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The Nyingma Institure was founded by Tarthang Tulku, an accomplished Tibetan Lama who came to the United States in 1969 and since that time has devoted himself to establishing a firm foundation for Buddhism in the West. For more than thirty years, Western students have worked under his direction to preserve the Buddhist traditions of Asia and to bring the benefits of these teachings into our society.
Today more than ever, we need this knowledge. Dissatisfaction, distraction, and despair seem pervasive and even our best minds hold out little hope for real change. Modern education has not taught us how the mind shapes our experience, how emotions can be understood and transformed, or how to awaken the natural joy, compassion, and wisdom that lie within our hearts.
"We need to look closely at what we are doing
and ask whether our actions are likely to bring us
the satisfaction we seek.
Are our attitudes and personal philosophies
in harmony with what we really want?
Questioning and being aware:
these are the most precious teachers."
---Tarthang Tulku, Founder, Nyingma InstituteStudents from around the world include professionals in every field, people from all walks of life, and of all ages. No religious commitment is required to participate at Nyingma Institute. Introductory and advanced programs are available in the five fields of study.
Contact information:
Nyingma Institute:
1815 Highland Place, Berkeley CA 94709
phone 510 843-6812
e-mail: Nyingma-Institute@nyingma.org
If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please access the above email link and include your contact information.DIRECTIONS
By Car:
From Highway 80 (which runs along the east side of San Francisco Bay)
Take the University Exit, travel approx 2 miles along University Ave
Turn left on Oxford (the street after Shattuck)
Turn Right on Hearst, go up Hearst about 6-7 blocks past two traffic lights
Turn Left on Highland Place (a one block street).
The Institute is in the middle of the block on the right hand side.
Public transportation:
BART (Bay Area Rapid system): get off at the main Berkeley Bart station (downtown). From BART, one can then take the CAL Shuttle or 65 line (see information below).
AC Transit, 65 line from Shattuck going north toward the campus (every half hour). Get it in front of ÒGames of BerkeleyÓ at Center. Note that one must still walk three blocks uphill from the bus stop at Hearst and Euclid. The fare is $1.50 one way. On weekends the bus runs only once an hour.
Eight Areas of Study
Since 1972 the Nyingma Institute has offered programs in eight complementary areas. This curriculum bridges the gap between traditional Buddhist and Western educational systems.
Courses in Buddhist studies focus on exploring the depth of the textual tradition and on applying these teachings to daily life.
"The way to enlightenment can be traveled with a fraction of the effort required to survive endless suffering in samsara." ---Shantideva
The teachings of the Buddha and the enlightened masters who have continued this tradition offer a rich and penetrating view of the human condition and the path to liberation. These teachings, which have benefited humanity for over two milennia, are vitally important in our modern world driven by material values, self-interest, and ignorance of the subtle interconnections of mind, nature, and cosmos.
The Institute focuses on the study of Abhidharma, Sutras, and Shastras, and explications and practices related to the Mahayana path. Balancing study with practice, several courses are based on Ways of Enlightenment - Buddhist Studies at the Nyingma Institute.
Through analysis and meditation, we precisely determine our mental and emotional states. With this knowledge, we are able to apply antidotes that transform negative states. We discover how to act in ways that are genuinely positive.
Introspective practices promote inner calm and clarity. Silent sitting, walking meditation, and mantra practice are some of the rich meditative practices offered.
A vital means on the path to peace, clarity, and fulfillment, meditation offers us freedom from distraction and confusion and growing understanding of how mind and body operate. As experiential knowledge develops, emotions and limiting views no longer control us and mind opens to a deep source of insight, compassion, and creativity.
This teaching developed by Tarthang Tulku uncovers and releases the underlying patterns and responses that give rise to dissatisfaction. A new model for human education emerges.
The TSK vision offers a creative approach to the basic elements of our existence: time, space, and knowledge. Skillfully shining the light of knowledge on ordinary experience reveals in each moment a more liberating perspective on self and world.
Space and time are so fundamental to our lives that we seldom recognize them for what they are. Yet when we feel tight or dark, space is lacking; when time narrows, we feel hurried and unfocused; with little knowledge, we feel stuck and insecure. The Time, Space, and Knowledge vision opens old assumptions through penetrating inquiry and direct experience, enabling higher knowledge to emerge. First presented by Tarthang Tulku in 1978, the TSK vision and practices provide an independent way to know ourselves and the world.
This unique, natural healing system is based on Tibetan medicine and the body-mind disciplines of Buddhism. Tarthang Tulku designed these gentle movement exercises, breathing practices, and visualizations to increase physical and mental well-being.
Based on Tibetan medicine and Buddhist meditation, Kum Nye exercises can relieve tension, penetrate negative patterns, and help students prepare for meditation. Through movement, breathing, and self-massage exercises, body and mind relax and come into harmony. A natural healing occurs, restoring inner balance. Kum Nye as a systematic discipline is offered in America exclusively at the Nyingma Institute.
Taught at the Nyingma Institute since 1974, Skillful Means promotes a way of working that inspires creative accomplishment and heightens fulfillment at work.
Few of us find real satisfaction in our work today, and few of us feel the motivation or courage to engage heart and mind fully in our work. However, work offers an excellent ground for growth and spiritual development. Here our obstacles and negative patterns manifest quickly, giving us the rare opportunity to examine and change them. In making this effort, we discover new flexibility, cooperation, and energy that bring into being greater accomplishment and joy. Courses are based on Skillful Means and Mastering Successful Work, both by Tarthang Tulku (available from Dharma Publishing).
Teachings in Action Program: A one- or two-year program for students who have taken Skillful Means courses offers evening classes, full-time practical training at one of the Nyingma organizations, and retreats focused on teachings presented in the book Skillful Means and Mastering Successful Work.
International Skillful Means seminars for organizations and businesses are now being planned. Contact Nyingma Institute if your company is interested.
Knowledge of classical written Tibetan opens up a vast treasury of wisdom, the largely untranslated literature of Tibet.
Created in the seventh and eighth centuries as a vehicle for translating Buddhist texts, the Tibetan written language is itself a sacred form. Its study rewards us with a deeper connection to the teachings and a clearer comprehension of the inner meaning of the Dharma. Basic knowledge of the Tibetan script and Dharma vocabulary helps us bring Buddhism from the realm of the exotic to the realm of daily life. Reading knowledge of Tibetan is the key to a treasure-house of wisdom, unlocking the vast literature that is still largely untranslated today. Both these levels of study are encouraged at Nyingma Institute. Advanced students are able to assist the Yeshe De Project and Dharma Publishing.
Our founder, Tarthang Tulku, continues to direct activities at the Nyingma Institute and authorizes Buddhist Studies teachers, each of whom has extensive
personal experience in applying Buddhist teachings in their lives.
Buddhist Studies Faculty:
Sylvia Gretchen:
co-dean of the Nyingma Institute.
A research editor with Dharma PublishingÕs text preservation project and member of the Yeshe De translation team, she has taught at the Institute since 1974.
Barr Rosenberg, Ph.D.:
co-dean of the Nyingma InstituteMember of the Yeshe De translation team and a successful entrepreneur, has taught at the Nyingma Institute since 1982.
received formal training in Buddhist studies and practice from Nyingma teachers in Nepal and informal training from her father, Tarthang Tulku. Now a member of the Nyingma Institute staff, Pema has worked for Dharma Publishing and the Tibetan Aid Project.Lama Palzang
is a Nyingma Lama born in Tibet who received a thorough formal education in Tibet and Nepal. Lama Palzang has worked on Dharma projects in both Asia and the United States.
is a Tibetan Lama who was educated in the Tibetan tradition in Nepal under the supervision of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche.
(not pictured)
Abbe Blum, Ph.D.,
publicity and program director,
has studied Nyingma teachings intensively for the past eighteen years.Bob Byrne, M.S.,
has studied the Nyingma teachings with Tarthang Tulku since 1969.
The opportunity to work, practice, and study in the Nyingma community is open to those willing to participate full-time for a minimum of six months. The work schedule is rigorous: six days per week, eight to ten hours per day working on Tibetan text or art preservation, or with the Tibetan Aid Project or Dharma Publishing. The practice and study schedule is demanding: classes each evening focus on a field of study of the student's choice. The resulting growth in self-understanding is rewarding beyond all measure
Dharma Books for World Peace:
The Nyingma Institute and her sister organizations Dharma Publishing and the Tibetan Aid Project are helping to prepare 200,000 Tibetan texts, containing the ancient wisdom teachings of the Buddha for free distribution to monks and nuns who will be praying for world peace at a ten-day ceremony held at the site of the Buddha's enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, India this January. Join us in this work at the Nyingma Institute or at Dharma House on San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley. You will be trained in how to make traditional Tibetan books. Volunteers may qualify for scholarships at the Nyingma Institute. Call the Nyingma Institute for more details.
Volunteer Work Opportunities page
Year-Long Buddhist Studies Program page
Outside links:
Tibetan Aid Project Website
Dharma Publishing Website
As part of our commitment to provide services to the community, the Institute also offers continuing education programs for therapists, social workers, nurses, and attorneys. These programs tailor techniques from Nyingma Psychology, Kum Nye, and Skillful Means to the special situations that professionals face in their work.Nyingma Institute is certified to provide Continuing Education workshops for lawyers, nurses, and therapists. Programs are held at the Institute and at other locations in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Continuing Legal Education Program
MFT & LCSW certified workshops behavioral science
Upcoming Classes
Upcoming Workshops
Retreats
Sunday Programs
Special Events
Tour of the Institute
Orientation/Fields of Study
Newsletter
Homepage
Human Development Retreat
Certificate Programs
Nyingma Studies Program
Continuing Legal Education Program
- MCLEP certified workshops for lawyers
MFT & LCSW Workshops
-CEU credits for health care workersHow You Can Help
Sacred Art Projects
Volunteer Work Opportunities
Outside Links:
Nyingma Centers Resident Volunteer Prog.
Dharma Publishing
Tibetan Aid Project
Odiyan Country Center
Ratna Ling Retreat Center
© 2007 Nyingma Centers
