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Curating courses that blend the Tibetan Buddhist lineage with contemporary fields of study.

17/08/2026

"Moral progress doesn't require perfection"

Geoff Barstow has devoted his career to studying Tibetan Buddhism, history, and the philosophy of animal ethics — work rooted in years of on-the-ground research across the Tibetan plateau.

In this interview, he shares a moral assumption that runs through Tibetan Buddhist thought and rarely gets acknowledged in Western debates.

No hedging, no lingering question of whether animals are "aware enough" to count morally. Just a starting point — and from there, room to grow, imperfectly, toward doing less harm.

Curious what else Tibetan Buddhist philosophy can teach us about ethics, sustainability, and how we treat the world around us? Dive into the full interview. [link in comments]

15/08/2026

Before phones, before noise, the mind had room to breathe.

In this episode of Living Dharma Podcast, hosts Kunsang Palmo and Justin Kelley sit down with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, known for her years in solitary retreat, the founding of Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery, and the revival of the Togdenma lineage. Together, they explore why the vast, quiet landscapes that once shaped the Tibetan mind have given way to phones, screens, and constant stimulation, and what it takes to cultivate that same spaciousness now.
Jetsunma speaks candidly about raising children in a distracted age, why silence has come to feel unnatural, and how a little conscious awareness, brought to any ordinary moment, can still transform a life.
New episode out now. Link in the comments.

14/08/2026

"Suffering is co-constitutive of transformation. It's not an antithesis. In some sense, that is the path."

Rob Roeser reflects on the hardest moments of his life — not getting tenure, a lost relationship, an injury that ended his athletic career — and how, looking back, each one became part of the path itself, not a detour from it.

In Episode 8 of the Living Dharma Podcast, he traces the line from a teacher's one-word answer to "what is spiritual life?" — struggle — to a hard-won understanding of why that word was true.

Listen now. Link in the comments.

10/08/2026

"Meeting people where they are"

Geoff Barstow has spent over six years researching Tibetan Buddhism and animal ethics across Nepal, China, and Tibet. In this interview, he explores something Western animal ethics conversations rarely make room for: grace.

"Tibetan authors will often say things like, 'If you cannot be completely vegetarian, that's all right—eat less meat, avoid it on holy days, or abstain from certain kinds.'"
Rather than demanding a fixed identity — vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian — the Tibetan tradition Geoff studies invites people to simply do better than before. No labels. No purity tests. Just movement in the right direction.

What would our relationship to food, ethics, and each other look like if we borrowed that spirit? Read the full interview to find out. [link in comments]

06/08/2026

Some of the most meaningful moments aren't grand gestures. They're the quiet rituals we barely notice.

A wave at the end of the day. A familiar smile. A simple, "See you tomorrow."

In Episode 8 of the Living Dharma Podcast, Rob Roeser reflects on how these ordinary exchanges remind us that our lives are woven together — and how, as the Ubuntu philosophy suggests, we call each other into being simply by showing up for one another, again and again.

Listen now. Link in bio.

04/08/2026

In our latest interview, scholar Geoff Barstow shares what decades of studying Tibetan Buddhism and animal ethics have taught him: that the tradition offers not rigid rules, but a model of flexibility — meeting people where they are, rather than demanding fixed labels or all-or-nothing commitments. From a striking anti-meat passage by 19th-century master Patrul Rinpoche to what "partial vegetarianism" looks like in practice, Geoff traces a different way of thinking about our everyday choices around food, sustainability, and care for other beings.

A thoughtful conversation on tradition, complexity, and what it really means to live an ethical life in an imperfect world.

Read here: linktr.ee/tergarinstitute

"Tibetan authors will often say things like, 'If you cannot be completely vegetarian, that's all right—eat less meat, avoid it on holy days, or abstain from certain kinds.'"
— Geoff Barstow

01/08/2026

What we need more than anything now is not engineers. According to Rob Roeser, it's artists, ecologists, and new vision — more color, more beauty, more earthiness and humility to balance the truth we've already built with technology.

In Episode 8 of Living Dharma Podcast, he asks what it might mean to educate for an unstable world, drawing on pre-modern wisdom to meet a post-modern age.

Listen now. Link in bio.

29/07/2026

Applications close 31 July. This is the last window to join the Fall 2026 cohort.

Guided by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Tergar Institute's Applied Buddhist Studies program is a 3-month immersive at Tergar Osel Ling Monastery in Nepal, and the entry point into a multi-year journey through the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.

It begins with Foundations of Buddhist Experience and opens onto the full arc: Abhidharma, Lojong, Madhyamaka, Pramana, Prajnaparamita, and the Heart of Vajrayana. Each course is organized around original manuscripts by Mingyur Rinpoche alongside classical Indian and Tibetan texts, supplemented by contemporary fields of study. Study, meditation, and community, held together over three months in the Kathmandu Valley.

If you have been sitting with whether this is your path, this is the moment to listen for the answer.

Scholarships available. Apply by 31 July. Link in comments.

25/07/2026

Join us this fall for Tibetan Language Course for Meditators!

We're offering the first-level Tibetan Language for Meditators course again! This course is designed as a primer for those interested in directly relating to the prayers and practices of Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan language expert Joseph Faria will introduce the alphabet, basic grammar and vocabulary, and keys for directly understanding Tibetan-language prayers and practices.

No prerequisites needed—just bring your curiosity and dedication to fully engage in this enriching program!

**Classes run August 24 – December 2, 2026
**Held via Zoom

Spots are limited. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity! REGISTER by August 21, 2026!

For more info, visit our website or the link in comments

24/07/2026

What a night!
Thank you to everyone who joined us in person and online for our Dharma Chat with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Justin Kelley, and Sandra Fernandez.
Host Daniel Aitken led a rich conversation on The Nalanda Approach, exploring how Tergar Institute is bridging traditional Buddhist education with innovation for today's modern world, bringing the 3 yanas onto 1 cushion through an experiential curriculum that brings us closer to recognizing the true nature of who we really are.
Grateful for this community and this living tradition. 🙏

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Kathmandu

Website

http://tergarinstitute.org/

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