What need is there to say more?
The childish work for their own benefit,
The Buddhas work for the benefit of others.
Just look at the difference between them.
– Shantideva
In Gratitude . . . a series focusing on the incredible gifts offered by a handful of people over the past 10 years to create the unprecedented project of Maitripa College.
This collection is a physical representation of the incredible dedication, expertise, love, and determination a very special group of people have brought to the Maitripa College project for only one purpose—the benefit of others. This page is intended as a focal point from which to recognize and rejoice in those efforts, and to inspire all those connected to Maitripa College to remember how far we have come, and dream about how far we will go.
MA and FPMT Teacher Training
Welcome! This page was designed by two long-time students of FPMT, who are also connected to Maitripa College, to serve as a connection point for anyone who is interested in serving FPMT and especially in fulfilling the wishes of our teacher Lama Zopa Rinpoche in this way. If you have a strong, authentic aspiration and motivation to share the Buddhadharma with sentient beings as a Registered FPMT Teacher, this page and information is for you! What follows is a SUMMARY of the requirements to become a Registered FPMT Teacher, including two pieces that are specific to Maitripa College (indicated by a *). Full details and nuances of these requirements must be obtained from your Center Director, SPC, or the Lead Administrator in your center. Education One of the ways in which one may become a Registered FPMT Teacher is by completing the Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies at Maitripa College. This is a 44-credit academic degree program focused on traditional Buddhist Studies. At present, there are two degree tracks for this program: the Tibetan language track and the Contemplative Education track. Please see the Maitripa College website section that provides the details of the coursework required for the degree (click here). Completing this degree provides you with the necessary educational background you will need to be an [...]
Education of the Heart Children’s Curriculum
"Education of the Heart" is a unique and enriching curriculum designed by educators and spiritual teachers to support the development of young people’s minds. Rooted in Buddhist thought and inspired by the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, this program aims to nurture the hearts and minds of young participants. Among the learning objectives of this curriculum are a focus on mindfulness, friendship, empathy, wisdom, compassion, and love. This curriculum aims to provide a nurturing and supportive environment in which children will thrive as they learn valuable life skills, develop emotional intelligence, and internalize essential inner values, preparing them for a compassionate and mindful future. Education of the Heart Summer Camp Curriculum V1.0 Summer 2023 V2.0 Summer 2024 In Summer 2023, Maitripa College piloted its Education of the Heart curriculum at the Northwest Tibetan Cultural Association (NWTCA) Summer Camp in Washougal, Washington. Over 50 Tibetan young people ages 5-16 attended five days of sessions exploring themes crucial to personal and social development. This opportunity was extremely precious and a joyful opportunity for our collaborative of teachers, students, and practitioners from Maitripa College. As a result of the work over centuries of so many Tibetans, and as a result of the generosity of the Tibetan people from the 20th century into our present day, and especially as a result of [...]
Venerable Tenzin Drolma
Tenzin Drolma was born in Chicago, US, in 1961. She received her undergraduate degree in religious studies, philosophy and psychology. She has graduate degrees in Counseling Psychology from the University of Denver and in Buddhist Studies from Maitripa College. For 25 years she worked in the mental health field. Ven. Drolma was ordained as a nun in the Tibetan tradition in 2009. She moved to Vajrapani Institute and was resident sangha and assistant SPC for four years. From 2015 until 2022, she taught Introduction to Buddhism at Tushita Meditation Centre in India. Ven. Drolma’s teaching style includes the psychological aspects of Buddhism and she has been described as a very approachable teacher. While strongly based in the tradition of the Gelukpa school, her teaching emphasizes those aspects most helpful to modern students.
The Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies with a Focus in Contemplative Education
The Master of Arts (MA) in Buddhist Studies with a Focus in Contemplative Education at Maitripa College The Master of Arts (MA) in Buddhist Studies with a focus in Contemplative Education at Maitripa College facilitates the students’ deep engagement with Buddhist teachings, practice, and tradition while also supporting them in gaining expertise in educational theory and pedagogy, as well as effective engagement and efficacy in the world. This specialized program integrates the study of Buddhist philosophy, meditation, and spiritual formation through service with coursework in curriculum development, instructional design, and educational psychology. Students in this program explore how Buddhist principles can be applied to educational contexts and to their own practice as educators, and how to design and implement educational programs that integrate wisdom, compassion, and ethics, fostering holistic development and well-being in learners of all ages. Key components of the curriculum include: 1. Foundations of Buddhist Studies 2. Foundations of Buddhist Meditation and Contemplative Practices 3. Stages of Human Development: Learning, Teaching, and Faith 4. Educational Theory and Practice 5. Buddhist Ethics and Values 6. Instructional Strategies and Models 7. Curriculum Development 8. Educational Leadership 9. Research in Education Graduates of this program will be prepared to pursue careers as educators, curriculum developers, program coordinators, or basic meditation instructors in a variety of settings, including schools, universities, meditation [...]
Compassionately Present with Grief as a Buddhist Chaplain
by Leigh Miller, PhD (Spring 2024) ... These were the gifts of grief ... And yet, the experience has also deepened my capacity to touch grief–my own, and others’ –in my clinical work as a Chaplain ... In my second unit of clinical pastoral education (clinical chaplaincy training), I had many opportunities to reflect on being a Buddhist, a mother, and on some experiences with death and grief. I had already been a Buddhist for almost 30 years, and a mother for almost 15 years. In the care of midwives, I gave birth naturally to two children, now ages 13 and 15. Between those two extraordinarily healthy pregnancies, I suffered a miscarriage. The thoroughly overpowering, singularly focused sorrow and loss that blew through me was shocking in its power, far beyond what I could have expected to grieve after less than two months of pregnancy. Part biology and hormones, part investment in the meanings I was starting to construct for this new life, this grief experience gave sobering depth to “motherhood”. In my bones, my two living children are inconceivably precious to me. I recall their early childhoods with much tenderness and wonder, remember the frustration and exhaustion of navigating it as a single working mother in graduate school, and marvel at their unfurling personhood. In our everyday [...]
Payment Options: Mahamudra Retreat with Yangsi Rinpoche
NOTE: This page is only for those who have received acceptance and instructions regarding the upcoming Mahamudra Retreat. Please select from the following options to make your retreat payment: Payment Options for Retreat Lodgers Pay full amount now: $1,280 Pay Deposit (due by April 1): $640 Pay balance (due by May 1): $640 Payment Options for Day Only Attendees Pay full amount now: $900 Pay Deposit (due by April 1): $450 Pay balance (due by May 1): $450
Planned Giving: Legacy Gifts
One simple, flexible way to ensure that you are able to make an impact is to designate a gift to Maitripa College in your will or living trust, known as a charitable bequest. By including a bequest to Maitripa College in your will or living trust, you are ensuring that we can continue to impact the lives of students for years to come. How to do this? While planning or updating your will, simply tell your attorney that you want to leave a gift to Maitripa College. If you like, yourself or your representative can reach out by emailing education@maitripa.org to let us know. Also, inquire with your representative about Beneficiary Designations, which allow you to clearly identify how specific assets will be distributed upon your death.
Education of the Heart
Education of the Heart at Maitripa College is based on the aspiration to educate individuals in principles that develop integrity, virtue, and character in addition to intellectual knowledge. In the words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from Beyond Religion: “Just as we take for granted the need to acquire proficiency in the basic academic subjects, I am hopeful that a time will come when we can take it for granted that children will learn, as part of their school curriculum, the indispensability of inner values such as love, compassion, justice, and forgiveness.” Continuing Education at Maitripa College (Non-Degree Students; Open Enrollment) If completing a degree program is not your end goal, consider taking a class as a Continuing Education (CE) Student (Oregon resident; in person only) or Auditing Student (Non-Oregon resident; online only). Most courses offered through Maitripa College’s transformative education are available through a simple online application and registration process. Please contact us at any time to explore your options to enroll in future courses as a CE student. >MORE Open Community of Friendship, Learning, and Growth At Maitripa College, we view the interaction and relationship with the community as a major condition for the learning that happens here on all levels. Our community is comprised of degree program students, continuing [...]
Guru Puja Resources
About Guru Puja (Lama Chöpa) at Maitripa College Traditionally, the Guru Puja is celebrated on the 10th and 25th days of the Tibetan calendar. This puja lasts around 2 hours and consists of the recitation of a sadhana, visualizations, and prayers, including taking refuge and generating bodhicitta. Mantras, praises and requests are also usually recited. You may participate at whatever level you feel comfortable. Please check the community calendar here for upcoming Guru Puja dates as well as details on our two-week retreat in Summer 2024. Guru Puja/Lama Chopa Practice Text (click here to download) “I thought to mention the importance of practicing Guru Puja, which was advised by Pabongka Rinpoche as the most important essential practice in our life, the integration of guru yoga, lamrim and thought transformation. It is Gyalwa Ensapa's traditional practice, and it contains the quickest means to achieve enlightenment. Guru Puja is the most profound secret that all those great yogis, Saraha, Naropa, Tilopa, Marpa, Milarepa, and all those in the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition who achieved enlightenment in a brief lifetime of degenerated time, including Lama Tsongkhapa disciple’s disciple, Gyalwa Ensapa, Drubchen Chökyi Dorje and all those many others—the essential thing that made them achieve enlightenment in a brief lifetime of degenerated time is by this practice, [...]
Summer 2023 Update and Appeal
Among other extraordinary accomplishments of Maitripa College, just in past few months of Summer 2023, we invite you to rejoice with us in the following: Creating the Conditions for Our Teacher’s Swift Return: A Weekend of Practice in Community and Teachings by Khandro-la ~ June 24-26, 2023 In order to create auspicious conditions for the swift return of our teacher, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, to guide us all, Yangsi Rinpoche and the Maitripa College community, including staff and many volunteers, recently hosted a long weekend of practice and teachings in Portland, Oregon, anchored around the auspicious visit of Khandrola. Hundreds of people joined us in person and online to learn and practice together, and shared in community meals, conversation, and practice with senior teachers. >Please click here for details and photo gallery. Maitripa College Working with the Tibetan Association’s Children’s Camp This year at the request of the Education Director of the Tibetan Association in Portland, Maitripa is supporting the Tibetan Summer Camp with some curriculum pieces involving meditation and helping children access, develop, and integrate qualities of mind. Our curriculum right now (focuses) focuses on meditations on: Empathy & Friendship, Managing Big Emotions, Interdependence & Wisdom, and Compassion & Love, all in service to Developing a Good Heart. Maitripa students and alumni are being trained in how to guide young [...]
Buddhist Spiritual Care Grief Support Group
View the Community Calendar for Upcoming Dates for This Group In these times, grief is common, but rarely spoken. Our hearts may feel disconnected from others we know, from our dharma practice, and from our daily lives. When gathering for sharing and listening in sacred space and in relationships built on dharma, we may experience a reconnection. This is a practice of deep listening, compassionate connection, and supportive presence. All are welcome to a facilitated sharing and listening circle centered on grief. We invite participants to join us in beginning and ending each session with contemplative practices and offer the opportunity to everyone to mindfully share our experiences of loss, or just compassionately listen. You may be grieving the loss of a specific individual(s) or pet who has died; or have lost a job, relationship, or the security of a home or health; you may be supporting someone who is dying or grieving; you may be feeling grief for the planet and for the lives of so many beings suffering the impacts of climate change, war, and injustice. A Buddhist spiritual care grief support group will continue to meet monthly at Maitripa College. These groups will be facilitated by people with a combination of religious and contemporary spiritual care qualifications. We will gather in a quiet space at Maitripa [...]
The Hardest Teaching (Reflections on the Passing of our Teacher)
The Hardest Teaching: An Attempt at Clarity from a Muddy Mind (Reflections on the Passing of our Teacher) by Namdrol Miranda Adams (May 31, 2023) For many days I have been aspiring to put into writing what this has been like. But I’ve been unable to; instead I’ve swung between the states of deepest grief and quiet resignation. Neither of those places makes me feel like writing a single word, particularly. But today I will try to express a few thoughts, briefly. I’ve been deeply considering how foolish I have been in this lifetime to think, with some assurance, that at certain points in this existence my heart would never break again. If I step back a bit I see that I have made a version of this error frequently, and with abandon. When I was small I thought for certain I would never learn to drive. In my twenties, I thought I would never leave my sweet and humble meditation room. And even today I am guilty of this assumption, as I sometimes look at the gifts around me and revel in how I have, finally, attained them, for good. The assumption that things will always stay the same has been such a gentle, constant companion in my life! And although I’ve done meditation practice for years and can [...]
Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maitripa College
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Long Life Prayers Are Offered to His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Maitripa College Participates in Long Life Prayers and Offerings to His Holiness the Dalai Lama by FPMT (May 24, 2023) Yangsi Rinpoche and Maitripa College participated in the FPMT’s offering of a glorious Long Life ceremony for His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Thekchen Choling, the main temple in Dharamsala, India, on May 24, 2023. The ritual, with specifically arranged prayers and elaborate offerings, was designed and initiated by Khyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche on behalf of the FPMT over many years, and had been scheduled for May, prior to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s passing away in April. The FPMT Board, the Abbot of Kopan Monastery, and Yangsi Rinpoche, Founder and President of Maitripa College, made the offering and requests for His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama to live long and continuously teach the dharma for the benefit of all living beings. His Holiness playfully greeting Yangsi Rinpoche during the puja (source: www.dalailama.com/) Concurrently, in Portland, Oregon, USA, Maitripa College faculty, staff, and community members gathered to participate in the live stream, reciting the prayers and making offerings in the Jokhang meditation hall. We all rejoiced seeing Yangsi Rinpoche on the livestream, seated in the front row of esteemed lamas, and, during the procession presentation of offerings, having his nose playfully and affectionately pinched by His Holiness! His Holiness spoke [...]
Children at Maitripa College
Children at Maitripa College: Our Policy and Plans We plan to open the Tara School at Maitripa College in 2024, which will house a preschool program in a prepared environment. Before Covid, we offered programming for children on Sundays during Community Events at Maitripa, but we have not yet been able to reinstate this program safely due to a lack of resources, so we ask for your patience. Rest assured that we know that young people are central to our mission at Maitripa College, and we are committed to developing more resources to support them in the coming year. Details about Tara School programs and enrollment are available here. In the Meantime... In the meantime, if your child is able to sit quietly and regulate themselves physically, verbally, and mentally, you are invited to bring them into the Jokhang Meditation Hall during teachings, practice, or puja. Please keep in mind that the Jokhang is a sacred space, and we ask that all who enter it treat it as such to the best of their capacity. If you do not know what this means, please ask! Please do not leave your children unattended at Maitripa College. Please keep in mind that others come to Maitripa to meditate, listen to teachings, or do ritual practice, and be respectful of their space and [...]
Special 2023-2024 Course Series: The Three Jewels
In many traditions, taking refuge is the beginning of the Buddhist path, and the first step in identifying as a Buddhist, and committing to ethical guidelines by which one will engage with the world. This series of three courses, given over the course of two years, will explore each of the three jewels with an eye towards the traditional as well as contemporary, lived experience of these elements. Rooted in the framework of the explanation of the three jewels from the Uttaratantra, said to have been dictated by Maitreya to Asanga, this series of courses will ground students in traditional understandings of the three jewels according to the philosophical tradition based in the Nalanda masters and lived in some Buddhist societies and explore the bridge between those and modern implementation in our own societies. 1. The Buddha Jewel: The Teacher, The Guru Venerable Losang Yönten & Dr. Namdrol Miranda Adams Spring 2025 This is a hybrid class (meets onsite and online 3 hours weekly; auditing only available for out of state students) In taking refuge in the Buddha, Buddhists look to the historical Shakyamuni Buddha as a teacher and example. Buddhists not only take refuge in the historical figure Shakyamuni, but also in the myriad enlightened beings that were said to come before him, as well as those who will [...]
Lama Zopa Rinpoche Prayers and Practices
Prayer for the Swift Return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche by His Holiness the Dalai Lama with additional prayers by other distinguished lamas (download PDF booklet here) View video message from Yangsi Rinpoche to the Maitripa College Community View all news updates from the FPMT International Office, including video link to ongoing prayers from Kopan's main gompa Shantideva Center in New York is hosting daily online practices for 49 days and providing links to other FPMT centers' activities.
Venerable Tenzin Jampa
Venerable Tenzin Jampa joined Shang Gadhen Chokhor Ling monastery in Pokhara, Nepal as a child and received his Buddhist education there from his root teacher Choedhing Rinpoche. After the completion of the monastic curriculum, he went to Sera Monastery in South India for further study. In 1991, Venerable Jampa returned to his home monastery and received transmission of various lineages of ritual practice, and became the chant leader of the monastery, a position he held for 14 years. Since 2004, Venerable Jampa has been working in administration for the monastery. Over this time, Venerable Jampa has worked joyfully to fulfill the wishes of his teachers, and to share his understanding and practice around the world.
William (“Bill”) Magee (1949-2023)
Dear Maitripa College Community, Our beloved Bill Magee passed away peacefully yesterday (February 20, 2023) in the sunset hours. Bill has had visits and prayers from teachers, friends, and community members all week, and Yangsi Rinpoche and Venerable Yonten were able to be with him shortly after he passed at home last night. All reports are that Bill’s passing was very quiet, loving, and peaceful. Please email Namdrol at education@maitripa.org if you wish to add a personal tribute to this page. (photo: Dr. Magee teaching Classical Tibetan Language at Maitripa College) In Tribute (From the foreword of a forthcoming publication) Honoring William A. (“Bill”) Magee: He is my colleague known well during his eleven-year multi-faceted stint as Vice President of the UMA Institute for Tibetan Studies 2011-2022. But far more so as close friend for several decades, illustrated so well by a short tale: An evening thirty-one years ago, I suddenly felt that I should put his phone number into the speed-dial and asked my partner to dial it when needed. The next morning, I told him to push the button. Bill arrived from Charlottesville at the foothills of the Blue Ridge, long before the ambulance. Without him, this translation also would still be on a dark shelf! ~ Jeffrey Hopkins [...]
Special Opportunity: Private Spiritual Care Conversations
We Are Here for You: Private Spiritual Care Conversations Are Available Maitripa College offers opportunities for community care and student learning in the form of private, short, spiritual care conversations with chaplains, faculty, or advanced students in the MDiv and MA degree programs. Chaplains and faculty may be available to support the community. When trained and available, students welcome opportunities to practice their skills in compassionate presence and deep listening as they are preparing for chaplaincy and spiritual caregiving service in the world. We invite you to be in touch if you would be willing to engage in a confidential spiritual care conversation; experience has shown that they are mutually beneficial for students and volunteer participants! Wondering if this is for you? Participation is entirely free, and open to anyone, regardless of background or identity. Would you find it helpful to reflect with someone on integrating spiritual practice into your life? Are you coping with a loss, or struggling with decisions, or worried about a relationship, health, or a job? Would you find it supportive to simply be able to speak what is on your mind, and be heard and witnessed with compassion? If these or any other topic of your choice could use empathy or a fresh perspective, please volunteer! Please sign up for a free 30 minute private [...]
Yangsi Rinpoche, Geshe Lharampa
Yangsi Rinpoche (President) was recognized as the reincarnation of Geshe Ngawang Gendun, a renowned scholar and practitioner from Western Tibet, at the age of six. Rinpoche trained in the traditional monastic system for over 25 years, and practiced as a monk until the age of 35. In 1995 he graduated with the highest degree of Geshe Lharampa from Sera Je Monastery in South India. He then completed his studies at Gyume Tantric College, and, in 1998, having the particular wish to benefit Western students of the Buddhadharma, Rinpoche came to the West to teach and travel extensively throughout America and Europe. Rinpoche served as a resident teacher at Deer Park Buddhist Center (Madison, Wisconsin) for five years, and is currently the Spiritual Director of Ganden Shedrup Ling Buddhist Center (San Juan, Puerto Rico), Dharma Friendship Foundation (Seattle, Washington), and Tara Buddhist Center (Nashville, Tennessee). In 2006 he became a father. He founded Maitripa College in 2005 in Portland, Oregon. Rinpoche is the author of Practicing the Path: A Commentary on the Lamrim Chenmo, published in 2003 by Wisdom Publications. Rinpoche teaches in English, and is admired wherever he travels for his unique presentation of the Dharma, his interest in and enthusiasm for Western culture, and his evident embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of the Buddhist path. When not in the classroom [...]
