Welcome to Samye

May 23, 2026

Open House: Saturdays at Samye

With Hilary Herdman and Peter Woods

We welcome you to an Open House at Samye Hermitage on Saturday, May 23rd for a morning of meditation with Hilary Herdman, followed by a community lunch and walk. Our day begins at 10:30 am with a meditation session suited for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. The session will include guidance and instruction on meditation followed by a short sit, offering a chance to cultivate mindfulness and inner stillness within a supportive group setting. For those with little ones, they are welcome to join a story and play time in the Lotus Barn during the meditation. Those of any age…

June 1 - 7, 2026

Harmonizing with the Unconditional Love and Wisdom of our Buddha Nature

With John Makransky

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective, our buddha nature (the source of our profound dignity) is the basic space of our being that is undivided from vast capacities of awareness, warmth, love, compassion and wisdom. These innate capacities are always available below our surface consciousness, but often hidden by our habits of thought and reaction.   In this week-long program of study and retreat, we will learn three modes of practice drawn from Tibetan Buddhism that harmonize us with those innate capacities. The receptive mode generates a field of care that helps us find direct access to unconditional qualities of love…

June 17 - July 27, 2026

Samye Institute Summer Immersion 2026

Explore Buddhism as a Way of Life Six- or three-week immersion at Samye New York, Cooperstown, New York   Samye Institute invites you into a rare educational and spiritual journey, a place where you can step out of habitual life, re-center yourself, and immerse in the Buddhist Arts & Sciences through direct experience.   You will live and learn in a supportive environment that integrates study, meditation, embodiment practices, nature connection, and traditional Himalayan arts, guided by masters, scholars, and experienced practitioners. This is more than a program. It’s a lived experience of the Buddha Dharma that you will take…

July 19, 2026

Compassionately Caring: A Community Gathering on End-of-Life and Caregiving

With Tsunma Jamyang Donma, Andrea Sherman and Lori Solensten, MS

Origins Cafe

Join us for an experiential afternoon of insight, reflection, and connection—a nourishing space for caregivers of all kinds to gather, learn, and share. Whether you're supporting a loved one through illness, working in healthcare or hospice, or simply exploring how to care more deeply and wisely in daily life, this gathering offers tools, stories, and companionship for the path. Through shared wisdom, self-care practices, and open conversation, we’ll explore what it means to meet illness and the end of life with courage, compassion, and clarity.   What to Expect: Guided Meditation & Grounding Practices Reflections from Buddhist Wisdom on living…

July 21 - 27, 2026

Summer Seminar 2026

With Phakchok Rinpoche

Awakening Dignity · Transformation · Realization   We warmly welcome our local and international sangha to Phakchok Rinpoche’s annual Summer Seminar at Samye Hermitage New York in Cooperstown. This stand-alone week of teaching and practice marks the culminating seminar of the Samye Institute Summer Immersion, while remaining fully open and complete as an independent program for both new and seasoned practitioners.   Over the course of the week, participants are guided through a coherent and integrated path encompassing Awakening Dignity, Transformation, and Realization, offering a full arc of contemplative training grounded in lived experience.   The seminar opens on Tuesday…