Letter from the New Deans
Dear Community and Friends,
Last July, when my father, Tarthang Rinpoche, requested that we become the new deans of the Nyingma Institute, it came as a great honor and surprise. It also made us pause and look with very full hearts to the previous deans, Sylvia Gretchen and Barr Rosenberg. For eighteen years, Sylvia carried out her role as Dean and lead teacher at the Institute with unfaltering love and devotion; in the process, she was able to share the healing wisdom of the Dharma with thousands of students. Barr, too, tirelessly supported the Institute as Dean and as a creative and invigorating teacher, with a profound dedication to the vastness of Rinpoche’s vision.
For quite some time, unfortunately, Sylvia has been facing mounting challenges to her health, and, with the deepest gratitude for her extraordinary contribution to the Nyingma Institute all these years, Rinpoche saw that a new deanship was the compassionate decision for all. It is our hope that we can honor the efforts of our predecessors and continue to learn from their noble and selfless example.
As my husband Lama Palzang and I have stepped into our new roles, we are grateful for this opportunity to offer our energy, knowledge, experience, and deep commitment to the Nyingma lineage. Since I was a child I have witnessed the Nyingma Institute, the first Tibetan Nyingma center in America, take root and flourish and give rise to a remarkably dedicated community. Though Rinpoche went on to engage in other monumental Dharma activities, the Nyingma Institute has always remained central to his mandala of organizations, and the portal through which many of his long-term students have come.
Eastern Tibet
Lama Palzang, like Rinpoche, comes from Tibet, where Dharma is as important as air: it lives in the very breath of people’s souls. Tibet and America couldn’t be more different, and yet here we are now, well past the first flush of this extraordinary encounter. And we have learned so much from one another.
On the surface it might seem as if there is a great chasm of space, time and knowledge between our cultures. Tibet has had an unbroken lineage of realization since the 8th century, when Padmasambhava arrived like a thunderbolt of realization in Tibet, and together with King Trisong Detsen and the Abbot Shantarakshita, laid the field for fruitful transmission. Yet I have found that many Westerners find themselves drawn to the Nyingma tradition that springs from these roots, as if Padmasambhava were answering an important question for them, a question they could not quite put into words.
Perhaps Westerners have such an affinity for that period of early transmission in Tibet, because, we too, find ourselves now in a similar moment of tremendous hope and uncertainty, a moment of knowledge transmission as urgent as it is profound.
Over the last 45 years at the Institute, more than a hundred thousand students have passed through these doors. Since that time, America has undergone great cultural shifts. The first generation of Dharma practitioners in America has already passed; thanks to the efforts of those early pioneers, Buddhism is much more mainstream now, with magazines on all kinds of Dharma topics available at the check-out of every Whole Foods store across the country. But in truth the perspective offered by the Dharma is still a very new one for Westerners, and its future here is still fragile.
Nyingma Institute, Berkeley, California
Since he first began to offer classes here in America, Rinpoche has understood the importance of presenting teachings in ways that transmit the heart essence of the enlightened lineage of his masters. This must take place even as other vital parts of the Nyingma Dharma-vehicle—including the support of traditional forms and practices, and the emergence of a new translation tradition—are still being developed. Both the traditional vehicle and the vehicle that seeks to communicate the essence of the lineage are necessary and precious; both require skillful means.
It is for this reason that the Nyingma Institute offers two approaches: a path that emphasizes Dharma Studies and practices with a Nyingma orientation; and a more secular, humanistic path that offers the wisdom, beauty and practices of Buddhism but does not require belief in a special doctrine. Both paths are reliable, versatile and accessible: trustworthy ways that the ordinary person can benefit from the riches of teachings that Rinpoche has shared with the West.
How do we honor the Awakened Ones with the precious gift of Dharma that we have received? How does Dharma ennoble our life beyond giving us a set of methods that ease our personal suffering? We want to help nurture a community that addresses these deeper questions—a community that studies, contemplates, and meditates upon the teachings of the Buddha and the Nyingma lineage and at the same time, endeavors to benefit others in the most effective way, by working to support the longevity of the Dharma on this planet.
From our standpoint, especially at this moment in history, the purpose of studying Dharma is not just to gain peace for ourselves, but to find a dynamic point of balance between individual practice and active engagement in service of humanity, so that all we learn can become a force that brings more and more goodness into the world.
The Buddha’s footprints, Bodhgaya, India
Here at the Nyingma Institute, we will continue to try to follow Rinpoche’s distinctive approach, to look with unflinching honesty and tenderness at our own experience, so that we might discover the radiant truth of the Buddha’s teachings in the story of our own lives.
Lama Palzang and I, along with our dedicated faculty, would like to share the teachings in ways that speak to and benefit the whole person at all stages of life. As a community composed of individuals and families, we aspire to create a place of contemplative refuge, a spiritual home where all can learn to nurture and align the heart, mind, and body and deeply open the senses and discover a sense of the sacred, and enter a traditional path if they wish.
Lama Palzang’s teaching will draw upon his own extensive training in Tibetan Buddhist mantra and authentic retreat practices, as well as crucial fundamental practices like Ngondro. These preliminary practices are common to all the Tibetan schools, and it is an honor and a privilege to make them available to our students here in the West.
For those who aren’t inclined to the ritual or cultural aspects of Tibetan Buddhism, we will, of course, continue to offer teachings such as Kum Nye Yoga, Nyingma Meditation and Psychology and Skillful Means—healing and inspiring paths that help restore well-being, arouse energies of love and compassion, expand inner freedom, and awaken the potential in all of us to live meaningful lives based not on ego, but on kindness and respect for all beings.
Over the years, many who studied with Rinpoche have gone on to become influential pioneers in their fields, whether in physics, psychology, philosophy, religion, or meditation. We are very interested in reconnecting with our old students, and working together to bring new and diverse perspectives to the Nyingma Institute. Exploring the arc of the knowledge they gained here, we could create new programs, seminars and talks together that are relevant to the needs of our time.
Water lily in the Insitute’s Meditation Garden
We have many questions to explore together. How can we expand and refine the fields of the senses to take in the exquisite beauty of this world? What are the entry points for going beyond language, identity, and karmic patterning, to journey into our innermost being? Can we learn to dwell in the heart of space, freed of the structures of the self and of ordinary, chronological time? If we can become the carriers of realization, with what wisdom shall we answer the cries of suffering beings and the earth itself?
With all our hearts, we thank you for supporting the Nyingma Institute all these years. As your spiritual friends, we hope that you will approach us with your needs and concerns so that we can carry out our purpose of serving you and supporting your practice. It takes all of us, deeply seeking beings, showing up with our full humanity to make a vibrant and luminous community together.
Love,
Pema Gellek and Lama Palzang
Deans, Nyingma Institute
Help Us Create a Sacred Space
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Two-Year Nyingma Studies Program
Two-Year Nyingma Studies Program
This program is designed to allow students to sample teachings from all areas of Nyingma studies, coming to a more comprehensive and deeper knowledge of the Nyingma tradition. Working closely with an advisor, students select courses from any of the following, with a focus on intermediate and advanced offerings: Nyingma Meditation, Kum Nye (Tibetan Yoga), Nyingma Psychology, Time, Space, and Knowledge, Skillful Means, Nyingma Practices, Tibetan Language, and Dharma Studies. Some students may choose to concentrate on a single area, such as Nyingma Meditation or Tibetan Language; others may choose studies in several different areas. Components of the Two-year Nyingma Studies Program include classes, workshops, and retreats. All are electives.
Course Length
Minimum 2 years (104 weeks); maximum 4 years (208 weeks), minimum of 256 Contact Hours.
Course Schedule
All classes, workshops and retreats are elective. Elective classes are offered in the evenings from 7:00—8:30 PM or in the daytime from 10—11:30 AM or 1—2:30 PM. Most elective workshops are held on Saturdays from 10:00 AM—4:45 PM. Elective retreats are offered throughout the year. Retreats typically begin on Mondays at 10:00 AM and end on Saturdays at 4:45 PM.
Course Objective
Depending on course selections, upon completion of the Two-Year Nyingma Studies Program, students will have a foundational understanding of the basic areas of Nyingma studies.
Program Requirements
Classes, workshops, and retreats totaling 256 contact hours. All are electives. Course selections is made in conjunction with a Student Advisor. In some cases, prerequisites must be satisfied. See course descriptions for prerequisites.
Elective Classes*
- NPR102 Tibetan Chanting and Sacred Art (15 hours)
- NPR107 Tibetan Teachings on Death and Dying (7.5 hours)
- NPR108 Special Topics in Nyingma Practices (15 hours)
- NPR109 Healing through Mantra (6 hours)
- MED201 Intermediate Meditation: Sustaining Meditation (15 hours)
- MED202 Intermediate Meditation (15 hours)
- MED203 Intermediate Meditation: Meditations to Open the Heart (15 hours)
- MED204 Intermediate Meditation (15 hours)
- MED205 Intermediate Meditation (6 hours)
- MED206 Experiencing Openness (15 hours)
- MED207 The Deepening Stream (15 hours)
- MED208 Reality and Illusion (15 hours)
- MED209 Shamatha and Vipashyana – 15 Hours
- MED210 Intermediate Meditation: Attaining Inner Confidence (6 hours)
- MED211 Shamatha and Vipashyana – 6 Hours
- MED301 Advanced Meditation (15 hours)
- MED302 Advanced Meditation (15 hours)
- MED303 Advanced Meditation (15 hours)
- MED304 Advanced Meditation (15 hours)
- MED305 Advanced Meditation (6 hours)
- KNR201 Inner and Outer Massage of Feeling (15 hours)
- KNR202 Integrating Body and Mind (15 hours)
- KNR203 Stimulating Inner Energy (15 hours)
- KNR204 Kum Nye: Opening the Energy Centers (6 hours)
- KNR205 Balancing and Integrating Body and Mind (15 hours)
- KNR301 Advanced Kum Nye (15 hours)
- KNR302 Advanced Kum Nye (15 hours)
- KNR303 Advanced Kum Nye (15 hours)
- KNR304 Advanced Kum Nye: Generating Happiness from Within (6 hours)
- KNR305 Advanced Kum Nye (15 hours)
- KOF101 Knowledge that Heals (15 hours)
- KOF102 Awakening Knowledge (15 hours)
- KOF103 Penetrating the Dynamic of Pain (15 hours)
- KOF104 Engaging Knowledge that Heals (6 hours)
- NPS101 Healing Mind (30 hours) (counts as two 15-hour classes)
- NPS106 Nyingma Gateway: Love of Knowledge (15 hours)
- NPS108 Finding Wholeness and Wellness on the Spiritual Path in the Modern World (15 Hours)
- NPS201 Path of Self-Mastery (15 hours)
- NPS202 Inner Mandala (15 hours)
- SKM101 Mastering Successful Work (15 hours)
- SKM102 Achieving All Goals (15 hours)
- SKM103 Skillful Means (15 hours)
- SKM104 Challenging Negativity in the Workplace (15 Hours)
- SKM211 Inward Exploration (15 hours)
- SKM212 Exploring Mind’s Frameworks (15 hours)
- SKM213 Pioneering Inwardly (15 hours)
- SKM214 Skillful Means: Working Well (15 hours)
- SKM401 Challenging Negativity in the Workplace (5 Hours)
- SKM402 Communicating Well (5 Hours)
- SKM403 Tools for Troubled Times (5 Hours)
- SKM404 Topics in Skillful Means—5 Hours
- TSK101 Experiencing the Dynamic of Time (15 Hours)
- TSK102 The Translucent Person (15 Hours)
- TSK103 Inviting Knowledge (15 Hours)
- TSK104 TSK Right from the Start! (15 Hours)
- TSK108 Time, Space, and Knowledge: Perspectives and Practices (15 hours)
- DHS101 Words of the Buddha (15 hours)
- DHS102 Tibetan Sacred Texts (15 hours)
- DHS103 Yogins of Tibet (15 hours)
- DHS104 Opening to the Dharma: A Precious Life (15 hours)
- DHS105 Opening to the Dharma: Depths of Experience (15 hours)
- DHS106 Opening to the Dharma: The Great Vision of the Mahayana (15 hours)
- DHS107 Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha (15 hours)
- DHS108 Faith, Doubt, and Inquiry (7.5 hours)
- DHS109 Three Foundations for Liberation (7.5 hours)
- DHS110 Mindfulness: Exploring Tibetan Practice (15 hours)
- DHS111 Opening to the Dharma: Birth of Enlightenment (15 hours)
- DHS112 Special Topics in Buddhist Studies (6 hours)
- DHS204 Four Foundations of Mindfulness (6 hours)
- DHS211 Buddhist Studies Tutorial (15 hours)
- DHS212 Special Topics in Intermediate and Advanced Dharma Studies (15 hours)
- TIB101 Beginning Tibetan (Level I) (15 hours)
- TIB102 Beginning Tibetan (Level II) (15 hours)
- TIB103 Beginning Tibetan (Level III) (15 hours)
- TIB104 Beginning Tibetan (Level IV) (15 hours)
- TIB105 Beginning Tibetan (Level V) (6 hours)
- TIB201 Intermediate Tibetan (Level I) (15 hours)
- TIB202 Intermediate Tibetan (Level II) (15 hours)
- TIB203 Intermediate Tibetan (Level III) (15 hours)
- TIB204 Intermediate Tibetan (Level IV) (15 hours)
- TIB205 Intermediate Tibetan (Level V) (6 hours)
- TIB301 Tibetan Tutorial (15 hours)
- TIB302 Tibetan Tutorial (6 hours)
Elective Workshops*
- NPR403 Devotional Practices (5 hours)
- NPR405 Preparation for the Time of Death: The Bardo is Now! (7 hours)
- NPR406 Medicine Buddha Practice (7 hours)
- NPR407 Tibetan Sacred Art Workshop (7 hours)
- NPR408 Special Topics in Nyingma Practices (5 hours)
- NPR409 Transitions as Teachers (5 hours)
- NPR410 Dream Yoga and Authentic Communication (7 hours)
- MED404 Visualization to Clear the Mind (5 hours)
- MED405 Wheel of Analytic Meditation (5 hours)
- MED408 Joy of Being (5 hours)
- MED409 Silent Mind, Peaceful Mind (5 hours)
- MED410 Translucent Person: Radiant World (5 hours)
- MED411 Inner Bliss (5 hours)
- MED412 Healing through Breath (5 hours)
- MED413 Filled with Devotion (5 hours)
- MED414 Contemplating Awakened Heart (7 hours)
- MED415 Cutting off Negative Thoughts (5 hours)
- MED416 Special Topics in Advanced Meditation (5 hours)
- MED417 Transforming Adversity (5 hours)
- MED420 Developing Mindfulness through Chanting and Visualization (5 hours)
- KNR407 Tibetan Yoga for Sustaining Inner Balance (5 hours)
- KNR408 Mindfulness through Tibetan Yoga (5 hours)
- KNR409 Opening Energy Centers (5 hours)
- KNR410 Energizing Body and Mind (5 hours)
- KNR411 Revitalizing Inner Energy (5 hours)
- KNR413 Embodiment of Beauty (5 hours)
- KNR416 Special Topics in Tibetan Yoga (5 hours)
- KNR421 Opening to the Power of the Natural World (7 hours)
- KNR422 Healing Inner Space (15 hours)
- KNR423 Surrendering to Calmness (15 hours)
- NPS404 Topics in Transforming Emotions (5 hours)
- NPS405 The Self-Image (5 hours)
- NPS409 Attaining Inner Confidence (5 hours)
- NPS411 Loving Yourself, Loving Others (5 hours)
- NPS412 Emotions, Intelligence, and the Mind (5 hours)
- NPS415 Essential Practices for Well-Being (7-15Hours)
- DHS406 Cultivating Unlimited Love (5 hours)
- DHS407 Making Mind the Matter (7 hours)
- DHS409 The Six Transcending Perfections (5 hours)
- DHS410 Developing Bodhicitta (5 hours)
- DHS411 Buddhist Studies Tutorial Workshop (5 hours)
- DHS413 The Perfections of Patience and Strength (7 hours)
- SKM402 Communicating Well (5 Hours)
- TSK401 Healing Pain (7 hours)
- TSK402 Names and Namelessness (7 hours)
- TSK403 Creativity and Consciousness (5 hours)
- TSK404 A Return to Light (5 hours)
- TSK405 Conducting Perfect Knowledge through Time (7 hours)
- TSK406 Waking to Space; Opening to Freedom (5 hours)
- TSK407 Freedom for Knowledge (5 hours)
Elective Nonresidential Retreats:*
- KNR501 Tasting Relaxation (29 hours)
- KNR502 Integrating Body and Mind through Tibetan Yoga (29 hours)
- KNR503 Kum Nye: Touching Present Energy (29 hours)
- KNR504 Opening the Senses (29 hours)
- KNR505 Tibetan Yoga for Healing and Energy (29 hours)
- KNR506 Special Topics in Intermediate and Advanced Kum Nye (29 hours)
- KNR414 Generating Happiness from Within (15 hours)
- MED501 Silent Retreat (29 hours)
- MED503 Developing Clarity (29 hours)
- MED504 Special Topics in Advanced Meditation (29 hours)
- MED506 Reflection and Insight (29 hours)
- NPR501 Preparation for the Time of Death (29 hours)
- NPR502 Inner Resources for Difficult Times (15 hours)
- NPR503 Enlightenment Retreat (29 hours)
- NPR402 Cultivating Compassionate Love (14 hours)
- NPR406 Medicine Buddha Practice (7 hours)
- NPS504 Touching Wonder and Facing Fear (29 hours)
- NPS505 Reclaiming the Heart (29 hours)
- NPS506 Self-Image: Observing, Recognizing, Releasing (29 hours)
- NPS507 Luminous Mind (29 hours)
- SKM501 Skillful Means: Communication and Connection (29 Hours)
- TSK501 Visionary Journey into Inner Space and Time (29 hours)
- TSK502 Translucent Body; Radiant World (29 hours)
- DHS412 Dharma Studies Workshop/Retreat (13 hours)
- DHS501-540 (Path of Liberation retreat weeks) (30 hours)
*In individual cases, to further the educational goals of the student, classes, workshops, or retreats may be substituted for those on these lists with the consent of the Program Director or the Chief Academic Officer.
Path of Liberation Program
Path of Liberation Program
The Path of Liberation Program is a training in Buddhist study and practice that is structured by the teachings of kaya, vacca, citta, guna and karma. Students will be introduced to the basic cognitive and experiential teachings of the Buddha. Texts will be drawn primarily from the Mahayana tradition. Components of the Path of Liberation Program include eleven required classes in Dharma Studies, fifteen workshops in Dharma Studies, Nyingma Practices, or Meditation, and one week-long Dharma Studies retreat. Upon completion of the Path of Liberation Program, students will have a basic understanding of fundamental Buddhist teachings, such as the Four Noble Truths, the Eight-fold Noble Path, Karma and Klesha, Interdependent Co-operation, and the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. They will be familiar with Buddhist history and important works of literature. They will further understand the living spirit of Buddhist teaching and practice.
Objective: Upon completion, students will have a basic understanding of fundamental Buddhist teachings such as the Four Noble Truths, the Eight-fold Noble Path, Karma and Klesha, Interdependent Co-operation, and the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. They will be familiar with Buddhist history and important works of literature. They will further understand the living spirit of Buddhist teaching and practice.
Length: Minimum 2 years; maximum 4 years. The 2019 Path of Liberation Program began in March 2019. Enrollment for the program may still be possible. Please contact us at (510) 809-1000 or email us if you are interested.
Program components: 10 classes, 15 workshops, 1 retreat.
10 required classes (unless written permission is given by both the program director and chief academic officer, these classes must be taken in sequential order):
DHS201 An Awakened Vision of Being
This course is a journey into the Buddha’s vision of what embodiment means. Students will study the teachings of the Buddhist Abhidharma, be introduced to the life-story of the Buddha and the symbolism of the form of the Buddha as presented in traditional art and sculpture, and recognize the stages on the Buddhist path.
DHS202 Transmitting Insight; Penetrating Illusion
At every moment we receive messages transmitted from our body, from our mind, and from the world around us. These messages form the basis of all that we know and do. The Dharma teaches us to ‘watch the watcher,’ to bring our attention to how the senses operate and how knowledge of ourselves and the world develops. This course focuses on how information from the body, mind, and world is transmitted and received. The Abhidharma and Lojong (Mind Training) teachings form the textual basis of the course. Prerequisite: DHS201 or equivalent.
DHS203 Who Owns Mind?
We sensitively explore consciousness, looking for the source of thoughts, feelings, impulses, and actions. We search for an independent ‘self’ who controls and owns the mind and experience. Following an ancient analysis from the time of the Buddha, we glimpse how mind, free of the confines of ‘self’, might function. Our primary practices are mindfulness in all things and the four immeasureable states (love, compassion, joy, and equanimity). Prerequisite: DHS202 or equivalent.
DHS204 Four Foundations of Mindfulness
The Buddha taught that mindfulness—the steady and sustained contemplation of the body, feelings, mind, and phenomena—leads to wisdom. Training in these “Four Foundations of Mindfulness” leads to an unshakably present state of mind and is the foundation for further study and practice. Prerequisite: DHS203 or equivalent.
DHS205 Compassion in Action
What does it mean to live a life dedicated to compassion and wisdom? We look to the ways of life that the Buddha established and read biographies of great masters, men and women from India and Tibet. We also continue to cultivate our own inner capabilities for compassionate wisdom and deepen our knowledge of cause and effect. Taking steps in the direction of the path, our entire orientation begins to shift from being centered on our own benefit to being centered on the benefit of others. In this quarter we deepen understanding of interdependent coproduction (Pratitya samutpada), study the lives of great masters of the Indian and Tibetan tradition, and reflect on how the Buddhist vision could manifest in the Western world. Prerequisite: DHS204 or equivalent.
DHS206 The Resolve for Ultimate Goodness
All living beings have the nature of a Buddha, yet this nature is obscured by veils of obscurations. We live in ignorance of this great treasure, like a poor, blind man, unaware that a jewel of infinite value lies buried under his hearth. Traditional teachings and practices can help us develop confidence in our ability to discover the Buddha nature within. We will study teachings on Bodhicitta (the ‘seed of enlightenment’) and continue to work on mind training practices that overcome the destructive forces of anger, attachment, and ignorance in our lives. Prerequisite: DHS205 or equivalent.
DHS207 Gateway to Knowledge
We deepen our search for awakened mind through an in-depth study of topics from Gateway to Knowledge (Tib. mKhas-’jug and its commentary) by the great Tibetan teacher Lama Mipham. With penetrating analysis, we look again at inner and outer phenomena and the sense fields. We explore teachings on ‘what is possible and what is impossible’ along with teachings on time and the arising of the system of suffering. Prerequisite: DHS206 or equivalent.
DHS208 Deluded Mind/Awakened Mind
All the teachings of the Dharma are informed by knowledge of the inner workings of consciousness. As the mind is further cultivated, what seemed confused or difficult becomes magically workable. ‘Deluded mind’ is no longer an obstacle: all that arises can be brought onto the path of liberation. Prerequisite: DHS207 or equivalent.
DHS209 Majestic Aspirations
We study the Pranidhana Raja, a text beloved in the Mahayana tradition that expresses the Bodhisattva’s vows and commitments in poetic form. Prerequisite: DHS208 or equivalent.
DHS210 The World as Sacred Space
Powerful Buddhist symbols point toward a comprehensive vision in which the universe itself arises as a mandala—a sacred space in which the journey to awakening is assured. We explore this vision, studying how every aspect experience can be transformed. We also look at the sacred symbols that have been created by the Nyingma organizations and how the mandala structures its operations. Prerequisite: DHS209 or equivalent.
15 required workshops. Most workshops are held Friday evening (7-9 PM) through Saturday (10 AM-4:45 PM); some are Saturday only:
DHS401: Visions of Enlightenment
The form of the Buddha reflects the reality that all who live can cultivate the same wisdom and compassion. In this workshop, students study the ways that a Buddha is embodied: the Dharmakaya, the Sambhogakaya, and the Nirmanakaya; look at the process of achieving this perfect embodiment through studying the Jatakas (birth stories of the Buddha); and contemplate the form of the Buddha as it is represented in Tibetan art and sculpture. The workshop also includes a meditation evoking the presence of the Buddha written by the 19th century Nyingma Master, Lama Mipham. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS201 or consent of the Instructors.
DHS402 Faith in Dharma
The awakening of faith in the Dharma means that we have surrendered our heart to truth. This workshop outlines the steps to such faith. Students will learn to distinguish belief from faith and skepticism from inquiry. Class discussion and practice will focus on how to build inner confidence in our own abilities as we seek guidance from those who are wiser. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS201 or consent of the Instructors.
DHS403 Turning the Mind to the Dharma
Students will study the “four thoughts” that turn the mind to the Dharma: Contemplating Freedom and Good Fortune, Impermanence, Suffering, and Karma. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS202 or consent of the Instructors.
DHS404 Training for Freedom
Classic Buddhist education uses three trainings—shila (ethics), samadhi (meditation), and prajna (wisdom)—to develop wholesome knowledge and power. This workshop will introduce you to these traditional tools for clearing away the network of confusion and karmic patterns. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS202 or consent of the Instructors.
DHS405 Question of Identity: Ten Kinds of Self
Who creates, controls, enjoys, defiles, or purifies experience? Am ‘I’ substantial, or have ‘I’ as Tarthang Tulku writes, “entered into an illusory partnership with an entity that has no existence of its own”? Experiential exercises will shed light on these questions, while lecture will examine the ten kinds of self as described by the Bodhisattva Maitreya and the Nyingma master Lama Mipham. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS203 or consent of the Instructors.
DHS406 Cultivating Unlimited Love
Cultivating the “four immeasurable” states of mind—love, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—is a classic Buddhist practice that teaches us to transcend our ordinary way of being and our limited way of understanding love. We discover an inner serenity that fosters the realization of selflessness. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS203 or consent of the Instructors.
NPR402 Cultivating Compassionate Love
We can learn to love ourselves and others more deeply through actively cultivating compassionate love. This kind of love heals the painful divisions between living beings, allowing us to forgive others and to cleanse ourselves of ill will. The workshop introduces gentle visualization, mantra and meditation practices given by the enlightened Buddha. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS205 or consent of the Instructors.
DHS407 Making Mind the Matter
In order to make the Dharma relevant to our lives, we explore the activity of our mind. Working specifically with the ‘three trainings’ of shila, samadhi, and prajna, we gain insight into how samsara is being fabricated and by whom, and what patterns of ego, personality, and identity are being put in place. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS206 or consent of the Instructors.
MED413 Filled with Devotion
The final chapter of the sacred text known as the Uttaratantra, titled ‘Benefit’, describes how one ‘filled with devotion’ and with certainty in the Dharma creates immense merit in the world. This advanced meditation workshop invites faith based on insight. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS206 or consent of the Instructors.
DHS408 The Wheel of Life
The symbolic imagery of the Tibetan wheel of life demonstrates fundamental Buddhist teachings about the chain of causality and how conscious life evolves. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS207 or consent of the Instructors.
MED415 Cutting Off Negative Thoughts
Meditative action is the process of bringing even adverse conditions onto the path to enlightenment. The torment of negative thoughts dissolves as insight into the nature of mind and the action of karma arises. The heart’s natural capacity for love and compassion awakens. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS207 or consent of the Instructors.
DHS413 The Perfections of Patience and Strength
Based on the Bodhicaryavatara and its Tibetan commentaries, students will study the perfections of patience (ksanti) and strength (virya). Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS208 or consent of the Instructors.
DHS414 The Perfections of Meditation and Wisdom
Through study of chapters eight and nine of the Bodhicaryavatara and its Tibetan commentaries, students will learn the types of meditation and appropriate topics of meditation. Selected verses from the chapter on Wisdom will help illuminate the depth and complexity of its study. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS208 or consent of the Instructors.
DHS415 Path of Prayer to the Land of Bliss
We study texts and teachings about the Buddhafield of Sukhavati and about the Buddha Amithaba. Students will learn what a Buddhafield is. They will also hear examples of rituals that are used to connect human consciousness with Buddhafields. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS210 or consent of the Instructors.
DHS416 The Power of Buddhist Symbols
Even the colors and landscape elements in a Tibetan painting have symbolic meaning. This workshop introduces Buddhist symbols that are found worldwide, such as the Stupa, and other symbols found only in the Tibetan tradition. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS210 or consent of the Instructors.
One elective retreat chosen from the following:*
Note: the program cost includes a nonresidential retreat only; if you wish to attend the retreat residentially, there will be an additional fee for room and board.
*In individual cases, to further a student’s educational goals, an elective retreat may be substituted for those on this list with the consent of the Program Director or the Chief Academic Officer.
DHS501-505 Embodiment: An Awakened Vision.
These retreats are an experiential journey into the Buddha’s vision of what embodiment means. Students will use teachings and practices from Nyingma Psychology to integrate body and mind; will learn to release unnecessary tension and stress through Tibetan Yoga; will study the teachings of the Buddhist Abhidharma found in the mKhas-‘jug by the great teacher Lama Mipham; will learn about the symbolism of the form of the Buddha as presented in traditional art and sculpture; will learn to recognize the stages on the path and its view, result, and application; will deepen experiential knowledge of the mind through training in meditation.
DHS501 Awakening the Heart
DHS502 Openness Mind
DHS503 Awakening Vision
DHS504 Joy of Being
DHS505 Embodying Wisdom
DHS506-510 Transmitting Insight, Penetrating Illusion.
At every moment we receive messages transmitted from our body, from our mind, and from the world around us. These messages form the basis of all that we know and do. The Dharma teaches us to ‘watch the watcher,’ to bring our attention to how the senses operate and how knowledge of ourselves and the world develops. In these weeks of retreat students will learn: how knowledge is transmitted from the outside world to the senses and from the senses to the mind and heart through study of the sense-fields and experiential exercises from Tibetan Yoga; how to attune themselves to their senses in ways that evoke insight to penetrate illusions; the teachings of the three marks of existence and the four thoughts that turn the mind to the Dharma, reversing the operation of suffering; basic teachings from mind training (Lojong) and Nyingma Psychology that help to integrate heart and mind.
DHS506 Tuning the Senses
DHS507 Turning the Mind to Joy
DHS508 Integrating Body with Mind
DHS509 Discovering the Marks of Existence
DHS510 Listening and Lightening Mind
DHS511-515 Who Owns Mind?
These weeks of retreat use tools of analysis and introspection to explore consciousness, looking for the source of thoughts, feelings, impulses, and actions. Using classical ‘insight’ meditation students will be guided in a search for an independent ‘self’ who controls and owns the mind and experience, glimpsing how mind, free of the confines of ‘self’, might function. Students will also: study teachings on karma and klesha; cultivate the ‘four immeasurable’ qualities of love, compassion, joy, and equanimity that expand the mind and heart; Deepen mindfulness; learn about the Bodhisattva’s aspiration and the role that faith and devotion play in Dharma study.
DHS511 Mind’s Hall of Mirrors
DHS512 Base of Suffering
DHS513 Reversing the Direction
DHS514 Expanding Heart and Mind
DHS515 Mindfulness and Faith
DHS516-520 Compassion in Action
Buddhist teachers have said that, “The depth and vastness of the Dharma restore the foundation, purpose, and direction of human life, inspiring a way of living oriented toward loving-kindness, compassion, and selflessness.” In these weeks of retreat students will explore what it means to live a life dedicated to compassion and wisdom, looking at the biographies of great masters, men and women from India and Tibet. They will also continue to cultivate inner capabilities for compassionate wisdom and deepen the knowledge of cause and effect through studying interdependent coproduction (Pratitya samutpada). Finally, they will look at the way this vision is manifesting in the Western world.
DHS516 Interdependent Arising
DHS517 The Compassionate Response
DHS518 How the Buddha Taught
DHS519 Stories of Liberation
DHS520 An Unending Path
DHS521-525 Cultivating the Seed of Enlightenment
All living beings have the nature of a Buddha, yet this nature is obscured by veils of obscurations. Traditional teachings and practices help students develop confidence in their ability to discover Bodhicitta (the ‘seed of enlightenment’). Mind training practices will help to overcome the destructive forces of anger, attachment, and ignorance in our lives. These weeks of retreat also explores: the qualities of a spiritual teacher and the qualities of a worthy student; how to practice guru yoga and go to refuge; the twelve actions of a fully enlightened Buddha; meditations from Path of Heroes such as Tong-len; practices that heighten awareness of the ‘seed of enlightenment’.
DHS521 Miraculous Body of Knowledge
DHS522 Working the Mind
DHS523 Entering Openness
DHS524 Practices from the Heart
DHS525 The Sunlight of Merit and Wisdom
DHS526-530 Gateway to Knowledge
Students deepen their search for awakened mind through an in-depth study of topics from Gateway to Knowledge (Tib. mKhyas-‘jug) by the great Tibetan teacher Lama Mipham. These will include ‘what is possible and what is impossible’; time; and the arising of the system of suffering. Meditation practice will focus on analyzing the constituents of inner and outer phenomena and the sense fields. Kum Nye practice will help to deepen the analysis.
DHS526 The Transmission of Insight
DHS527 Fields of Awareness
DHS528 Attuning to Dharma
DHS529 Time and the Arising of Suffering
DHS530 The Possible and the Impossible
DHS531-535 Deluded Mind/Awakened Mind
All the teachings of the Dharma are informed by knowledge of the inner workings of consciousness. As the mind is cultivated through meditation and analysis, what seems confused or difficult becomes workable. ‘Deluded mind’ is no longer an obstacle: all that arises can be brought onto the path of liberation. In these weeks of retreat students will learn: advanced teachings from Nyingma Psychology on how to penetrate the veils of ignorance within ordinary consciousness; Lojong teachings from Path of Heroes with an emphasis on meditation practice; and traditional teachings from Tibetan authors on the nature of mind.
DHS531 Parting the Veil of Delusion
DHS532 Regaining the Power of Mind
DHS533 Distinguishing Phenomena and Pure Being
DHS534 Refining Mind
DHS535 Guidelines for Self-Mastery
DHS536-539 The World as Sacred Space
Powerful Buddhist symbols point toward a comprehensive vision in which the universe itself arises as a mandala—a sacred space in which the journey to awakening is assured. Students will explore this vision, studying accounts of what a mandala is and how experience can be transformed. This will lead to an in-depth exploration of the meaning of sacred Buddhist symbols, especially focusing on those that have been created by the Nyingma organizations. Students will also study: the form of the mandala and how it informs the operation of Buddhist organizations; the symbolic language of Tibetan art; teachings on the efficacy of Tibetan ritual projects such as prayer-wheels and prayer flags; teachings on the Buddha Fields.
DHS536 The Emerging Mandala
DHS537 Lineage of Light
DHS538 Inner and Outer Symbols of Enlightenment
DHS539 Aspiration and Accomplishment
What students say about the Path of Liberation Program:
I was initially unsure as to whether Tibetan Buddhism as taught in the Nyingma tradition would satisfy my thirst for a deeper understanding of the Dharma, but I took a leap of faith and enrolled in the Nyingma Institute’s two-year Path of Liberation program. I soon discovered that this program was a balanced approach combining both an intellectual understanding of the Dharma as well as a heart-based approach that allowed me to connect with The Dharma on a deeper level. Through the program, I have learned to incorporate the Dharma into my daily life and have found that my daily suffering has much diminished and that I now see the world through much more compassionate eyes. Russ B., ProgramGraduate
This program is a rare gem. While the textual content of the classes addressed my hopes for a solid foundation for further study of the Dharma, Sylvia and Jack brought a depth of understanding that goes much farther than mere intellectual knowledge. The meditations, mantras and visualizations practiced in the classes were essential to opening both my mind and my heart in ways that enabled the teachings to penetrate through some of my habitual ways of understanding and being in the world. I recommend this program to anyone who wishes to truly taste the nectar of the Buddha’s teachings. Lynn P., Program Graduate
Jan. 20-21 / Visions of Enlightenment (DHS401)
This workshop explores ways to connect with enlightened being: Visually, through a slide show on Tibetan sacred art; experientially, through mantra and meditations that evoke the Buddha; and cognitively through considering the three specific aspects of a Buddha’s embodiment.
DHS401 Visions of Enlightenment, January 20–21 (Friday, 7–9 PM; Saturday, 10 AM–4:45 PM)
Cost: $95. Instructors: Mark Henderson and Santosh Philip. Friday, 7–9 PM; Saturday, 10 AM–4:45 PM. Open to all with a sincere interest in the Buddha’s teachings.
Jan. 14 / How to Meditate (MED401)
Meditation is the process of self-discovery. On one level the meditation experience shows us the patterns of our lives—how we have carried on our emotional characteristics since childhood. But on another level it frees us from these patterns, making it easier for us to see our inner potentials. Tarthang Tulku, Gesture of Balance.
This half-day workshop provides basic instruction in meditation and allows time to discuss how to sustain or renew a regular meditation practice. You will learn how to sit and focus the mind in silent meditation. You will also learn how to utilize Tibetan chanting in meditation. This workshop is a good introduction to the unique Nyingma approach to self-development, an approach that emphasizes individual responsibility and freedom.
MED401 How to Meditate, January 14 (10 AM–1 PM)
Cost: $45. Instructor: Olivia Hurd. 10 AM–1 PM, followed by lunch. Suitable for beginning or intermediate students wishing to establish a regular meditation practice.
Jan. 14 / Food, Relaxation, and Movement as Medicine (KNR412)
Whole foods received by our bodies in an optimal state of digestion, provide fuel for energy, and the elements for building and repair of our structure and physiologic functioning. Relaxation through Kum Nye allows us to transform deeply held tensions in our subtle body energy system into circulating energy, and wake up areas that are dormant, healing at the deepest level. Healthy movement supports circulation of fluids and energy, releasing tension, and expressing our best intentions through action in the world. In this workshop we explore healing through food, relaxation and movement, utilizing Kum Nye Relaxation as our foundation.
KNR412 Food, Relaxation, and Movement as Medicine, January 14, (10 AM–4:45 PM)
Cost: $80. Instructor: Donna Morton. Suitable for all levels of students.
Learn to Revitalize Body and Mind
Explore meditation, Tibetan yoga, human psychology, and the art of living to your fullest potential.
“Meditation is not withdrawal from life, it is an extension:
we can take it with us to enrich whatever we do, wherever we go.”
From Openness Mind by Tarthung Tulku, Nyingma Institute Founder
The Nyingma Institute welcomes students from all walks of life. Whether you prefer a secular or a sacred approach, you will find support in our friendly and compassionate community. Students may focus on developing wellness through meditation and psychological growth, or they may immerse themselves in traditional Dharma studies, including the practices of mantra, visualization, chanting, and walking meditation. Our joyful, affirmative approach fosters the development of the whole individual – body, mind, and senses.
You are invited to choose classes that interest you from any of our five general areas of study. Meditation classes guide students towards balance and ease of mind and body. Kum Nye massage and movement – a yoga from the Tibetan tradition – frees the flow of the body’s energy to achieve optimum health and vitality. Classes in Skillful Means reawaken the joy of work as a challenge to learn and grow. Our courses in Time, Space and Knowledge open new discoveries of what it means to be human. And for those wishing to immerse themselves in the sacred wisdom of Tibet, the study of classical written Tibetan unlocks a vast treasury of profound wisdom.
To register or for more information, call (510) 809-1000 or email us at .
Dec.31 / Renewing and Refreshing the Senses (KNR401)
Celebrate the dawning of a new year with a day of restorative Tibetan Yoga to relax and refresh body and mind.
This day-long retreat is led by Jack van der Meulen, and is based on Tarthang Thulku’s Tibetan Relaxation.
All levels of students are welcome at this retreat. The cost is $80, and includes a delicious vegetarian lunch.
Dec.10 / Inner Bliss (MED411)
Advanced meditation techniques focus on contacting clarity and bliss, allowing us to extract a special kind of inner joy and meaning from all kinds of experiences. This retreat presents practices that utilize the power of mind to reshape itself through visualization and mantra.
Through these meditative techniques, we shift away from interpretations and images, remaining with the pure energy of mind. Then, like a raindrop falling into the ocean, mind merges with Being.
This day-long retreat is led by Hugh Joswick. Its intended for advanced meditators: you should either have 3 years of meditation experience or the consent of the instructors. The cost is $80, and includes a delicious vegetarian lunch.
Registration – $80.00
Upcoming Semester Schedule of Classes
Spring 2017
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Private Retreats
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Merit & Beauty: Seven Branch Offering Retreat (Summer 2017)
This retreat is an unparalleled opportunity to focus on and amplify all that is positive in a substantive, hands-on approach to the 7 Branch Offerings.
The 7 Branch Offerings are an essential and effective set of practices contained within many texts and pujas of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. They are a fruitful way to generate merit, one of the two accumulations that is necessary to progress towards enlightenment.
The 7 Branch Offerings are:
- Prostration, a gesture of respect which antidotes pride and cultivates humility
- Offering, which cultivates generosity and merit and antidotes attachment
- Confession, which has the effect of cleansing negativity and cultivating purity of mind
- Rejoicing, which antidotes jealousy and cultivates selfless joy
- Imploring the Buddhas to Turn the Wheel of Dharma, which antidotes ignorance
- Requesting the Buddhas not to Enter Nirvana, which antidotes wrong views
- Dedication, which seals the merit of these practices and offers them to all beings
Lama Palzang and faculty will orient and lead retreatants in performing these practices, which include traditional-style water bowl and mandala offerings. You will receive instruction and then activate your intentions through the form of these practices in group sessions.
This retreat may be the first opportunity for lay-people in the U.S. to do the 7 Branch Offerings together in a manner that is traditional to Buddhist monasteries in Asia. It is approximately ¼ instruction and ¾ practice. It consists mainly of the main practice of the 7 Branch Offerings, which will involve prostrations, making offerings, chanting, and visualization practices.
Lama Palzang will create a beautiful, elaborately decorated altar, and excellent practice materials will be supplied. A furnished room and all meals are included. The last day of the retreat, Sunday, November 20, is Lha Bab Duchen, or the Buddha’s Descent from Tushita Heaven.
About the Teachers
Lama Palzang is a Nyingma Lama born in Tibet who received a thorough traditional Dharma education in Tibet and Nepal with respected Buddhist masters. He works on Dharma projects in both Asia and the United States and is the new Co-Dean of the Nyingma Institute, where he teaches courses on traditional Tibetan Buddhist practices.
Lama Palzang will lead the main sessions, with the support of other NI faculty.
A quote from the Pranidanaraja:
With oceans of sounds and rivers of melody,
With oceans of inexhaustible praise,
I celebrate the qualities of all the Victorious Ones,
And praise those gone to bliss.
Why accumulate merit?
As Patrul Rinpoche’s classic, Words of My Perfect Teacher, quotes from the tantras (p.292):
Without any merit there can be no accomplishment;
One cannot make oil by pressing sand.
Merit is one of the conditions that is necessary for progressing towards enlightenment. If one’s practice is stagnant or dry, sometimes generating merit can help. In any case, as Patrul Rinpoche says, never stop generating merit! During this retreat, we focus on the positive momentum that we can create through these practices.
Do I need any qualifications to attend this retreat?
Those who are Buddhist will be most able to benefit from this retreat. We practice in the Nyingma tradition, however the 7 Branch Offerings are not specific to this tradition only. You can practice with Padmasambhava or the Buddha as your focus. If you have any questions, please contact (510) 809-1000 or
Retreat Details
This retreat starts at 10 am and ends at 5:00 pm.
Staying Here
This retreat is followed by a public event celebrating the Buddha’s Descent from Tushita Heaven on Sunday. If you’d like to stay overnight, please contact us for pricing.
Learn more about Accommodations, Food, and Transportation
Registration and Cost
$80
Please review our cancellation and refund policy here.
The Nyingma Institute is a non-profit organization run by volunteers. Our founder, Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche, emphasizes taking an active role in the world. We emphasize work as a form of spiritual practice.
Questions?
Please contact or call (510) 809-1000.
Tasting Relaxation (Dec 27- Jan 1, 2017)
Tibetan Yoga (Kum Nye) practice opens the senses to feeling. This flow of feeling can loosen even chronic tension. In this retreat we learn to relax so deeply that we can “taste” the healing nectar of relaxation as it flows through body and mind. Gentle movement, breathing, and awareness practices help us to discover this relaxation.
Instructors: Peggy Kincaid, Jack van der Meulen and the Nyingma Institute faculty. Retreat begins Tuesday at 10 AM and concludes on Sunday at 2 PM. This retreat includes the “Renewing and Refreshing the Senses” workshop on December 31. Suitable for all levels of students.
Registration (includes housing and meals)- $700
Non-residential registration – $470