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!
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!
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!
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…
Join us for the 21 Taras. The twenty-one taras is a sublime chanting meditation and praise of the forms of the female Bodhisattva Tara, each one a contemplation of all the forms of compassion ranging from gentle to fierce. This event explores the outer, inner and secret meaning of the twenty-one taras. This will be a joyous fundraiser in honor of our beloved Pema Khandro Rinpoche’s birthday. Wednesday, December 4th 6 pm pt | 9 pm et
Five Buddhist Precepts – from a Tantric perspective
Starts Tonight
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. Topics covered in this course include:
Buddhist theories about vegetarian lifestyle vs. meat-eating
Buddhist perspectives on alcohol and drug use
Conscious use of sexual energy, Buddhist philosophy about desire
Handling resources, money, and spirituality
Honesty, and the speech that takes us beyond confusion
Completion of Buddhist Ethics coursework is required for:
Vajrayana Training
Meditation Instructor Training Certification
Vajra Sangha Membership
Ngakpa Training
Overview of Coursework Buddhist Ethics 1: Introduction to Vows and Codes: the 5 precepts, the 3 vows, codes of conduct, and principles of integrity
Buddhist Ethics 2: Introduction to the 5 Precepts & Precept 1- Doing No Harm
Buddhist Ethics 3: Introduction to the Precept of Non-harming Is killing ever justified? Buddhist stories and history that give perspective on this issue
Buddhist Ethics 4: Introduction to the Precept of Not Taking What is Not Freely Given – Overview of the precept, systems of exploitation, Tibetan cultures, and practices.
Buddhist Ethics 5: Sexual Misconduct – making sense of different viewpoints. How to have integrity in one’s sexuality from various Buddhist perspectives.
Buddhist Ethics 6: The Story of the Lying Mahasiddha
Buddhist Ethics 7: Vow of Speech – Speech with Integrity How to use speech for non-harm and liberation, and how to abandon false speech.
Buddhist Ethics 8: False Speech Addendum Speaking up in the face of abuse, divisive speech, speaking up and out. An Addendum to The Fourth Precept.
Buddhist Ethics 9: Precept Against Intoxicants – Avoiding the Demented State How to remain stable in the unaltered state, and discussion on addictions.
Buddhist Ethics 10: A Review – Underlying Principles Behind Buddhist Ethics
Schedule of Training Live Introduction with Pema Khandro Wed Jan 25th – 5pm pacific | 8pm eastern
Focus Groups with Aruna Rig’dzin and Dr. Satya Mondays – Jan 30 + Feb 6, 13, 20, 27 1-1:30pm PT / 4-4:30pm Optional Focus Groups offer review and discussion of self-paced coursework and time for fostering community connections.
About Tuition General Tuition: $108
Member with Instant Access (login and go to course content for zoom link):
Ngondro Training with Pema Khandro Feb 27 – Oct 16, 2023
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.
Recent Changes – Due to a scheduling conflict, the Buddhism & Sexuality weekend will now take place the first weekend of March and the Vajra Sangha Retreat will take its place on February 4th. Buddhism and the Environment has thus been moved to the first weekend in December. Scroll down for the most up-to-date schedule of events.