NITARTHA (SKT.): DEFINITIVE MEANING
At Nitartha Institute, everyday thought and speech serve as tools for discovering definitive meaning, the unconditioned wisdom and spontaneous compassion of the buddhadharma. Combining an in-depth course of study with training in meditation and analysis, the Institute introduces 21st century students to the complete Tibetan Buddhist science of mind.
Programs
Like meditation, the discipline of study is understood to be a practice at Nitartha Institute. Under the guidance of highly trained and experienced Kagyü and Nyingma teachers, participants study, practice, and question what they learn in an atmosphere of generosity, good humor, and gentle yet rigorous analysis. To attend is to experience moments of heart transmission between teacher and student as the latent meaning of the dharma arises in the stream of day-to-day teaching and practice.
LATEST NEWS
Open House 2018
Curious about the Summer Institute? Come check out our programs for one day! On Saturday, July 14th, 2018 we are offering an Open House at the Summer Institute on the Western Washington University campus in Bellingham, WA. On this day you are welcome to attend any of the classes. You can mix and match classes […]
Summer Institute 2018 Registration now open!
Register now for an amazing summer of Buddhist teachings and meditation! Choose your track: Buddhist Studies (Shedra) with its Foundational, Intermediate and Advanced curriculum Meditation Intensive (Gomdra) with teachings on the Ocean of Definitive Meaning Thangka Painting (Science of Creative Arts) In addition to the main classes of your track, you can choose among Lujong, […]
What does a hunting owl have to do with Nitartha?
A student essay by Charles Wesley on how Nitartha classes help cutting through our ordinary conceptualizations: My relationship with words is very unnatural. You say “tomato” and I say “wrench.” The problem seems doubly compounded when I try to talk about Buddhism. I have attended the Gomdra at the Nitartha Summer Institute for the last […]
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche teaching at the Summer Institute 2018!
We are delighted that Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche will teach two classes at the Summer Institute 2018! The classes will be held during Module 1 (July 6-14) and Module 2 (July 16-24) and will be offered on alternating days. Distinguishing the Views and Philosophies: A Lamp of Essential Points This course is a systematic overview of […]
UPCOMING EVENTS
6 July–3 August 2018
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA, USA
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Help Nitartha Institute realize Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche’s vision to transplant Buddhism to the West and to train Western students in the full depth of the scholastic and meditative traditions.The Five Sciences
The Buddhist educational tradition of ancient India can be summarized as the study of the ten aspects, or ten major fields, of human knowledge. These ten can be further summarized into five fields. These studies formed the focus of the traditional study programs at the great Buddhist universities, such as Nālandā in India and the Samye and Dzogchen monasteries in Tibet. Following the footsteps of the Lineage, Nitartha Institute presents a curriculum of the Five Sciences, which is delivered through four academic departments (Valid Cognition and Inner Science of Mind belonging to the Buddhist Studies department).