The Best Reason to Support Dakini Mountain

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!

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!

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!

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…

Cutting Through Fear: Dzogchen Chod Retreat

With Pema Khandro

May 28 - June 1, 2025

May 28 - June 1 San Diego and Online In a world beset with fear, profound methods are needed to reclaim intrinsic wisdom and awaken innate courage. Join Pema Khandro and the Buddhist Studies institute for a contemplation of fierce compassion through the annual Chod retreat, Troma Nagmo teachings, and an optional five month Comprehensive Chod intensive training to follow. Chod is the profound method of psychological transformation in esoteric Buddhism. Chod means cutting, referring to cutting through the fictions that cause fear, anxiety, and hesitations in one’s life.

Fierce Compassion: Comprehensive Chod Training

With Pema Khandro

June 9 - October 13, 2025

Embark on a transformative five-month journey into the heart of Dzogchen Chod with Tulku Pema Khandro, Ph.D. and the Buddhist Studies Institute. This comprehensive Chod training offers a rare opportunity for an in-depth immersion in the Dzogchen Chod system, Healing Chod, and the Secret Black Dakini Teachings. Take your Chod practice to the next level and cultivate fierce compassion and psychological transformation while studying the Tibetan tradition.

Dear Friends and Members,

I want to share with you what, in my opinion, is the best reason to support Dakini Mountain, the new Buddhist retreat center in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California.

It’s a way to support Pema Khandro Rinpoche.

I know how much Dakini Mountain means to her as I’ve been hearing her speak longingly of Dakini Mountain for the entire time I’ve known her, about 15 years.

Simply put, Dakini Mountain is the physical center of her work.

There are many worthy Buddhist teachers in today’s world. The one I know the best is Pema Khandro and the more I get to know her, the more I admire and appreciate her.

If I had to describe her essential qualities, I would use the words, integrity, authenticity, dedication, and kindness.

Her teachings and community reflect this with an emphasis on ethics, zero tolerance of abuse, empathy training, healing of the body and the emotions, respect for diversity and support for a balanced, healthy life.

Here’s a real example of how she lives: Years ago, I accompanied her to visit someone who had just lost their husband by a sudden death. This person had come to a number of teachings with Rinpoche but was not a close or highly active student. Rinpoche went to visit this woman in her home and Rinpoche spent as much time there as it took to hear the entire story of this woman’s loss as if Rinpoche had all the time in the world. There was not the slightest sense of hurry.

That’s what Pema Khandro is like. I know you’re hearing this from one of her biggest fans, me, but I tell you she has the biggest heart of anyone I know, to go along with extraordinary knowledge and embodiment of the Buddhist teachings.

If this email reaches you, because you feel a connection with Pema Khandro and you would like to support the Buddhist teachings in today’s world, please make a donation.

The 2021 fundraising effort provides critical funds to keep Dakini Mountain alive and moving forward.

Any donation you can make, large or small, will make a difference.

Please donate now. Thank you!

Also, long term financial support is needed now for the new Dakini Mountain financing. If you don’t have assets to donate now but have the ability to be a loan guarantor or participate in estate planning or legacy giving, there are many ways you could help. For more information on guarantor or legacy giving, please reply to this email.

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.

For more information about Dakini Mountain, visit www.DakiniMountain.org

Wishing you joy and happiness,

Janak

Director of Fundraising

Ngakpa International

Buddhist Studies Institute

Dakini Mountain Retreat Center

P.O. Box 2396

Nevada City, California 95946

USA

Dear Friends and Members,

Contact