The root of the twelve Nidānas is ignorance. To be liberated is to be free from ignorance through studying, contemplating and practicing the Dharma. Studying the knowledge from the Shedra marks the beginning of liberation, accompanied by the Right Thought and Right Understanding of the Nitartha Institute leads us to the right path towards the Definitive Meaning. I sincerely recommend and invite you to join this meaningful Journey of Wisdom.

Since I came to Nitartha Summer Institute for the first time in 2014 Nitartha has become like a second home for me. I feel grateful to have been able to join the teachings by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche as well as the excellent faculty of acharyas and experienced teachers almost every year since. To be a part of this warm Sangha is something I look forward to every year. In daily life, living far from the teachers, the online program is a great resource for deepening knowledge and compassion. I hope that these teachings will be beneficial to others as they are to me.

I attended Nitartha Institute in the summer of 2016 for Mind and Its World 1 (taught by Stephanie and Scott) and 2 (Jirka) and Clear Thinking (Sandra and Stephanie); I also attended Acharya Lama Tenpa’s teachings on Lama Mipham’s Beacon of Certainty in addition to Ponlop Rinpoche’s opening and closing sessions. Initially, I only planned to take MW1 and Clear Thinking, but at the end of those first two weeks, I knew that I needed to take advantage of this precious opportunity. I was very impressed with the compassion and support from my teachers, as well as their breadth of knowledge and understanding of how to teach a

This may have been the best experience I’ve had in my five years of attending the Nitartha summer session — coming from all levels, Rinpoche’s teachings, our teachers (Lama Tenpa, Karl, Stuart, Susan), the translator Miguel, the staff, the facilities, the setting, the food… ! Willamette University is beautiful, the Kaneko dorm was clean and comfortable and food was very good.

We would most definitely strongly recommend to others to participate in the Nitartha Summer Institute. Especially because of the days’ mix of study and meditation. And of course because the whole structure of the institute oozes of DPR’s wisdom and loving care.

After completing the Nalandabodhi Buddhist study curriculum, I wanted to go deeper and further in my studies. The Nitartha Institute presented an excellent curriculum and opportunity. I am most grateful to the wonderful Nitartha teachers and the thorough and genuine teachings found in the Nitartha curriculum. It truly deepened and clarified my understanding of the Buddhists dharma. And, it helped my meditation practice through clarifying the view presented by the great Indian and Tibetan masters. I am especially happy to have access to the online materials for our small study group here in Boulder that is working through the Advanced curriculum. Such a treasure!

I was very pleased and impressed with the professional and caring atmosphere created by the excellent teachers and devoted volunteers. A big grateful thank you to all of you for a life transforming experience.

Nitartha was eye-opening and practice shaping. I went for the first time this summer and hope to return next summer as well. The teachers, the curriculum, and the wisdom shared were all gifts. It was also wonderful to be surrounded by people who were making a commitment to learning and who were always open to answering questions and discussing points of confusion!

I financially support Nitartha for a number of reasons. Nitartha produces translations of priceless treasures of Buddhist wisdom, bringing these masterworks to people who would not otherwise have access. The study programs are an artful balance of practice and study, offering an entry point for people new to this stream of listening, contemplation, and meditation, as well as advanced curricula for those who have spent years walking this path. My own practice and learning have blossomed as a result of participation in these programs, bringing peace, joy, and openness to all parts of my life. And most of all, I fund Nitartha because the teachers are true masters,

This was my sixth year returning to Nitartha Summer Institute. Even though when I sometimes examine the parts, they seem chaotic and sometimes precarious, and when I examine the whole it seems like a rolling cloud that appears as some illusory city, every time I return home, I feel that my practice has expanded and deepened exponentially. So that even though I sometimes think I can imagine a Summer Institute that would help me better, it turns out that the Summer Institute just the way it is has helped me immensely and I am immensely grateful.