Programs

  • Full Program: Path of Transformation & Realization (Campground) – $3,650.00
  • Module 1: Path of Transformation (Campground) – $1,880.00
  • Module 2: Path of Realization (Campground) – $1,880.00
  • Full Program (Commuter) – $2,650.00
  • Module 1 / 2 (Commuter) – $1,380.00
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Samye Institute Summer Immersion: The Buddhist Arts & Sciences

With Phakchok Rinpoche, Tulku Migmar Tsering, Ven. Wangchuk Dorjee Negi, John Makransky, Hilary Herdman, Oriane Lavole, Seth Auster-Rosen, Tawni Tidwell and Tenzin Loden

June 16 - July 26, 2025

This immersive six-week program offers a unique opportunity to delve into the timeless wisdom of the Buddhist tradition. Combining intellectual exploration with personal transformation, it integrates teachings on the inner fields of knowledge—Buddhist philosophy and meditative practices—with the outer fields of knowledge, such as logic, medicine, language, artisanry, astrology, and geomancy. These teachings are delivered by accomplished Tibetan masters and academically-trained scholar-practitioners, fostering a holistic learning experience. Apply here for a summer to remember.

 

CLICK HERE to visit the Samye Institute Summer Immersion website for more details.

 

What You’ll Learn

 

Rooted in centuries-old training methods from India and Tibet, this program introduces participants to the foundational Buddhist wisdom that balances theoretical knowledge with practical application. Over six weeks, students will:

 

  • Learn Buddhist Philosophy and Practices: Guided by Tulku Migmar, and special guest teachers Phakchok Rinpoche, Ven. Wangchuk Negi, and Prof. John Makransky, explore foundational Buddhist principles and meditative practices.
  • Explore Outer Fields of Knowledge: Engage with disciplines like logic, medicine, astrology, geomancy, and artisanry, taught by specialists with academic and practical expertise.
  • Enhance Mind-Body-World Connection: Participate in yoga, Qi Gong, mindful movement, and outdoor meditation to deepen your relationship with nature and cultivate mental and physical harmony.

 

A core practice throughout the program will be daily immersion in a sit spot on the land, guided by Tibetan medical doctor Tawni Tidwell and eco-chaplain in training and translator Oriane Lavole. This practice encourages participants to build a profound connection to the land, deepening their awareness of the interplay between the outer environment and inner mindfulness. Additionally, a Tibetan language component will introduce key terminology relevant to Buddhist studies, and give intermediate students the opportunity to join weekly reading and translation workshops.

 

The program is structured into two modules:

 

Module 1: Path of Transformation (June 16–July 5)

Module 2: Path of Realization (July 7–July 26)

 

Classes run Monday through Friday, offering four daily sessions:

 

  • Morning Meditation (7:00–8:00 AM): Traditional Tibetan Buddhist practices such as Treasury of Blessings (Module 1) and Concise Manual for Daily Practice (Module 2).
  • Buddhist Philosophy and Practice (10:30 AM–12:00 PM): Teachings on achieving Buddhahood.
  • Outer Fields of Knowledge (2:30–4:00 PM): Sessions led by expert instructors.
  • Personal Sitting Practice (4:00–5:00 PM): Individual meditation held daily in the same natural spot on campus. This practice fosters a deeper connection to the land, allowing participants to attune to the surrounding plants, wildlife, and the rhythms of the natural environment, enriching their meditative experience and sense of connection.

 

Where You’ll Stay

 
During the Samye Institute Summer Immersion, onsite participants will stay in our campground, with each tent set on a sturdy platform and fully furnished, including bedding, to ensure a comfortable stay. Enjoy communal meals in our Lotus Barn, fostering connections with fellow participants over delicious, local, nourishing food. Staying with us onsite will encourage full engagement with the program’s teachings while being immersed in the tranquility of our 26-acre campus.
 
For those who prefer not to camp, commuter options are also available, allowing you to fully participate in the program while staying offsite. Whether onsite or commuting, you’ll enjoy the perfect environment to immerse yourself in the teachings and practices of the Summer Immersion program

 

How You’ll Transform

 
This six-week journey offers more than just an academic or meditative experience—it provides an opportunity to harmonize the intellectual, spiritual, and physical aspects of life. By engaging deeply with the inner and outer fields of knowledge, participants will develop a holistic understanding of how ancient wisdom can be integrated into modern life.

Daily practices, such as meditation in nature and mindful movement, foster a profound connection to the environment and a sense of balance between inner awareness and outer engagement. Through guidance from accomplished Tibetan masters, expert scholars, and contemplative ecologists, students will cultivate insights that resonate far beyond the program.

Ultimately, this program is designed to inspire meaningful transformation, helping participants to integrate these teachings into their personal lives while building a deeper relationship with themselves, their communities, and the natural world.

 

Reserve Your Spot Today

 

Spaces are limited—apply today to this journey of self-discovery and holistic transformation. Experience the natural beauty of Samye’s rural campus, learn from accomplished teachers, and immerse yourself in practices that inspire lasting change.

 

Early Bird (until March 15): Save 10% when you register early. Use the Code: PADMA108

 

 

Teachers

Phakchok Rinpoche
Phakchok Rinpoche was born in 1981 and is a lineage holder of the Profound Treasures of Chokgyur Lingpa from the Nyingma School of Early Translations and one of the throne-holders of the Riwoche Taklung Kagyu Lineage. Phakchok Rinpoche’s primary root gurus are his grandfather, the late Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, and late Kyabje Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche. Phakchok Rinpoche has received a traditional education from the Dzongsar Shedra in India, the complete Chokling New Treasures lineage from Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and Kyabje Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche, and the Great Perfection lineage from Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche. Rinpoche’s teaching style is direct, addressing the…
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Tulku Migmar Tsering
Tulku Migmar Tsering is a master of the Chokling New Treasures lineage of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He was born in Nubri, Nepal in 1975 and began his training at an early age after having been recognized as a reincarnate lama. Tulku Migmar began his formal education in 1983 at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery in Kathmandu. Through the years, Tulku Migmar proved to be an outstanding practitioner, mastering all of the elaborate vajrayana rituals and sacred arts so essential to the Chokling New Treasures tradition. Tulku-la completed a 3-year retreat under the close guidance of his root guru,…
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Ven. Wangchuk Dorjee Negi
Prof. Wangchuk Dorjee Negi is currently the Vice Chancellor of Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, Varanasi. He did his Acharya (MA) in Buddhist Philosophy with Gold Medal from the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath and PhD (Buddhist Philosophy) from Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi. He is a Professor of Indian Buddhist Philosophy in the Department of Mool Shastra, Faculty of Hetu Evam Adhyatma Vidya at CIHTS, Sarnath. He was the Dean of the Faculty of Hetu Evam Adhyatman Vidya and Director of R&D Cell of the Institute. His teaching area involves tenets of the four Indian Buddhist…
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John Makransky
John Makransky, PhD, is a professor of Buddhism and Comparative Theology at Boston College, senior advisor for Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche’s Centre of Buddhist Studies in Nepal, a fellow of the Mind and Life Institute, and developer of the Sustainable Compassion Training model for accessing innate capacities of compassion and awareness. John’s scholarly writings have focused on connections between practices of devotion, compassion and non-dual wisdom in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, on adapting Buddhist practices to meet contemporary minds, and on theoretical issues in interfaith learning. In 2000, John was ordained as a Lama, a meditation teacher of innate compassion and wisdom, within…
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Hilary Herdman
Hilary Herdman, PhD, studied and taught at Rangjung Yeshe Institute at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling monastery since 2000. Hilary was a founding member of the Dharmachakra Translation Committee. She completed an MA and later a Ph.D in Buddhist Studies at the University of Bristol, UK. Her thesis concerned the origins of pilgrimage and her research interests include pilgrimage, devotional and ritual practices, and their significance in the Buddhist tradition. She is a member of Samye Institute Manager team, serving as Content Manager. She humbly wishes to thank her teachers, Khyabje Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche and Phakchok Rinpoche for their tremendous compassion, wisdom…
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Oriane Lavole
Oriane Lavole is a translator and interpreter of Tibetan Buddhist texts and teachings, as well as a PhD candidate in Buddhist Studies (Religious Studies department) at Stanford University. Her research centers on ecology in Tibetan Buddhism, land-based rituals, and the relationship to sacred sites. In parallel, Oriane is training as a Buddhist eco-chaplain and developing the contemplative ecology curriculum for Samye New York.
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Seth Auster-Rosen
Seth Auster-Rosen is a PhD candidate in Philosophy of Religions at the University of Chicago and has been attending teachings at Samye NY for ten years. His dissertation is a study and translation of two Madhyamaka Buddhist philosophical texts by the 8th Karmapa Mikyö Dorje on the nature of reality, what we can know about it, and how Madhyamaka is connected to Mahamudra. Seth also has interests in ecology and the philosophy of technology. He is the Academic Coordinator of the Samye Institute Summer Immersion program.
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Tawni Tidwell
Tawni Tidwell, TMD, PhD, is a biocultural anthropologist and Tibetan medical doctor, the first non-Asian to complete formal Tibetan medical training alongside Tibetan peers. She integrates Tibetan medicine, neuroscience, and Buddhist epistemology in her research, focusing on diagnostic practices for cancer and metabolic disorders. As a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she bridges Tibetan and Euroamerican medical traditions, leading studies on meditative states, Tibetan medicine for COVID-19, and meditation’s link to the gut microbiome. She also maintains a clinical practice in Wisconsin and Austria, treating chronic conditions with Tibetan medicine. Tawni credits her success to her Tibetan…
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Tenzin Loden
Tenzin Loden completed his schooling at Tibetan Children’s Village with a major in Science and Mathematics. After graduating, he volunteered as a teacher for five months at the school. He then attended Men-Tsee-Khang, Tibetan Medical and Astro-Science College, studying Tibetan Astro-Science for five years, followed by a one-year internship in the Astro-Science Department of Men-Tsee-Khang. In March 2014, Tenzin was appointed as a Tibetan Astro-Science lecturer, a position he held for six years. On January 2, 2020, he was appointed the Head of the newly established Astro-Science Research and Outreach Department. Over the years, he has had the honor of…
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