The Story of Buddhism Continues – Be Part of It!

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…

Awakening Innate Wisdom: 21 Semdzin Dzogchen Retreat

With Pema Khandro

August 6 - 10, 2025

In-person in San Diego, and Online This retreat provides a rare opportunity to receive authentic guidance in these essential Dzogchen methods within a supportive environment conducive to deep practice. Through direct instruction, guided sessions, and periods of integration, participants will learn how these seemingly simple yet profound techniques can cut through ordinary conceptual mind to reveal what has been present from the beginning – one’s own intrinsic wisdom. Join us to explore how the Semdzins—practices not of concentration or fabrication, but of discovery—can open doors to experiencing the natural perfection that is our primordial condition, with practical applications that…

Choying Dzod Online: Awakening to the Expanse

With Pema Khandro and Khenpo Yeshi

September 5 - 7, 2025

Join us for the 6th installation of the Choying Dzod, with Dr. Pema Khandro and Khenpo Yeshi Awakening to the Expanse Beyond effort and achievement is the state of natural ease, the basic space of being. How to breakthrough to find this innate expanse is the focus of a profound Buddhist meditation manual known as The Treasury of Basic Space, The Choying Dzod (chos dbyings rin po che’i mdzod). It presents the essence of esoteric Tibetan Buddhism, known as Great Perfection, or Dzogchen (rdzogs chen) in verse form. Venerated as a manifestation of the expanse of reality itself, is the quintessential Dzogchen text…

July 30, 2021 by BuddhistYogis

Letter from Janak

Dear Friends and Members,

The story of Buddhism and the story of Dakini Mountain has always been a story of possibilities. What is possible? Can I really do it? Who will help me?

Many years ago, the Buddha told us what was possible: freedom from suffering. He told us that we could do it! And he said he would help.

It started in a place. Under the Bodhi Tree, the Buddha meditated and realized enlightenment. Then he began to teach the Four Noble Truths in a place called Deer Park.

Throughout hundreds of years and from the very beginning of Buddhism, physical places have been pivotal to the flourishing of Buddhism. These sacred places serve as practical locations for Buddhist practitioners to live, places of study and power centers that emanate intangible yet highly effective waves of awareness to benefit society.

Past examples of places that have been critical in the development of Buddhism include the Bamboo Grove Ashram where the Buddha first sheltered with his students during the winter monsoons; the 84,000 stupas built by Emperor Ashoka to establish Buddhism throughout the Indian subcontinent; and Samye, the very first Tibetan Buddhist center, key to the development of Tibetan Buddhism, near Lhasa in Tibet.

In these three examples, the sacred places were funded by kings and an emperor. In today’s world, governments, by and large, do not fund Buddhism.

Dakini Mountain will be funded by ordinary people, like you and me, who feel a call to make a difference, to infuse the vision of the Buddha with vitality through bringing this place, Dakini Mountain, into reality.

Dakini Mountain is a Buddhist retreat, a Yogic Medicine healing center, an environmental leadership site and more. Founded in 2019 by Pema Khandro and Ngakpa International, Dakini Mountain is located on 35 breathtakingly beautiful acres in the Tahoe National Forest of Northern California.

It’s already partially developed and established but much is still needed.

At this moment, Dakini Mountain needs $15,500 to take the next step of providing critical fire clearing and other refurbishing to make Dakini Mountain available for immediate use. This is the first goal in a series of goals. You can see the whole plan at www.dakinimountain.org.

Already, $8,750 of the $15,500 has been raised. Please help accomplish this goal and give Dakini Mountain and Buddhism your support.

Your 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.

Thank you!

Janak

Director of Vajrayana Training and Fundraising

Ngakpa International

Buddhist Studies Institute

Dakini Mountain Retreat Center

P.O. Box 2396

Nevada City, California 95946

USA

Letter from Janak

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