Foundations of Study and Practice
Buddhist Meditation
Vajrayana Training
Ngakpa Seminary
Welcome to the Buddhist Studies Institute was founded to provide high quality Buddhist education to the public. BSI shares in-depth study of Buddhist philosophy, history and practice in accessible formats – live online courses, on-demand education and in person retreats and trainings. BSI also hosts a community of study and practice as well as an online shedra – the Buddhist philosophical college adapted into a weekly study format.
Enjoy conversations with Pema Khandro, Geshe Sonam, Jan Willis, Ven. Thubten Chodron and so many others. Take live classes every week, study ancient texts with Pema Khandro, learn meditation with Janak, practice White Tara meditation with Satya, discuss Vajrayana…Discover Buddhism as a journey into freedom of mind and find support for a whole-hearted, vigorous engagement with Buddhism and its diverse interpretations.
Weekly Online Classes
Practice Meditation
Study Original Buddhist Texts
Dialogue, Discussion, Q & A
Pema Khandro
Founder and Director of the Buddhist Studies Institute.
Pema Khandro is a Tibetan Buddhist teacher and scholar. Ordained in the Nyingma lineage, enthroned as a tulku, and trained as an academic, her teachings celebrate the dynamic coalescence of tradition and the post-modern context.
Pema Khandro is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on the history and practice of the Great Perfection (rdzogs chen), the tradition of Tibetan Yogis (sngags pa, rnal ‘byor pa) as well as women and gender in Tibet. She holds a Master’s degree specializing in Tibetan Buddhist Studies from the University of Virginia.
Pema Khandro is steeped in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, she is authorized Lama and lineage holder of the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and she was enthroned to carry on the lineage of a Tibetan Yogini who lived and taught in the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century. As a scholar-practitioner, her approach to teaching is to frame Buddhist study and practice within its historical, philosophical and intercultural context.
She is the founder of Ngakpa Intl. and its three projects: The Buddhist Studies Institute, The Yogic Medicine Institute and Dakini Mountain. For more information visit www.PemaKhandro.org
A Bodhisattvas Way of Life & Valid Cognition
Valid Cognition & Ways of Knowing
Study Buddhist logic and epistemology to understand how mind knows, (in Sanskrit, Pramana or in Tibetan, tshad ma) and identify how wrong knowledge causes cyclic suffering. This is the study of a classic text on Valid Cognition the Pramanavaritika, translated into English by Geshe Sonam.
These classes are part of the shedra classes in our Ngakpa Training, but are also open to students with previous Buddhist studies experience. To inquire about joining – email info@buddhiststudiesinstitute.org
Geshe Sonam
Following his more than twenty years of intensive monastic studies on the five major treatises of Buddhism, and upon clearing all the six successive years of examination, in Jan 2019, Geshe Ngawang Sonam was formally conferred the highest degree of Geshe Lharampa [Traditional degree equivalent to PhD in Buddhism] by Gelugpa Monastic Seat of Learning [Gelugpa Monastic University]. In Nov. 2016, His Holiness the Dalai Lama called him to work in His Office, and presently he works there as a translator and a Buddhist scholar. Geshe Ngawang Sonam’s first book ‘In the Footsteps of Siddhartha’ was published in 2010. His translation of Shantideva’s work Bodhisattvacharyaavatara is going to print very soon. Alongside his office work, he also finds time to teach and attend conferences with modern scholars and scientists as a speaker.
Meditation Mondays
Train in Buddhist Meditation Online
Experience the power of Tibetan Buddhist Meditation.
Meditation Mondays are online classes, so you have accessible instruction wherever you are.
These meditation classes focus on instruction in the methods of Calm Abiding, known as Zhine (Tib. གཞི་གནས། gzhi gnas). This is a classical Buddhist meditation which uses concentration techniques and a posture of stillness to allow the mind to become serene.
New members are welcome!
All members have access to meditation classes online!
Meditation Mondays are led by Janak Kimmel, who is also the Vajrayana Training Coordinator. Janak will teach you meditation, answer your questions and support you in establishing a daily practice.
The world has turned to Buddhism for its wealth of insight into meditation, sciences of mind, regulation of emotions, and models of peaceful living.
For those who seek access to in-depth Buddhist study however, there have been many challenges that have limited such studies to a few people – including the need to learn another language, live in Asia, or leave behind family or work commitments. The Buddhist Studies institute seeks to meet the need for an in-depth study which is highly accessible and available in English. In fulfillment of this goal, we have facilitated study with Buddhist scholars from around the world.
As a tradition dedicated to cultivating wisdom, compassion, self-awareness and interpersonal peace, Buddhism offers rich resources for understanding mind, body, self, others and our world.
The Buddhist Studies Institute’s mission is to provide opportunities for accessible in-depth study of Buddhist philosophy and practice.
Join us at the Buddhist Studies Institute for weekly classes, self-paced courses, weekend intensives online or in person retreats.
Our Affiliations
BSI is a project of Ngakpa International a non-profit organization dedicated to sustaining the traditions of householder Yogis of Tibet. Although our project is sponsored by a Nyingma Lama (Pema Khandro) and focuses on Nyingma materials for weekly shedra classes, we also provide many Buddhist classes with a non-sectarian focus led by Lamas, Khenpos, Geshes and Scholars of various traditions in order to celebrate the beautiful diversity of Buddhist thought. Our goal is to present Buddhism in its full splendor, as a resource for rigorous inquiry and development of self-awareness, while providing abundant resources focusing on the core texts of the Nyingma shedra, the Buddhist Philosophical college and the gomdra, the Buddhist meditation retreat training.
Embody Buddhist Wisdom in Work, Family, and Society
The Yogic Medicine Institute
Learn About Our Sister Project
Let the ancient knowledge of Himalayan medicine restore vibrant well-being in your body and mind. Enjoy the detoxification and longevity practices of Ayurveda, Tibetan Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine. In Radiance Retreats you will enjoy three to thirty-five days of therapies, massage, nutrition, cleansing, and rejuvenation in a small group setting or private retreat. Protect your body while allowing it to remove toxins safely, efficiently, and thoroughly. Ayurvedic Panchakarma helps your body let go of layers of undigested material. Each body is different, so your cleansing program is tailored just for you. Enjoy luxurious integrative therapies, bliss yoga, shirodhara and so much more. Radiance Retreats are led by Aruna Rigdzin and Satya Shiva. Benefit from their two decades of training, warm hospitality and extraordinary guidance. Learn more here
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