The ostensibly Buddhist siddha, or adept, known as Virūpa or Virūpākṣa is an important crossover figure revered by numerous Buddhist, Nāth, and Brahmanical Hindu haṭhayoga traditions alike. In a recent lecture at Oxford University’s Tibetan Graduate Studies Seminar, I narratologically analyzed a wide array of Central and South Asian Virūpa hagiographies to argue that the Virūpa of Tibetan lore and the Virūpākṣa of South Asian traditions are indeed the same literary character. In this lecture, I will continue that course of inquiry by examining a number of understudied Buddhist and Hindu Virūpākṣa narratives from Nepal. I will argue that the “Birūpākṣa” of these Nepalese traditions is a composite character, synthesized by adding to the siddha Virūpa/-akṣa elements of other semi-divine characters by the same name—including nāga-, yakṣa-, vīra-, and even demon-Virūpākṣas. I will then illuminate the numerous ways in which the tales of this enigmatic siddha continue to exert significant influence on the popular, lay religious practices of the Kathmandu Valley to the present day.

Westin Harris (Senge Drayang) is a doctoral candidate in the Study of Religion at the University of California, Davis, and a research affiliate with the Kathmandu Centre for Buddhist Studies at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute. His research examines the literature and art history of Central and South Asian siddha traditions. More specifically, Westin’s dissertation focuses on Indian, Nepalese, and Tibetan tales of the siddha Virūpa/Virūpākṣa in order to illuminate the persistent Buddhist-Nāth intersections evidenced therein. Committed to a cross-disciplinary methodology, Westin aims to bring Tibetan, Nāth, and yoga studies into closer dialogue. He spoke with students and participants from many different places on 27th June, 2021.

Westin Harris - "The Hideous One in the Himavat: Tales of the Siddha Virūpākṣa from Nepal."

As a preliminary introduction to my upcoming publication,
I will argue here that we can understand Yogacara in a
different light if we look at what preceded it rather than
what succeeded it. As an example, we will look at the
relationship between alaya-vijnana and vijnapti in light of
the use of the term vijnapti in the Twenty Verses. Other
examples of this preferred perspective are the various
places in which, first the ‘reality’ of object and then the ‘reality’
of mind (citta) are successively deconstructed on the
path. The Dharmadharmatâvibhâga is an excellent source
for this deconstructive approach.

Professor Waldron teaches courses on the South Asian religious traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, Tibetan religion and history, comparative psychologies and philosophies of mind, and theory and method in the study of religion. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin, after three years of research at Otani University, Kyoto, Japan. His publications focus on the Yogacara school of Indian Buddhism as well as its dialogue with modern thought. Professor
Waldron has been at Middlebury College since 1996 and has over the years taught numerous courses at Rangjung Yeshe Institute, affiliated with Kathmandu University in Nepal. His monograph, The Buddhist Unconscious: The Ālaya-vijñāna in the Context of Indian Buddhist
Thought was published by RoutledgeCurzon in 2003. An introduction to Indian Yogacara entitled Making Sense of Mind-Only: the Dependent Arising of Indian Yogacara Buddhism is forthcoming (2023) with Wisdom Publications. 

The talk was entitled "Making Sense of Mind-Only: a Constructivist Interpretation of Yogācāra Buddhism". He spoke with students and participants at RYI on Nov 9, 2022.

Prof. Bill Waldron - "Making Sense of Mind-Only"

Andy Hallahan grew up in Chicago and Nashville in the U.S., and received his BA from Colorado College in religious studies and American education. After undergrad, Andy worked in Rajasthan, India as a teacher and a humanitarian aide, eventually enrolling at RYI. He received his MA degree in Buddhist Studies at RYI in 2020 upon completion of his dissertation which focused on belief in place-based gods and spirits among Himalayan Buddhists, and the
significance of sacred geography and ‘Hidden Lands’ throughout Himalayan history. Since then, Andy has been teaching a variety of subjects as an online teacher, and has continued researching his current interest on the intersection of ecology, Buddhism, and visionary expression.

As the climate crisis grows ever-pressing, Buddhist leaders continue to mention climate change and environmental degradation with an increasing sense of urgency. Yet, as Buddhism gains popularity in the West, trending topics such as environmentalist thought tend to be overly affiliated with Buddhist philosophy, constituting what some call the myth of primitive ecological wisdom.

The first half of this lecture will provide a brief overview of current (mis)conceptions of ecology and environmentalism in early Buddhist thought, focusing on Abhidharma and East Asian Mahayana. The second half of the lecture will outline the influence of pre-Buddhist spirit reverence as it is related to contemporary ecoBuddhism, focusing on Himalayan Buddhist perceptions of the intersection between elemental balance, and internal and external wellbeing.

Andy Hallahan - "The Roots of ecoBuddhism"

Ani Choying Drolma is a distinguished Buddhist nun, acclaimed singer and awarded humanitarian. Trained under meditation master His Eminence Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, she excelled in Buddhist meditation, chants, rituals performances and ceremonies. Her singing talent was discovered by American guitarist Steve Tibbetts, leading to her international music career with 16 albums. Ani Choying has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and is renowned for her humanitarian efforts. She founded the Nuns’ Welfare foundation and Arya Tara School to support education for girls, the Aarogya Foundation for affordable dialysis services, and various other initiatives for community welfare. She is recipient of multiple awards and recognitions.

Ani Choying Drolma, known worldwide for her performances of Buddhist chants, will speak about the value of Buddhist education for women, and share her experience as a Buddhist nun and as a practitioner. This guest lecture will be open for questions from RYI students and the audience. She spoke with students and participants at RYI on25th July.

Ani Choying Drolma - "Q&A session with Ani Choying Drolma"

David Germano teaches and researches Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia, where he is a professor, as well as directs the Tibet Center. He has lived for years in Tibetan communities, where he has studied Buddhist philosophy and contemplation, and done extensive community engagement work. His personal scholarship has focused on the Great Perfection (rdzogs chen) tradition in its many dimensions. For over a decade, he led large scale explorations of contemplative ideas, values, and practices in relationship to scientific frameworks and creative applications in higher education in service of facilitating student flourishing. Currently he leads the Generative Contemplative Initiative, which explores contemplation as a generative human capacity with distinctive lexicons, grammars, and contexts and considers how we can design better contemplative futures.

The Seminal Heart (snying thig) tradition of the Great Perfection (rdzogs chen) begins with eleventh century Tibetan revelations of extraordinarily innovative new scriptures,
becomes dominant among Nyingma lineages by the fourteenth century, and has continued as such into the present. However, the difference in narrative, philosophy, practice, and community between these origins and contemporary realities is extraordinary, though the tradition stresses continuity throughout with the original scriptural sources. These striking transformations are not significantly acknowledged by Tibetan authors, apart from scattered references to discontinued practices, lost texts, and attenuated transmissions; there is even less attempt to explain or theorize these vast differences. I will offer a history and theorization of these changes to make sense of the drivers and significance of these patterns of profound continuity and discontinuity. I will also offer specific markers to utilize to appraise any given Great Perfection tradition relationship to this dominant influence. He spoke with students and participants at RYI on 18th Sept 2024.

Prof. David Francis Germano - "The Great Perfection (rdzogs chen"

I will examine how rebirth is conceptualized in Buddhist philosophy and will consider the extent to which rebirth, and the idea of the continuity of mind after the death of the physical body could be considered to be essential for Buddhism. I will then discuss the prospects of accounting for the possibility of the continuity of consciousness after death along naturalistic lines.

Originally trained as a philosopher and orientialist, Jan Westerhoff’s research focuses on philosophical aspects of the religious traditions of ancient India. Much of his work concentrates on Buddhist thought (especially Madhyamaka) as preserved in Sanskrit and Tibetan sources, he also has a lively interest in Classical Indian philosophy (particularly Nyāya). His research on Buddhist philosophy covers both theoretical (metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language) and normative aspects (ethics). He spoke with students and participants at RYI on 28th Oct, 2024. 

Dr. Jan Westerhoff - "The place of rebirth in Buddhist philosophy"

When we talk about modern healthcare, it is vital to address what WHO has stated: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” In this regard, Tibetan Medicine (TM) has huge potential to serve humanity not merely with physical but also mental healthcare. The rise in numbers of people suffering from mental illnesses are alarming and taking a toll on many nations. This talk will introduce the TM in brief and will discuss the TM perspective on Mental health.

The immense loss of life and wealth due to the global pandemic is still fresh in our memories. The so-called modern healthcare system (dominated by allopathic medicine) has failed in the face of the Covid19 virus. The virus being new and easily contagious among humans, together with the lack of proper hospital resources, led to large-scale crises. It is high time to look at other medical systems which some call alternative medicine—a term I strongly disagree with. Being a TM professional, I will put forth facts to demonstrate that TM is s complete, holistic medical system. I will then discuss that for mental illnesses in particular, TM can effectively fill the gap left by the modern healthcare system. In concluding remarks, I will relate some of the traits of TM and its significance in modern healthcare.

Menpa (doctor) Sonam Pelmo earned a BS in medicine and surgery from Sowa Rigpa International College (Kathmandu) and completed post-graduate studies in ayurvedic medicine and pharmaceutical studies at the Central University for Tibetan Studies (Sarnath, India). She served for eight years as a Tibetan medical doctor and head of pharmaceuticals at Shechen Clinic and Hospital (Kathmandu). In 2020, Pelmo founded Aurura Tibetan Medicine Clinic near Boudha and began manufacturing Himalayan herbal medicines. Her herbal teas can be found for sale across Boudha, including at Utpala Cafe. Pelmo has lectured at Sorig International College in Jorpati, presented at several international conferences, and received a scholarship from the University of Virginia (USA) last summer to discuss Tibetan medicine with scholars. She spoke with students and participants at RYI on 19th February, 2025.

Amchi Sonam Pelmo - "Significance of Tibetan Medicine for Modern Healthcare"

This talk explores the world of Tibetan treasure tradition— hidden teachings believed to have been concealed during the Imperial Era (618–842 CE) and revealed centuries later by visionary figures known as treasure revealers. Focusing on the works of Guru Chokyi Wangchuk (1212–1270) and Ratna Lingpa (1403–1478), this presentation will investigate how their early treasure origin accounts simultaneously construct historical narratives and engage in complex theorization about the nature of authorship, legitimacy, and revelation. By situating these texts within their historical and literary contexts, we will consider how these Tibetan masters understood their role in transmitting wisdom while disavowing creative authorship—challenging modern assumptions about authorship as individual intellectual property.

Heather Moody holds an MA from the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute and an MTS from Harvard Divinity School . She is in the process of completing her PhD at the University of Virginia. Her talk is based on her research into the early treasure traditions, and in particular the works of Guru Chokyi Wangchuk and Ratna Lingpa. She is currently serving as a visiting instructor at RYI.

Heather Moody - "The Genre of Treasure Origin Literature"

This paper is concerned with two questions. The first is whether
machine consciousness is possible. The second is whether moral agency is possible in a machine environment. I will assess these two possibilities by integrating reflections born from three theoretical perspectives: the philosophy of language, Theravāda Abhidhamma, and the sciences. I will argue that the relevant considerations from these three areas converge to suggest that machine consciousness is not empirically possible. I will then argue that even if I am mistaken about this, which is to say, even if machine consciousness is a real possibility, moral agency in a machine environment, understood in Buddhist terms, cannot be. The apparent plausibility of these ideas rests in good part on the vagaries of language and the power of human imagination, to say nothing of all the promotional hype. This hype has resulted in such fascinating recent developments as an online AI Buddha and the recent ordination of an AI monk into a Zen lineage.

Martin Adam is Associate Professor in Religion, Society and Culture Program at the University of Victoria. His articles have appeared in numerous academic journals including the Journal of Buddhist Ethics, Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, and the Journal of the American Academy of Religion. He is also the playwright and producer of the rock opera What the Buddha Never Taught (2022).

Prof. Martin Adam -"Buddhism and the possibility of ethical AI"

Prof. David DiValerio - "Locating the Tibetan Ascetic Self (and Translating the Scholar’s Feast)"

Ānanda gets a bum rap. Despite his celebrated role in the transmission of the buddhavacana, he is often depicted as a hapless buffoon and blamed for a host of calamities that befell the early community, including the untimely death of the Buddha, later schism within the saṃgha, and the foreshortening of the buddhaśāsana. I will argue that Ānanda plays a more complex role in the early narratives, and embodies a kind of prophetic wisdom—he captures a self-reflexive and self-critical strand of the early Buddhist teachings that anticipates later developments such as Madhyamaka and Chan. Key to my argument is the Cūllavagga account of Ānanda’s awakening and the light that it sheds on the nature of Buddhist awakening writ large.

Robert Sharf is D. H. Chen Distinguished Professor of Buddhist Studies in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Berkeley, as well as Chair of Berkeley's Numata Center for Buddhist Studies. He works primarily on medieval Chinese Buddhism, but has also published in the areas of Japanese Buddhism, Buddhist art and archaeology, Buddhist modernism, Buddhist philosophy, and methodological issues in the study of religion. He is author of Coming to Terms with Chinese Buddhism: A Reading of the Treasure Store Treatise (2002); What Can’t Be Said: Contradiction and Paradox in East Asian Thought (coauthored with Yasuo Deguchi, Jay Garfield, and Graham Priest, 2021); How to Lose Yourself: An Ancient Guide to Letting Go (coauthored with Jay Garfield and Maria Heim, 2025), and co-editor (with Elizabeth Horton Sharf) of Living Images: Japanese Buddhist Icons in Context (2001).

Prof. Robert Sharf - "The Dao of Ānanda"

The lecture will focus on an episode from the story of the ascetic practices undertaken by Siddhārtha Gautama before he comprehended the “Middle Way” and attained enlightenment. When the emaciated prince, weakened by severe fasting and immersed in meditation, is discovered by villagers from a nearby settlement, they begin to mock him – throwing clumps of dirt at him, stuffing grass into his ears, and calling him a goblin (piśāca). Yet the Bodhisattva remains unshaken. Very similar narratives can be found in the life stories of Jina Mahāvīra, as well as in the legend of the ṛṣi Cyavana from the texts of the Vedic canon. This episode from the Buddha’s biography is little-known and may seem insignificant, but a careful analysis and comparison with related narratives outside the Buddhist (and even Indian) tradition suggest that it may hold the key to unraveling some of the mysteries surrounding the story of Śākyamuni’s enlightenment.

Dmitrii Komissarov graduated from the Russian State Humanitarian University in Moscow in 2008 with a master degree in Indian Philology. At the same university in 2012, he defended his dissertation on “Lalitavistara as an example of Buddhist hagiography.” Currently he teaches Sanskrit, Pāli and Buddhist literature at the Higher School of Economics (HSE University, Moscow), he is also the head of the bachelor’s programme “Languages and Literatures of India”. His research interests include Buddhist hagiography, Buddhist canonical and narrative literature, and Sanskrit medieval comedies. The talk was entitled "The Fasting Bodhisattva and the Shepherds: Some Reflections on the Motif of Mocking the Ascetic in the Biography of the Buddha". He spoke with students and participants at RYI on 27th June 2025.

Dmitrii Komissarov - "The Fasting Bodhisattva and the Shepherds"

It is commonly understood among Buddhists that the Buddha was a prolific teacher who expounded an enormous wealth of teachings. A mysterious number often mentioned in sūtras and commentaries is that of the 84,000 dharmaskandhas.

How are we to comprehend such an astronomical figure—and the very concept of dharmaskandha itself? In this brief reflection, we will turn to the Chinese and Sanskrit texts within the broader Sarvāstivāda fold in an attempt to unpack some of the mysteries surrounding this intriguing notion of dharmaskandha.

Bibek completed his PhD thesis at Mahidol University (Thailand), translating two Sanskrit Abhidharma texts. He reads Buddhist Chinese, Sanskrit, and Pali. His areas of research and interest include Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma literature, Chinese Āgamas/Mahāyāna texts, Madhyamaka philosophy, Buddhism and science, as well as non-Buddhist Indian philosophy. As a Buddhist practitioner, he believes that integrating modern energy therapies such as EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) with traditional Buddhist practices can help harmonize the mind by removing blockages and neurotic patterns.

Dr. Bibek Sharma - "84,000: Musings Based on Chinese and Sanskrit Śrāvaka Texts"

Although languages have been studied and described in some manner as far back as they have been spoken, the “scientific” or “explanatory” study of language (modern linguistics) dates only from the second half of the last century. That said, even the most ardent linguist would be forced to admit that, to date, no truly complete grammar of a natural language, as modern linguistics defines those terms, has been produced. Competing theories of grammatical explication and approach have been many and varied, with disagreements even as to first principles, yet none has succeeded in the primary task set before the linguist: the creation of a complete and integrated grammar (syntax, morphology, semantics) of a language. It will be herein submitted that an inquiry into the analytic properties (and premises) of a dualistic approach to cognition and scientific description may help reveal why positive results in this enterprise have remained elusive, and how elements of philosophy, chemistry, and physics may be meaningfully reflected in the workings of any complete grammar.

Prior to receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii (UH) Linguistics department in 1984, Gregg had spent much of his time in the UH Indo-Pacific Languages department, where he studied Chinese, Japanese, Burmese, Thai, Khmer, Tibetan, Sanskrit, Pali, Hawaiian, and even Arabic. Upon graduation, he embarked on a long and tortuous road as an attorney, first in Chicago and finally returning to Honolulu in 1990. During that 40 year odyssey-like detour in the legal world, he nevertheless continued his studies in Sino-Tibetan historical-comparative linguistics, and also developed an interest in the interface between law and language: specifically, a comparative study of how cultures derive their legal systems from sacred texts. Currently teaching an introductory course in Classical Tibetan at UH within the Department of Religions and Ancient Civilizations, he has also broadened his investigations into the comparative syntax of modern Tibeto-Burman languages, particularly those using arrays of copular verbs to express tense, aspect, mood, and evidentiality.

Dr. Gregg Kinkley - "The Science of Grammar and Dualism: Is Grammar Empty?"

Dr. Jonathan C. Gold - "Applying Buddhist Moral Psychology to Politics"

This presentation examines Tibetan Buddhist music of the Green Tara ritual as performed by the nuns of Thrangu Tara Abbey of the Karma Kagyu tradition in Kathmandu, Nepal. The study explores the Green Tara Sadhana as practiced by the nuns each morning, its music, and how devotion to the Bodhisattva Green Tara is instrumental in the empowerment of female monastics. My research is primarily an analysis of the musical elements and forms of the songs and ritual instrumental music and how the nuns experience the ritual. I also include examples of musical transcriptions in Western notation. This study involves an interdisciplinary mixed research method approach, relies heavily on ethnographic and phenomenological field work in Nepal, and a critical historical analysis of ritual music in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. As a musician, I am particularly interested in the role of music in Tibetan ritual and how ritual and music enrich the lives of the nuns, a subject rarely explored with in the academic community.

Dr. Christine Blice-Baum is a PhD candidate in Religious Studies at UWest, she currently researches the music of the Green Tara Sadhana in Nepal. She holds advanced university degrees in music, theology, and has served as a chaplain for the U.S. Air force. She is an ordained Lutheran pastor with over 39 years of service and teaches meditation.

Dr. Christine Blice-Baum - "The Songs of Green Tara: Tibetan Buddhist Ritual Music of the Nuns of Thrangu Tara Abbey"

Khenpo Chödrak Tenphel Rinpoche - an eminent teacher of the Karma Kagyu lineage who is currently lecturing on tantric views and practices at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery - has accepted Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche’s request to present and discuss Buddhism’s three yānas based on Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye’s Treasury of Knowledge and he spoke with students at RYI on Feb, 4, 5 & 6, 2016 and translated by Dr. Thomas Doctor. 

Khenpo Chödrak Tenphel Rinpoche - "The Three Vehicles" Part-II

Punya Parajuli is currently completing his Ph.D. at Lumbini University and is one of the prominent scholars and translators of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. His talk will highlight the contribution of Padmasambhava in the dissemination of Buddhism in the Kathmandu
Valley and particularly his activities in Pharping, Patan, Daman, and Nuwakot. He spoke with student of RYI on June,  29, 2016. 

TASCAM DR-05

Lotsawa Punya Parajuli - "The Role of Padmasambhava in the Propogation of Buddhism in Nepal"

Erik Pema Kunsang is one of the most highly regarded Tibetan translators and interpreters today. Erik has been the assistant and translator for Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and his sons since the late 1970s. He has translated and edited over fifty volumes of Tibetan texts and oral teachings, and is one of the directors of Rangjung Yeshe Publications. He spoke with students of RYI on 5 December, 2016.

Erik Pema Kunsang - "Study, practice and translation."

Hubert Decleer received a BA in History and Medieval Dutch Literature. He was a student of the great Etienne Lamotte at the University of Louvain, served as a ‘caravan-leader/raconteur’ on London-Kathmandu overland journeys (1965-1981), and was the founding director (1987) of SIT (School of International Training) in Nepal, for which he is presently an advisor. He has published essays on sacred sites of the Kathmandu Valley, Buddhist art, and other topics. A recent collection of essays Himalayan Passages (Wisdom, 2014) celebrates his contributions to Tibetan and Newar studies.

This talk will discuss Dudjom Rinpoche’s (1904-1987) hymn to the Three Great Relic Chaityas of Swayambhu, Namo Buddha and Bouddha, and the Fourth Khamtrul Rinpoche, Tendzin Chokyi Nyima’s (1730-1780) accurate and delightful guide to the sacred sites of the Kathmandu Valley. It will focus in particular on points of controversy such as Khamtrul Rinpiche’s dismissal of certain interpretations as “tales of stupid Tibetans”, and his merciless historical critique--which doesn’t in the least undermine his conviction in the tremendous blessing of these sites. 
He spoke with Students at RYI on June 28th 2017.
The talk was entitled "“Ambrosia for the Ears of the Snowlanders”:
two Tibetan eulogies to the Kathmandu Valley’s sacred sites"

Hubert Decleer - “Ambrosia for the Ears of the Snowlanders”

This presentation will address the influences of the Tathāgatagarbha (“buddha nature”) model of reality in the three Yogācāra texts of the Maitreya Works (i.e., the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra, Madhyāntavibhāga, and Dharmadharmatāvibhāga). It will be argued that the integration of a particular understanding of buddha nature contributes to remedy the flaws Yogācāra has in the eyes of Mādhyamikas, namely that a considerable group of sentient beings is completely cut off from liberation, and that a dependently arising mind exists on the level of ultimate truth.

Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Mathes is a professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Vienna. His research interests include the Indian origin of the Tibetan Mahāmudrā traditions, buddha nature and the Tibetan gzhan stong tradition. He spoke with students at RYI on April  3, 2018.

The talk was entitled "The Three Nature (trisvabhāva) Theory in the Yogācāra Texts of the Five Maitreya Works"

Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Mathes - "The Three Nature (trisvabhāva) Theory in the Yogācāra Texts"

The Heart Sūtra, bhagavatī-prajñāpāramitā-hṛdaya in Sanskrit or bcom ldan ‘das ma shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i snying po in Tibetan, belongs to the class of Mahāyāna sūtras called the “Perfection of Wisdom” (Prajñāpāramitā). It is one of the shortest texts and condenses the entire wisdom of all the prajñāpāramitā sūtras. The teachings of the Heart Sūtra are deep and subtle as they express the profound view of the emptiness of all phenomena, and thus carry a lot of blessings.

Khenpo Pema Namgyal was born in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal in 1986. When he was nine years old he was ordained by Kyabje Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche at Ka Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery. He studied in the monastic college, the Sangye Yeshe Higher Shedra for nine
years. Upon completion of his Shedra studies in 2007, he became a Lopon and began teaching the monastic monks. In 2013, based on his brilliant qualifications and personal achievements, he was awarded the title of Khenpo from Kyabje Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. He gave teaching at RYI on 23rd June 2018.

Khenpo Pema Namgyal - "Introduction to the Heart Sutra" Day1

The Heart Sūtra, bhagavatī-prajñāpāramitā-hṛdaya in Sanskrit or bcom ldan ‘das ma shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i snying po in Tibetan, belongs to the class of Mahāyāna sūtras called the “Perfection of Wisdom” (Prajñāpāramitā). It is one of the shortest texts and condenses the entire wisdom of all the prajñāpāramitā sūtras. The teachings of the Heart Sūtra are deep and subtle as they express the profound view of the emptiness of all phenomena, and thus carry a lot of blessings.

Khenpo Pema Namgyal was born in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal in 1986. When he was nine years old he was ordained by Kyabje Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche at Ka Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery. He studied in the monastic college, the Sangye Yeshe Higher Shedra for nine
years. Upon completion of his Shedra studies in 2007, he became a Lopon and began teaching the monastic monks. In 2013, based on his brilliant qualifications and personal achievements, he was awarded the title of Khenpo from Kyabje Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. He gave teaching at RYI on 24rd June 2018.

Khenpo Pema Namgyal - "Introduction to the Heart Sutra" Day2

In his commentary on Saraha’s Dohās, Karma Trinlepa (1456-1539) repeatedly comments on various subjects in terms of the “four signs” of Mahāmudrā meditation: mindfulness, non-mindfulness, non-arising, and transcending the intellect. Phadampa Sangye, however, describes Saraha’s practice in terms of the last three of the four signs only. In his attempt to read a gradual Mahāmudrā path into the Dohās, Karma Trinlepa combines Phadampa’s three signs with the one of mindfulness, as one must first eat appearances by recognizing them as mind-only. Through non-mindfulness one then drinks the mind, realizing its emptiness. The remaining signs stand for experiencing the single taste of everything and embracing self-awareness as co-emergent joy.
Prof. Klaus-Dieter Mathes is the Head of the Department of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Vienna. His current research deals with Tibetan Madhyamaka, Yogācāra, and the interpretations of Buddha nature in the 15th and 16th centuries. Recent publications include A Fine Blend of Mahāmudrā and Madhyamaka: Maitrīpas Collection of Texts on Non-conceptual Realization (Amanasikāra) Vienna 2015: Austrian Academy of Sciences Press. 
Together with Prof. Diwakar Acharya (Univ. of Oxford) he is currently preparing a critical edition and English translation of Advayavajra’s commentary on Saraha’s Dohākoṣagīti. 
His talk was entitled : The Four Signs (brda bzhi) of Mahāmudrā Meditation -
The Prevailing Topic in Karma Trinlepa’s Dohā Commentary. He spoke with students at RYI on April 17th 2019.

Prof. Klaus-Dieter Mathes - "The Four Signs (brda bzhi) of Mahāmudrā Meditation"

Wulstan Fletcher holds degrees in Modern Languages and Theology (Oxford and Rome). Wulstan completed three-year retreat at Chanteloube, France, 1986–1989. He is a member of the Padmakara Translation Group, Dordogne, France and has been a Tsadra Foundation Fellow since 2001. He is also a teacher of modern languages.
His many translated works include:
• Way of the Bodhisattva, Śāntideva
• The Root Stanzas on the Middle Way, Nāgārjuna
• The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech: A Detailed Commentary on Shantideva’s “Way of the Bodhisattva,” Kunzang Pelden
• White Lotus: An Explanation of the Seven-line Prayer to Guru Padmasambhava, Jamgön Mipham
As a Tsadra Foundation Fellow he is currently translating Lion Speech, The Life of Jamgön Mipham, by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. He spoke with student's at RYI on 22nd April, 2019.

Wulstan Fletcher - "Reflections on Translation"

Khenpo Pema Namgyal was born in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal in 1986. When he was nine years old he was ordained by Kyabje Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery. He studied in the monastic college, the Sangye Yeshe Higher Shedra for nine years. Upon completion of his Shedra studies in 2007, he became a Lopon and began teaching the monastery’s monks. In 2013, based on his qualifications and personal achievements, he was awarded the title of Khenpo from Kyabje Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. Whole teaching was translated by Kaleb Yaniger.  He gave his short course on 6th July 2019.

Khenpo Pema Namgyal - "Eight Verses of Training the Mind by Geshe Langri Thangpa" -Day I

This workshop of five lectures aims to acquaint the student with both the outlines of the historical development of Buddhist philosophical thought in India from the time of the Abhidharma up to Diṅnāga and Dharmakīrti, as well as with the development of key philosophical ideas during this period.
The lectures will cover the following topics:
Lecture 1: Abhidharma
Lecture 2: Madhyamaka
Lecture 3: Madhyamaka & Yogācāra
Lecture 4: Yogācāra
Lecture 5: The logico-epistemological school of Diṅnāga and Dharmakīrti
Jan Westerhoff was educated at Cambridge and the School of Oriental and African Studies. He has taught philosophy at the Universities of Oxford and Durham and is presently Professor of Buddhist Philosophy at the University of Oxford, a Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, and a Research Associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He gave workshop to students at RYI on 9th Sept to 13th Sept, 2019.

Prof. Jan Westerhoff - "The Golden Age of Buddhist Philosophy in India" Day 1

The talk was entitled : "Can We Generate a More Sustaining and Inclusive Power of Compassion for our Lives and Work? Perspectives from Meditation Theory and Social Psycholog"

 Professor Makransky will discuss some perspectives from social, developmental, and evolutionary psychology that highlight the human need and capacity for social connection, care, empathy and compassion.
He will discuss the relation of compassion to empathy, point out some problems with the usual human experience of empathy, and explain how a basic pattern for cultivating inclusive care and compassion, which is central to Tibetan Buddhism and other spiritual traditions, helps solve those problems. Finally, Dr. Makransky will lead us in a brief meditation practice that he adapted from Tibetan Buddhism. The purpose of this kind of adapted meditation is to help Western Buddhists and those in caring roles and professions establish the secure base necessary to support increasingly inclusive and unconditional care and compassion for others in their lives and work.

John Makransky, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Buddhism and Comparative Theology at Boston College, senior advisor for Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche’s Centre of Buddhist Studies at Rangjung Yeshe Institute, former president of the Society of Buddhist-Christian studies, and co-founder of the Foundation for Active Compassion and Courage of Care Coalition. For the past eleven years, in consultation with his Tibetan teachers, John has been teaching meditations of innate compassion and wisdom that he adapted from Tibetan Buddhism for Western Dharma students and for those in caring roles and professions. For this, John developed the Innate Compassion and Wisdom Training model (ICT), which is being applied to empower a more sustaining and unconditional power of care and compassion, beyond “compassion fatigue,” for teachers, healthcare providers, social workers, therapists and activists. He spoke with students at RYI on Sept. 23, 2019.

Can We Generate a More Sustaining and Inclusive Power of Compassion for our Lives and Work?

Prof. John Makransky's workshop was entitled : "We are Already Held in the Qualities We Seek: An Introduction to Innate Compassion Training."

Dr. Makransky will present the theory and practice of the Innate Compassion Training Model (ICT) that he has introduced to both Western Buddhists and to people in caring roles and professions. For Western Buddhists, these forms of practice can help energize and further inform their existing contemplative and ritual practices. Each session includes lecture, meditation exercises, and Q&A.

To generate inclusive and unconditional love and compassion and the wisdom that supports them, a secure base of trust and confidence in the source of those qualities is essential. In Buddhist traditions, such a base of trust is instilled in large part by devotional practices, where practitioners experience themselves and their world to be held by those who have actualized the same unconditioned compassion and wisdom that they themselves seek to realize, i.e., the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. This kind of practice comprises the “receptive mode” of ICT. This receptive mode of meditation can help strengthen the trust needed to settle more deeply into the source of compassion and wisdom found in the deep nature of our minds. Note that attendance at all four sessions is strongly encouraged, although participants may miss sessions if necessary.

John Makransky, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Buddhism and Comparative Theology at Boston College, senior advisor for Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche’s Centre of Buddhist Studies at Rangjung Yeshe Institute, former president of the Society of Buddhist-Christian studies, and co-founder of the Foundation for Active Compassion and Courage of Care Coalition. For the past eleven years, in consultation with his Tibetan teachers, John has been teaching meditations of innate compassion and wisdom, adapted from Tibetan Buddhism for Western Dharma students and those in caring roles and professions. As part of this effort, John developed the Innate Compassion and Wisdom Training model (ICT) that he’ll explain in these lectures. He gave workshop to the students of RYI from 24 - 27th Sept. 2019

Prof. John Makransky - "We are Already Held in the Qualities We Seek" Day 1

Prof. John Makransky - "We are Already Held in the Qualities We Seek" Day 3

Prof. John Makransky - "We are Already Held in the Qualities We Seek" Day 4

Prof. John Makransky - "We are Already Held in the Qualities We Seek" Day 2

This talk aims at giving an overview of the history of the early Marpa Kagyü lineage, while illustrating a methodological approach at the bridge of traditional and academic scholarship. In that light, we will first see that although the translator Marpa Chökyi Lodrö (1000?-1081?) is well known as the Tibetan founder of the Kagyü lineage, a close scrutiny of his biographical tradition reveals many more complexities than immediately perceptible. These documents will then be used to give an account of Marpa’s ancestry, especially the Four Currents of Transmission (kabab zhi) and his two main masters, Nāropa and Maitripa. We will then turn to Marpa’s students, the Four Pillars. Among them, Ngok Chödor (1023-1090) gave rise to the Ngokpa Kagyü familial lineage, and Milarepa (1028?-1111?), through his disciple Gampopa (1079-1153), to the Four Primary and Eight Secondary Kagyü traditions. A short account on the Four Pillars will be given, and some more attention placed on the Ngok lineage, which most closely preserved Marpa’s tantric transmission.

Cécile Ducher had a traditional education in KIBI (New Delhi) for 6 years, where she earned a BA in Buddhist Studies in 2003. She pursued her PhD at the EPHE / PSL (Paris), where she defended a thesis on the religious history of the Ngokpa Kagyü lineage that was awarded the Khyentse Foundation Award for Best Dissertation 2017-2018 (Europe). Author of a book on Marpa’s biographies, she is particularly interested in the history of the early Kagyü lineage and the specificities of the tantric transmissions coming from Marpa.
She spoke with students at RYI on 29th Jan 2020.

Dr. Cécile Ducher - "A History of the Early Kagyü lineage"

During this talk Marcia will read from her new book Dakini Activity. The source of activity is the dakini and there are five kinds of activities: peaceful, increasing, magnetizing, subjugating, and the supreme activity. The primary way to perfect these is through dakini practices, and among dakinis, there are the wisdom dakinis, in space, and worldly dakinis. These practices can be condensed into those of the three roots; the source of blessings is the lama, the source of accomplishment is the yidam, and the source of activities is the dakinis. The one who carries out the activities for the lama and the yidam is the dakini; in other words, the virtue of blessings and accomplishment is the activity, which is the dakini.

Marcia Dechen Wangmo, AKA Marcia Binder Schmidt is a renowned Buddhist translator, editor, and writer. Together with Erik Pema Kunsang, she established Rangjung Yeshe Publications (www.rangjung.com), which has been dedicated to offering educational and practice support for practitioners and scholars of Tibetan Buddhism.Together, they have translated and produced over sixty-two titles that have been translated into thirteen different languages. Marcia has also helped to develop retreat centers and study groups all over the world and has been teaching over the last ten years, sharing her humor and human approach to traditional Tibetan Buddhist practice. She spoke with students at RYI on 18th Feb 2020.

Marcia Dechen Wangmo - "Dakini Activity: The Dynamic Play of Awakening"

In this talk, Dominic Chua shares the tantalizing clues that he has uncovered through his research for the Lumbini Museum – incomplete pieces of a jigsaw – that point to the importance of sacred biographies of the Buddha. He suggests that we have much to gain by paying attention to Buddhism’s collective literary heritage, particularly when we consider the way in which narratives are connected to the spiritual faculty of faith. He will also attempt to weave into his sharing lesser-known stories of Siddhartha Gautama which are connected with Lumbini and Kapilavastu.

An educator and communications professional, Dominic is currently pursuing a course in Buddhist Studies at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Kathmandu. He received his Bachelors in English Language and Literature from the National University of Singapore and has previously been active with a range of civil society causes in Singapore. He is also serving as a researcher with the Lumbini Museum Initiative, an effort to revive and re-imagine a museum in Lumbini, Nepal. He spoke with students at RYI on 8th February, 2021

Dominic Chua - "Thus Have We Heard: The Place of Sacred Stories in Buddhist Spirituality"

Rangjung Yeshe Institute (RYI) has conducted study programs in Nepal for more than 25 years. Since 2002 RYI has partnered with Kathmandu University offering academic credit for those study programs. In 2009 RYI launched its online learning program. Our aim is to utilise our expertise and experience to enable students from around the world to study Buddhism and Himalayan Languages with us.

Rangjung Yeshe Institute

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