Winter Schedule of Events

1st & 2nd Wednesdays
Vajrayana Training

**VT moved to Jan 8 + 15 due to Holiday Season

3rd Wednesdays
Ngakpa Training

**NT moved to Jan 22 due to Holiday Season

Jan 1 – 21
New Year Meditation Marathon

Jan 27 – Apr 8
Ngondro Module 1: Field of Buddhas

Feb 10 – Aug 4
Meditation Teacher Training

Feb 21 – 23
Love as a Path to Liberation

March 5th

Losar Celebration: Year of the Wood Snake

Mar 21-23

Unwavering Awareness
The Choying Dzod with Khenpo Yeshi & Pema Khandro

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

Discover what our participants are saying about their transformative experiences in Ngondro Training

“I just want to keep doing Ngondro my whole life!”

~ R.H.

“What a precious opportunity it has been to receive the transmissions, dharma teachings and practices of the Longchen Nyingtig Ngondro from Pema Khandro Rinpoche! Her generous offering is unparalleled, in that here in the West we can receive these essential, accessible and undiluted teachings within an historical context, so that we dismantle the colonial tendency to extract and accommodate our preferences.

Having completed Longchen Nyingtig Ngondro even just once has been foundational to my life and my practices.

Refuge and Bodhicitta continues to support me to align with the lineage of the enlightened nature of mind, bow to all who bow and open my heart for the alleviation of suffering for all Beings.

Vajrasattva practice continues to humble me in dissolving my karmic knots and opening to the immense forgiveness available in all times.

Mandala Offering continues to water the seeds of generosity beyond expectation.”
~ K.W.

“Just being able to persevere and go beyond so many limitations in both body and mind, and through that glimpsing into some profound potentials of the path – this entire year it has been my refuge, the practice will continue to reverberate even once I complete the recitations, and I think that it’s given me an orientation for my life going forward.”
~ C.P.

“This was such a great experience that it made me think a lot about the possibility of this practice, the high level of beauty, magic, integrity, immortality, tenderness – all of it’s there. It is a better world. It’s a world that I can go to and that’s really like a refuge. I didn’t know what a difference I would feel when I started this. The shimmering of life is dulled down for all these weird reasons, and Ngondro is a great remedy for that.”

~ I.R.

New Year Meditation Marathon

A 21-day online meditation practice with certified meditation teachers of the Buddhist Studies Institute.  

January 1-21 Online
8am PT | 11am ET | 4pm GMT

30 Minute Meditation

Start your New Year with intention and meditation. Our New Year Meditation Marathon offers daily 30-minute guided Tibetan Zhine (Calm Abiding) meditation sessions, designed to help you cultivate inner peace, clarity, and resilience as you embrace change and growth.

Each session includes an exploration of the Five Buddhist Precepts, providing a foundation for personal transformation and deeper self-awareness. For those seeking community and reflection, an optional discussion follows from 8:30-8:45am PT, creating space to connect and share insights.

Step into the year ahead with purpose, peace, and presence. Empower yourself with the tools to live a more meaningful and compassionate life.

The Meditation Marathon is led by certified instructors from the Buddhist Studies Institute. Learn more about becoming a certified meditation instructor with our 2025 Meditation Teacher Training

Winter Schedule of Events

1st & 2nd Wednesdays
Vajrayana Training

**VT moved to Jan 8 + 15 due to Holiday Season

3rd Wednesdays
Ngakpa Training

**NT moved to Jan 22 due to Holiday Season

Jan 1 – 21
New Year Meditation Marathon

Jan 27 – Apr 8
Ngondro Module 1: Field of Buddhas

Feb 10 – Aug 4
Meditation Teacher Training

Feb 21 – 23
Love as a Path to Liberation

March 5th

Losar Celebration: Year of the Wood Snake

Mar 21-23

Unwavering Awareness
The Choying Dzod with Khenpo Yeshi & Pema Khandro

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

Winter Schedule of Events

1st & 2nd Wednesdays
Vajrayana Training

**VT moved to Jan 8 + 15 due to Holiday Season

3rd Wednesdays
Ngakpa Training

**NT moved to Jan 22 due to Holiday Season

Jan 1 – 21
New Year Meditation Marathon

Jan 27 – Apr 8
Ngondro Module 1: Field of Buddhas

Feb 10 – Aug 4
Meditation Teacher Training

Feb 21 – 23
Love as a Path to Liberation

March 5
Losar Celebration: Year of the Wood Snake

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

A New Dawn

Embrace Transformation This Holiday Season

As we move past the solstice and into the holiday season, it’s the perfect time for reflection and transformation. At the Buddhist Studies Institute, we help individuals tap into their inner potential and create lasting change in their lives and communities.

This holiday season, we invite you to invest in your own transformation and support others on their journey. Your donation helps sustain the teachings and practices that empower individuals to connect with their true selves and make a meaningful impact in the world.

Join us in fostering real transformation—help illuminate the path to peace, wisdom, and purpose for all.

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

Ngondro Training: Heart of the Vast Expanse
with Pema Khandro

Module 1 begins January 27

5pm PT | 8pm ET | 12pm AEDT

Ngondro meditations are the cornerstone of deep spiritual transformation, guiding practitioners to confront and heal key aspects of their lives—identity, relationships, body, and the past and future. These practices purify, train, and empower the mind and body, addressing critical areas of Buddhist psychology such as identity, forgiveness, empowerment, and relational dynamics.

This comprehensive Ngondro course will be taught in four modules over the course of one year, supporting steady progress in your practice. Module 1, The Field of Buddhas, will focus on the purification of speech and the generation of the refuge field. This practice helps you connect with your lineage, learn about your spiritual resources, and build a strong foundation of support for your journey.

This course is an invitation to begin a deep, transformative process that will guide you to spiritual freedom, healing, and a more empowered, authentic life.

New Year Meditation Marathon

Start the Year with a Transformative Journey of Self-Discovery

January 1-21 Online
8am PT | 11am ET | 4pm GMT

30 Minutes Meditation

This New Year, open the door to profound personal transformation through meditation. Our New Year Meditation Marathon invites you to embrace change, growth, and deeper self-awareness with daily 30-minute guided sessions (8-8:30am PT) of Tibetan Zhine (Calm Abiding) meditation.

Throughout this transformative journey, we’ll explore the Five Buddhist Precepts, helping you cultivate inner peace, clarity, and compassion—tools to create lasting change in your life. An optional community discussion from 8:30-8:45am PT provides space for further reflection and connection, enriching your experience and supporting your growth.

Join us as we step into the year ahead with a commitment to personal transformation, empowering you to live with greater purpose, peace, and presence.

The Meditation Marathon is led by certified instructors from the Buddhist Studies Institute. Learn more about becoming a certified meditation instructor with our 2025 Meditation Teacher Training

Embrace Transforming
Take Courses by Donation this Holiday Season

This holiday season, the Buddhist Studies Institute is offering a special opportunity to access transformative teachings by donation. For a limited time, you can explore select courses on meditation, Buddhist philosophy, and ethics—designed to support your spiritual growth and bring peace and clarity into your life.

These teachings are an invitation to deepen your understanding, cultivate inner peace, and align with the transformative power of Buddhist wisdom. Contribute what you can, and join our community in this journey of personal growth and profound change.

Don’t miss this chance to invest in your spiritual journey. Click below to explore our courses and begin your path of transformation today.

Winter Schedule of Events

1st & 2nd Wednesdays
Vajrayana Training

**VT moved to Jan 8 + 15 due to Holiday Season

3rd Wednesdays
Ngakpa Training

**NT moved to Jan 22 due to Holiday Season

Jan 1 – 21
New Year Meditation Marathon

Jan 27 – Apr 8
Ngondro Module 1: Field of Buddhas

Feb 10 – Aug 4
Meditation Teacher Training

Feb 21 – 23
Love as a Path to Liberation

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

New Year
Meditation Marathon

January 1-21 Online
8am PT | 11am ET | 4pm GMT

30 Minutes Meditation + 15 Minutes Optional Group Discussion

Start the year with a transformative journey of self-discovery through the meditation. Our New Year Meditation Marathon offers daily 30 minute guided sessions (8-8:30am PT) of Tibetan Zhine (Calm Abiding) meditation, along with reflections on the Five Buddhist Precepts, helping you cultivate peace, clarity, and compassion. Optional community discussion 8:30-8:45am PT.

The Meditation Marathon is led by certified instructors from the Buddhist Studies Institute. Learn more about becoming a certified meditation instructor with our 2025 Meditation Teacher Training

Become a certified meditation teacher in 2025 with the Buddhist Studies Institute’s robust 200-hour program. This self-paced course combines live classes, mentoring, and practicums, delving into traditional meditation, Buddhist philosophy, and ethics. Designed to address the complexities of modern life, it empowers teachers to guide diverse communities with wisdom, integrity, and compassion. Join a transformative journey led by Pema Khandro to learn the art of meditation instruction and bring peace to a turbulent world.

End of the Year Giving

We raised $4000 of our $25,000 Goal!

We are grateful for donations to support the End of Year 2024 Buddhist Studies Institute Fundraising drive. We are a grassroots organization and all of our funding is based on individual donations.

We hope you will remember us in your end of year giving and of course, if you can’t, then we also enjoy the continual support of volunteers, good will and prayers, the positive energy that has keeps us going! So please give however you can.

We have an exciting new year of programs and look forward to connecting with each other each other again and again. To make a donation, you can click the donate button below or mail your check to the address listed below. No amount is too small or too large! Every gift counts and makes a difference.

To gift by check, please make payable to Buddhist Studies Institute, and mail to:

Buddhist Studies Institute

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

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

Thank you for your ongoing support and we look forward to seeing you for a full schedule of classes in 2025!

Warm Holiday Regards,

The Team at the Buddhist Studies Institute

Winter Schedule of Events

1st & 2nd Wednesdays
Vajrayana Training

**VT moved to Jan 8 + 15 due to Holiday Season

3rd Wednesdays
Ngakpa Training

**NT moved to Jan 22 due to Holiday Season

Jan 1 – 21
New Year Meditation Marathon

Jan 27 – Apr 8
Ngondro Module 1: Field of Buddhas

Feb 10 – Aug 4
Meditation Teacher Training

Feb 21 – 23
Love as a Path to Liberation

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

Today is Giving Tuesday!

Dear Dharma Friends,

This year, our online school, the Buddhist Studies Institute, has continued to offer transformative programs to deepen our wisdom and compassion.

2024 Successes

Thanks to your support, we achieved remarkable milestones in 2024:

• Technology Upgrades: $10,000 funded expanded Zoom capacity, enhanced editing tools, and transcription software.

• System Maintenance: $4,000 maintained smooth operations of our online platform.

• Security Enhancements: $650 improved online safety and functionality.

• Carrying Forward Stability: $2,350 allocated for future needs.

Your generosity has allowed us to build a resilient, accessible platform for sharing the dharma with a global audience.

2024: A Year of Transformation

This past year was extraordinary. We served over 60 members through 131 programs, including online teachings, in-person retreats, and advanced training in Ngondro, Vajrayana, and Dzogchen.

Highlights included:

• A pilgrimage to Bhutan tracing Longchenpa’s footsteps.

• The Six Yoga Intensive upon Khandro-La’s return.

• Over $13,800 in scholarships and financial aid, reflecting our commitment to generosity and inclusion.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Our plans for the coming year include:

• Ngondro Training Returns! Come start ngondro with us or finally finish it!

• Vajrayana Training continues, join us for an in depth study of the Vajrayogini practice

• Launching a Chaplaincy Program and Advanced Meditation Instructor Training.

• Shedra-level teachings with Khenpo Yeshe and special programs with Sarah Jacoby, Holly Gayley, Drupon Dorje Rinpoche, and more.

• Retreats and intensives to deepen our connection to Buddhist wisdom.

Join Us for Our Year-End Fundraiser

This Giving Tuesday and year-end season, we invite you to support the continuation of our programs and services through donations. Your support ensures that the Buddhist Studies Institute continues to flourish, reaching more people and transforming lives. Our goal is to raise $25,ooo in the year-end fundraiser. Let’s rise to this challenge together and strengthen the foundation for a compassionate and awakened world. Your support matters. Donate today and be a part of this vital work.

Thank you for your generosity, vision, and unwavering love. 

Together, we can continue our thriving school in the new year!

With deep gratitude,
The Buddhist Studies Institute

To gift by check, please make payable to Buddhist Studies Institute and mail to:

Buddhist Studies Institute

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

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

Join us for Pema Khandro’s Birthday

Pema Khandro’s Birthday Celebration & Fundraiser

Praise to the 21 Taras

Wednesday, December 4
6pm PT | 9pm ET | 1pm AEDT*

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 celebration in honor of our beloved Pema Khandro’s birthday.

*12/5 in Australia (AEDT)

Resiliency-in-Action

Going Beyond the Boulders

As Tantric practitioners, we expect obstacles, difficulties and resistance.

We train so we are still altruistic and resilient, even after innumerable challenges. Padmasambhava predicted troubled times in the future.

He offered the dharma  to ‘go beyond the boulders’.

~Tulku Pema Khandro

Resiliency-In-Action

The story of Ngakpa International, our beloved teacher Pema Khandro-La and our sangha is a story of resilience, generosity and commitment in the face of great uncertainty.  In this current time of upheaval, we rely on the stability of our precious teacher, the dharma and the community of our devoted sangha. We rely on the vision of our logo, the Gyakil (Wheel of Joy) to cultivate complete openness, lucid presence and compassion.

Gyakil, Wheel of Joy

Our online school, the Buddhist Studies Institute offers us many programs to grow our suppleness, compassion and stable force.  Since our inception, we’ve all faced numerous challenges and even profound losses, both in our individual lives and as a sangha. Through your devotion, dedication and generosity, we’ve miraculously come together to help one another, and even weathered the emotional and economic uncertainties of the pandemic.

We practice the dharma to dance with this level of uncertainty and call in the benevolent forces, Dakinis and Dakas who clearly support us to fulfill our aspirations for success. Against all odds, we’re still here.

So what is success? Success is continuing to offer these teachings so people may practice and receive the treasures of the dharma. Success is growing the stability to bring the dharma to more and more people.

As we approach the turning of the New Year,  please join us in continuing to manifest this vision through your generous practices, donations and offerings.

Our Successes

Thanks to your generosity, we are thriving both on-line and in-person, receiving the precious Longchen Nyingthig teachings from Khandro-La. Our international community has grown since the pandemic, our membership has increased, teachings are available online to people across multiple time zones. Recordings of the programs now allow even more participants to experience the profound dharma and practices at their convenience. All this is clearly responding to a need for in-depth practices offered by Khandro-La who walks with unshakable integrity within our loving sangha.

2023 Technology Fundraiser

We are thrilled to share the impact of your generous support from last year’s fundraiser!

Thanks to your contributions, we raised $17,000 towards our technology goals in 2023. Here’s how your support made a difference:

• $10,000 funded critical technology upgrades, including:expanded zoom, enhanced editing tools and transcription software.

• $4,000 allocated to maintaining our current systems, ensuring smooth operation, and ongoing support for our programs and online platform.

• $650 dedicated to essential security upgrades for our online presence.

• $2,350 remaining to carry forward into 2025.

We sincerely appreciate all your support in helping us build a resilient, accessible platform for wisdom and connection.

2024 Educational Programs

2024 was a watershed year for us. We served over 60 members and offered over 131 programs online and in-person retreats, bi-monthly classes, Ngondro, Meditation Instructor and other leadership training. Khandro-La and the  illustrious visiting teachers offered dharma and empowerments for a full range of Buddhist studies from introductory meditation instruction, Mahayana, Vajrayana and some of the most pith, advanced Dzogchen teachings. The year culminated this fall with a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Bhutan, following in the footsteps of Longchenpa. When Khandro-La and the sangha returned from abroad, she offered the precious Six Yoga Intensive.

Financial Aid/ Scholarships

Our organization is founded on practices of generosity. One way we fulfill this is by offering financial assistance, work study and scholarships to people in need. In 2023, we offered over $13,800 of financial aid and support to our members.

2025 Future Dharma Programs

We have a rich calendar of events for the upcoming year. As well as continuing our ongoing Vajrayana and Ngakpa Trainings, we are launching our Chaplaincy Program and an Advanced Meditation Instructor Training. We are also blessed to have Khandro-La offer shedra-level teachings with esteemed Dzogchen scholar Khenpo Yeshe; teachings with Sarah Jakoby and Holly Gayley;  a Chakrasamvara Retreat with Drupon Dorje Rinpoche; and a Korde Rushen Retreat.

Our 2024 Year-End Fundraising Goal

Help us land stability in uncertainty.

Join with us in all your creative visioning, practices and funds to support Ngakpa International and our educational arm, Buddhist Studies Institute.

Let’s land our dharma teachings by meeting the challenges of uncertainty with unflagging  ground. Let’s rise up to this challenge so we can encounter our true nature.On this path of the Awakened Mind Warriors we cultivate a stable, calm, caring and compassionate way of being.

We can not do this alone.

Thank you for your generous hearts of service.

Thank you for your vision and love.

Giving Tuesday is Tommorrow!

To all the supporters of the Buddhist Studies Institute – thank you!

Giving Tuesday is tomorrow, and we are grateful for donations to support the End of Year 2024 Buddhist Studies Institute Fundraising drive. We are a grassroots organization and all of our funding is based on individual donations.

We hope you will remember us in your end of year giving and of course, if you can’t, then we also enjoy the continual support of volunteers, good will and prayers, the positive energy that has keeps us going! So please give however you can.

We have an exciting new year of programs and look forward to connecting with each other each other again and again. To make a donation, you can click the donate button below or mail your check to the address listed below. No amount is too small or too large! Every gift counts and makes a difference.

To gift by check, please make payable to Ngakpa International, and mail to:

Ngakpa International

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

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

Join us for Pema Khandro’s Birthday

Pema Khandro’s Birthday Celebration & Fundraiser

Praise to the 21 Taras

Wednesday, December 4
6pm PT | 9pm ET | 1pm AEDT*

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 celebration in honor of our beloved Pema Khandro’s birthday.

*12/5 in Australia (AEDT)

21-Day Meditation Marathon

January 1-21 Online
8am PT | 11am ET | 4pm GMT

The New Year Meditation Marathon is led by a diverse faculty of Buddhist Studies Institute certified meditation instructors who facilitate Tibetan Zhine (Calm Abiding) meditation followed by a reading and contemplation of one of the Five Buddhist Precepts.

Surrounded by Buddhist Women

In October Khandro-la, sangha members, friends, and Dharma teacher Jampa Stewart traveled to the sacred land of Bhutan for a pilgrimage in the footsteps of Longchempa. A few years ago, Pema Khandro also travelled to another sacred land, Indonesia, for the Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women’s Conference where she presented on Women’s Leadership in Tibetan Buddhism’s History.

Volunteer Opportunities
with the Buddhist Studies Institute

Are you grateful for BSI and looking for ways to contribute? Support the Buddhist Studies Institute, an online school dedicated to preserving and promoting Tibetan Buddhist education, and become a volunteer!

We’re seeking people to help with:

• Fundraising

• Marketing

• Website support

Your skills can help expand our reach, deepen our impact, and support our mission of offering accessible teachings, fostering compassionate communities, and preserving ancient wisdom for future generations.

Be part of this joyful journey and use your talents to bring the light of Tibetan Buddhism and Pema Khandro’s teachings to a global audience. Together, we can make a difference!

Interested? Email info@buddhiststudiesinstitute.org

Winter Schedule of Events

ONGOING MONTHLY TRAINING
Vajrayana Training – 1st & 2nd Wednesday of each month
Ngakpa Training – 3rd Wednesday of each month

DECEMBER

21 Taras – Pema Khandro Birthday Fundraiser – December 4

JANUARY
21 Day Meditation Marathon – January 1-21

Ngondro Module 1: Field of Buddhas – January 27-April 8

FEBRUARY
Meditation Teacher Training – February 10-August 4
Love as a Path to Liberation – February 21-23

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