rod Owens, Dr. Jim Hopper, Dr. Elizabeth Call and Damchö Diana Finnegan

Open Dates
Join Pema Khandro and a group of esteemed Buddhist Studies scholars for an exploration of the history of Buddhist Sexualities from celibacy, to sacred sexuality in Buddhist Tantra and a simple approach to embodied integration with nature in Dzogchen.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhist Ethics – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This course on Buddhist Ethics goes through the Five Buddhist Precepts. The five precepts form the basis of a Buddhist way of life and the vows that Buddhists Seek to follow. The Five Precepts are a discipline of freedom, honor, and precision that cover the potent themes of life from the extraordinary perspective of non-duality.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Women in Tantric Buddhism – Self Paced Course

With Holly Gayley, Judith Simmer-Brown, Sarah Jacoby, Amy Langenberg , Damchö Diana Finnegan, Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo and Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This is the missing history of women in Tantric Buddhism. This course addresses the fascinating story of nuns, mothers, teachers, consorts, prophets, and disciples. Taught by scholar-practitioners whose groundbreaking research on women and Buddhism has changed the way we think of Buddhist history. This course will address the history of women in Buddhism, the history of yoginis and dakinis in India and Tibet, the stories of important Buddhist women, Buddhist philosophy on gender, sex, and sexuality, and the role of the consort in historical Tibet, and contemporary manifestations and so much more. Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for…
Register Now

Ngondro Module 4: Funerary Chod

With Pema Khandro

September 22 - October 13, 2025
Embark on a transformative journey into the heart of Dzogchen Chod with Tulku Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute. TTake your Chod practice to the next level and cultivate fierce compassion and psychological transformation while studying the Tibetan tradition. Module 4 – Sept 22, 29, Oct 6 – Closing Session Oct 13 Discover the profound tradition of funerary Chöd, an extraordinary Buddhist practice that transforms our understanding of death, consciousness, and compassion. This ancient Tibetan ritual system, emerging from the wisdom tradition of Machig Labdrön, offers sophisticated techniques for working with death and dying that remain remarkably relevant for…
Register now

by






*|MC:SUBJECT|*






Buddhist Studies Institute

Ngondro Training
Heart of the Vast Expanse with Pema Khandro

Module 1 begins January 29

Mondays Online

5pm Los Angeles PT  | 8pm New York ET  | 12pm Sydney AET

Ngondro presents the core practices of Buddhist psychology, working with core needs in identity, relationality, forgiveness and repair, resources and the sense of empowerment. Join Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies Institute for a journey into Ngongro, the core practice of Buddhist tantra.

Ngondro meditation is the foundation of a solid experience of spiritual growth. Ngondro refers to a series of meditation practices for purifying, training and empowering the mind & body. 

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). 

Without proper instruction ngondro can be incredibly complex and difficult. This course offers a simple, thorough, direct and supported experience of ngondro – making the heart essence of Vajrayana accessible for serious practitioners.

Register for Ngondro Training

Meditation Instructor Training

Begins February 19th

Mondays – Online

1pm Los Angeles PT  | 4pm New York ET  | 9pm London GMT

People all over the world have turned to Buddhist meditation as a source of wisdom. Meditation offers a powerful method to access a sense of spaciousness, peace and authentic presence. The practical benefits of meditation are well documented. Research shows it improves mood, reduces stress (Brown & Warren 2003), it improves memory, visuospatial reasoning, sustained attention and executive brain function (Zeidan et al. 2010). It reduces sub-clinical depression and anxiety (Schreiner and Malcolm 2012).

From a Buddhist point of view, when we know how to meditate, we learn how to work with mind and emotions. We have a practice for unraveling conditioned scripts and unconscious habits. Meditation is a pathway to discovering human goodness by making peace with our mind. Ultimately it is a method for getting free from dissatisfaction, resolving confusion and waking up to see reality more clearly.

The Meditation Instructor Training supplies the fundamental knowledge and experience necessary to lead meditation classes and one-day meditation intensives.

3 Modules

Traditional Meditation

Teaching Practicum

Teaching Ethics

This training is a pre-requisite for the Chaplaincy Certificate offered summer of 2024.

Register for Meditation Instructor Training

40-Day Meditation Marathon

January 1 – February 10

Daily Online

12pm Los Angeles PT  | 3pm New York ET  | 8pm London GMT

January 1st is the kick-off to our 40 day meditation marathon. This is an invitation to practice every single day for 40 days from January 1st to Losar on February 10th. It’s so wonderful to be able to share this commitment with others and we invite you to join us every day for our free Daily Meditation sessions. Each 30 minute session is lead by an Certified Meditation Instructor from the Buddhist Studies Institute. Whether you practice on your own time or join us live, we will celebrate all those who complete the 40 day marathon at our Losar Event on February 12.


Register for Daily Meditation Here

Are you interested in helping us spread the dharma?

The Buddhist Studies Institute is actively seeking a volunteer manager to be available for 5-10 hours a week.

Manager Responsibilities Include:

  • Create clear project plans and goals.

  • Establish a work plan at each stage of the project, and allocate resources accordingly.

  • Create and manage project budgets.

  • Review project plan to determine time frames

  • Remind team members of deadlines and keep team members on deadlines

  • Identify and remove any obstacles that might hinder the team’s ability to meet deadlines.

  • Effectively communicate project-relevant details throughout the organization.

  • Facilitate project-related team meetings.

  • Share project reports with governance committee

  • Collaborate on the Organization’s plans and priority

  • Design and launch evaluation surveys among team and community members.

  • Be the main point of contact for projects.

For more information, please email info@buddhiststudiesinstitute.org or simply click the box below.


Interested? Contact us here!

Why Pema Khandro Rinpoche Loves Bruce Lee Movies

By Lion’s Roar Staff

Pema Khandro Rinpoche says Bruce Lee films are filled with images of power and energy, “and that’s what Buddhist tantra is all about.”

Discover Why Here

2024 Schedule of Events

ONGOING MONTHLY TRAINING

Daily Meditation Online
Vajrayana Training – 1st & 2nd Wednesday of each month
Ngakpa Training – 3rd Wednesday of each month

UPCOMING EVENTS

JANUARY

Ngondro Training – January 29th – October 28

FEBRUARY

Meditation Instructor Training – February 19 – August 9
Losar Celebration – February 12

Click Here to view the BSI Calendar View
Click Here for Events List and Registration
*All Times are noted in Pacific Time (PT) – Check your Timezone


Contact

Email: info@BuddhistYogis.org