This final offering of the Samye Institute Summer Immersion: The Buddhist Arts & Sciences gathers the inner and outer sciences explored over the preceding weeks into an extended reflection on what it means to live, care, and die well. Drawing on the medicine teachings of Week Two, the contemplative training of the inner science weeks, and the philosophical inquiry into mind, perception, and reality, this offering turns toward the Buddhist tradition’s deepest and most practical question: how do these understandings shape the way we accompany ourselves and one another through life, illness, and death?

The week centers on the Noble Living, Noble Caring, Noble Dying program, a body of teachings on healing and bodhisattva activity in Buddhism. Tulku Migmar Tsering leads the contemplative thread, with the NLNCND team offering complementary guidance and teachings on the Buddhist understanding of healing — how the practices of attention, compassion, and presence become forms of care for ourselves, our communities, and those approaching the end of life.

This offering is designed for two audiences. It serves as an excellent preparation for participants attending Phakchok Rinpoche’s seminar that begins later in the week — including a Medicine Buddha practice on Wednesday, July 22 — and it stands on its own as a focused introduction to Buddhist healing practices for those drawn to these teachings without enrolling in the full seminar.

Format

The week weaves together several modes of learning and practice:

• Teachings on Noble Living, Noble Caring, Noble Dying
• Guided meditations and group practice
• Embodied practice through movement
• A public talk and community gathering
• Facilitated Q&A and group discussion

Accessible Sessions:

We warmly welcome locals and newcomers to drop in:

• The NLNCND Public Talk at Origins Cafe — Sunday, July 19, 4:00–6:00 pm–register here
• The morning Guided Meditation sessions on Monday and Tuesday, 7:00–8:00 am

If you’ve been curious about Samye Institute, Buddhist healing practices, or the care of body and mind through illness and aging, these are an easy way to step in and experience the teachings firsthand.

Schedule

The offering opens with a public talk on the afternoon of Sunday, July 19 and continues through Tuesday, July 21, concluding before Phakchok Rinpoche and seminar attendees arrive that evening.

Sunday, July 19 — Opening

• 12:30 – 1:15 pm — Lunch
• 4:00 – 6:00 pm — NLNCND Public Talk at Origins Cafe, with light refreshments (register for this event separately here)

Monday, July 20 — Full Day

• 7:00 – 8:00 am — Guided Meditation (free and open to all)
• 8:00 – 9:00 am — Morning Group Practice
• 9:00 – 10:00 am — Breakfast
• 10:30 – 12:00 pm — Noble Living, Noble Caring, Noble Dying (with a short break)
• 12:30 – 1:15 pm — Lunch
• 1:30 – 3:00 pm — Noble Living, Noble Caring, Noble Dying (with a short break)
• 3:30 – 4:30 pm — Healing through Movement with Andrea
• 5:00 – 6:00 pm — Q&A on Noble Living, Noble Caring, Noble Dying
• 6:00 – 7:00 pm — Inner Science with Tulku Migmar Tsering: Bodhisattva Activity through NLNCND
• 7:00 – 8:00 pm — Dinner

Tuesday, July 21 — Closing Day

• 7:00 – 8:00 am — Guided Meditation (free and open to all)
• 9:00 – 10:00 am — Breakfast
• 10:30 – 12:00 pm — Noble Living, Noble Caring, Noble Dying (with a short break)
• 12:30 – 1:15 pm — Lunch

Phakchok Rinpoche and seminar attendees arrive Tuesday afternoon, with the seminar beginning that evening.

• 1:30 – 3:00 pm — Noble Living, Noble Caring, Noble Dying (concluding session, with a short break)
• Balance of the afternoon free for joining the sangha and preparing for Rinpoche’s public talk
• 6:00 – 6:45 pm — Dinner

Wednesday, July 22 — Medicine Buddha Day: The Power of Ritual Prayer and Group Practice

The formal NLNCND course closes Tuesday afternoon, but attendees are warmly encouraged to join Wednesday morning’s Medicine Buddha Practice — the opening session of Phakchok Rinpoche’s seminar, led by Tulku Migmar Tsering and the NLNCND team and livestreamed globally.

• 7:00 – 7:45 am — Breakfast
• 8:00 – 9:30 am — Medicine Buddha Practice and Teaching with Tulku Migmar Tsering and the NLNCND team

Attendance & Hybrid Access

Participants are welcome to register for the full offering or for individual days as their schedules allow. To help sessions begin on time, we ask that all attendees arrive 15 minutes early.

The teaching, Inner Science, and Q&A sessions are offered in a hybrid format, accessible both in person and online. Recordings of these sessions will be made available to all registered attendees, so anyone who joins partway through will receive recordings of the days they missed.

Commuter registration includes lunch and dinner; residential registration includes all meals and on-site lodging. Scholarships are available on request — please reach out if cost is a barrier to attending.

Prerequisites

No prior experience is necessary. This offering is open to participants of all backgrounds, whether or not they attended earlier weeks of the immersion. It will be especially meaningful for caregivers, healthcare practitioners, chaplains, those facing illness or loss, and anyone drawn to the Buddhist tradition’s teachings on how we live with care and meet life’s most difficult passages.