Buddha Nature
Longchenpa’s Treasury of Words & Meanings
PLACEHOLDER TEXT – NEEDS EDITING
Join us for a transformative weekend with scholars-and-practitioners of the highest calibre. In this immersive course, we dive into the luminous heart of the Dzogchen tradition through the lens of the great fourteenth-century master Longchenpa. His seminal work, the Tshig-dön mDzöd (The “Treasury of Words and Meaning”), offers a profound mapping of the mind’s nature, the ground of reality, and the path of awakening.
Guided by David F. Germano — distinguished Tibetologist whose scholarship illuminates Longchenpa’s philosophical architecture. And by Tulku Pema Khandro, Ph.D.— a recognized lineage holder in the Nyingma-Kagyu streams, bridging deep contemplative practice with academic clarity.
Together, they will lead you to engage Longchenpa’s text not only as a philosophical treatise but as an experiential gateway: to awaken to Buddha-Nature (Tib. Tathāgatagarbha) in the living moment, to abide in the natural state of awareness, and to carry this realization into daily life.
February 6-8, 2026
About the Teachers
David Germano, Ph.D.
David Germano is Professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia, where he also serves as Director of the Tibet Center and co-director of the Contemplative Sciences Center. A leading scholar of Dzogchen and the Nyingma tradition, his work bridges rigorous textual study and lived contemplative practice. He founded the Tibetan and Himalayan Library, an international digital platform for collaborative research and preservation, and has written extensively on Longchenpa, visionary literature, and the evolution of Buddhist contemplative systems.
Lama Pema Khandro, PhD
Dr. Pema Khandro is an internationally renowned teacher and scholar of Buddhist philosophy. She is the founder of Ngakpa International and its three projects, The Buddhist Studies Institute, Dakini Mountain and the Yogic Medicine Institute. In her work as a Buddhist teacher she is an authorized Lama and lineage holder of the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions and was enthroned to carry on the lineage of her predecessor, the first Pema Khandro, an early twentieth century yogini from Eastern Tibet. She has led a vibrant world-wide community since 1999. Through the Buddhist Studies Institute, she also offers a complete curriculum of training in Tibetan meditation and Buddhist Philosophy. She has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, a Master’s degree specializing in Tibetan studies, and a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from the University of Virginia. Her scholarly research focuses on the history of Dzogchen Nyingthig and on Women in Tibetan Buddhism.
Prerequisites
This program is open to the public, all are welcoming, but ngondro is traditional pre-requisite for Dzogchen practice and is thus recommended for continuing on with the practice after the retreat.
Tuition
Early Enrollment Tuition by Feb 1, 2026 – $199
General Tuition after Feb 1, 2026 – $277
Financial Aid Considerations All course costs are set at a minimum fee already, with financial aid built into all tuition rates. Because we are a non-profit organization, the costs of all activities and overhead of our organization must be covered by the participants of the courses or donations and all courses are offered at below cost. For those who are experiencing genuine financial hardship and wish to enroll in the course, Scholarship applications are available. Applications must be received in advance. Programs are always free for monastics.
Financial Aid Application: https://forms.gle/xwYaTamt2autMLKa9
Monastic Scholarship Application: https://forms.gle/yudBajX8wXXXsB2FA
