Frequently Asked Questions
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen, two world-renowned Buddhist teachers, share the primary leadership and teaching responsibilities at Nitartha, including curriculum design and teaching the principal Buddhist courses at the Summer Institute. Rinpoche and Acharya graduated with high honors from the nine-year training program at Karma Shri Nalanda Institute in Rumtek, Sikkim, India (an affiliate of the Sanskrit University of Varanasi).
The days begin with lujong (body training) for onsite students, typically around 7am. Study courses usually are held in the morning, including some of Nitartha’s curriculum courses and the main Summer Institute teaching. After lunch, onsite students can enjoy enhancement activities such as Space Awareness exercises and thangka drawing. Then we receive Mahamudra teachings and practice Mahamudra meditation. The Summer Institute also offers Tibetan language courses.
All payments must be made in full when you complete the Summer Institute registration form, except for students applying for financial assistance. Participants with limited funds who would not be able to attend without assistance can apply for a payment plan or financial assistance for tuition.
Refunds:
A full refund is generally given for cancellations made before the late registration deadline.
Refunds on housing and meals are typically not possible after the late registration deadline. Tuition refunds of 50% can generally be given for cancellations made within 3 weeks of the first class. No refunds of any kind are typically not possible after that date.
Nitartha Institute aims to enable everyone who is interested in attending our courses to access our programs. Therefore, we established the Payment Plan and Financial Assistance (PPFA) program, which provides tuition assistance to any Nitartha participants who would not otherwise be able to attend due to financial reasons. Click here to apply.
Nitartha is open to everyone regardless of their teacher-student relationships. Some Nitartha students are formal students of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, some are formal students of other teachers, and some do not have a formal student-teacher relationship with one teacher.
While there are no requirements to attend Level 1 courses, some prior Buddhist studies would be helpful, especially knowledge about basic topics such as the Four Noble Truths, impermanence, karma, and interdependence.
Nitartha Summer Institute is open to people from all types of religious backgrounds. While some of our formal practice sessions include Buddhist liturgy, you do not need to be Buddhist in order to participate.
Since some of Nitartha’s classes are advanced, it is important to have the right kind of preparation in order to benefit from taking those classes. The prerequisites are designed with that in mind, to help students get the most out of their experience at Nitartha.
As the Buddha taught, meditation and study support each other. Philosophy greatly helps our meditation experience, and our personal experience with meditation deepens our understanding of Buddhist philosophy.
The Summer Institute was designed by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen so that studying the view and practicing Mahamudra meditation support each other. We strongly recommend that students participate in both of these activities to gain the most benefit from Summer Institute.