Rangjung Yeshe Institute

On Friday, June 12, students and staff embarked on a field trip to Patan, one of the Kathmandu Valley’s most remarkable cultural and historical centers. The visit offered an opportunity to explore its rich architectural heritage, vibrant local traditions, and centuries-old Buddhist and Hindu monuments, providing a meaningful extension of classroom learning through direct engagement with Nepal’s living history.

Join us on Wednesday, June 24th for "Wandering and Meditating in Wild Places" by Dr. Julia Stenzel

The Dakinis’ Vast Resounding Expanse (mkha’ ’gro gad rgyangs) is the chöd practice of the Khandro Nyingthik tradition, revealed by the tertön Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798). This practice forms the basis for meditation in wild and liminal environments, known as nyensa (gnyan sa), a peripatetic meditation tradition in which practitioners are constantly on the move and meditate in caves, charnel grounds, and other traditionally consecrated or haunted landscapes. For a meditator on nyensa, the landscape itself becomes an active field of practice as opposed to the experience in a single bounded retreat site. Drawing on the 108-day nyensa practice of Khentrul Ngawang Lhundrup, a disciple of Chatral Rinpoche, in the spring of 2025, this lecture will first introduce three key texts that form the commentarial basis of mkha’ ‘gro gad rgyang. It will then present observations and reflections from Khentrul Ngawang Lhundrup’s journey, highlighting how doctrinal instructions are enacted through movement across diverse environments. Finally, it will address a broader question: What significance does meditative wandering through wilderness, charnel grounds, and other liminal or fear-inducing spaces hold for Buddhist practitioners in the twenty-first century?

Dr. Julia Stenzel is director of studies and associate professor at Rangjung Yeshe Institute, Kathmandu. She received her doctorate in Buddhist Studies from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Her research examines ethics in Indian and Tibetan Mahāyāna Buddhism. Her doctoral research examined Buddhist compassion cultivation and its adaptation in secular compassion training programs.

𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐄:
Wednesday 24th June
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM NPT
(On-Campus & Online)
Classroom 103

𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐃:
Zoom ID: 431 318 1117
Passcode: 108108

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Full details available here: https://ryi.org/news/pl-wandering-and-meditating-in-wild-places

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄?

RYI offers first year of BA in Buddhist Studies with Himalayan Language 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘, where you can study Buddhist philosophy and canonical languages from the comfort of your home, then transition to campus in the heart of Kathmandu for the three immersive remaining years.

To learn more about this unique online-to-campus study pathway, click the link here: https://ryi.org/programs/ba-online

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗻𝗶

My exploration of Buddhism's rich traditions began when I first traveled to Kathmandu to study at Rangjung Yeshe Institute. Studying at a living, breathing institute of Tibetan Buddhist learning in Boudhanath was a uniquely immersive experience - courses came alive through field visits to monasteries, while classes on history and philosophy introduced me to paradigm-shifting perspectives. My time at RYI was deeply formative in shaping my personal, professional, and academic trajectory.

𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻!
Have any questions about the Courses? Please reach out to us at [email protected].

Join us on Wednesday, June 17th for “At the Border of Song and Story: Methodological Challenges in the Study of Himalayan Spiritual Songs and Biographies” by Michael D. Smith

This talk will provide an overview of the styles and characteristics of traditional religious biographies (rnam thar) and spiritual songs (mgur glu) composed in the Himalayas and Tibet, relying on Tibetan and English language scholarship. Offering examples from Dolpo Tadru Orgyan Tenzin’s (1657-1737) song collection, Melodies of Mountain Retreat (ri khrod nyams dbyangs), the discussion will highlight how spiritual songs defy simple categorization and will suggest methodological strategies for rethinking literary typologies.

Michael D. Smith is a PhD Candidate in Religious Studies at the University of Virginia, and former Fulbright Scholar to Nepal (2006–2007). He holds a master’s degrees in Social Work and Public Health from Tulane University (2010) and in Translation, Textual Interpretation, and Philology from Kathmandu University Centre for Buddhist Studies at Rangjung Yeshe Institute (2023), supported by a Tsadra Foundation scholarship. He worked as the Interim Academic Director of the School for International Training (SIT) Nepal: Tibetan and Himalayan People’s Program. He also directs annual summer study abroad programs in north India for Tulane University. His previous research has included oral histories of the first Khari Rinpoche Lobsang Tsultrim, which he collated into a full-length biography (2004–05), and contemporary Newari patrons of Tibetan Buddhist lamas in the Kathmandu Valley (2006–07). His current research focuses on seventeenth- and eighteenth-century biographies, song collections and ritual texts from northwest Nepal.

𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐄:
Wednesday 17th June
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM NPT
(On-Campus & Online)
Classroom 103

𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐃:
Zoom ID: 431 318 1117
Passcode: 108108

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Full details available here: https://ryi.org/news/public-lecture-at-the-border-of-song-and-story

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬

Our students share what studying at Rangjung Yeshe Institute is really like.
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APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN FOR FALL 2026.
The semester begins: August 19, 2026

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬
• Bachelor of Arts in Buddhist Studies with Himalayan Language
• Visiting Student Program
• Non-Credit Study Program
• MA Preparatory Program (Bridging Program)

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬
• Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies
• Master of Arts in Translation, Textual Interpretation & Philology
• Research Affiliation
• PhD in Buddhist Studies

For more details about our programs, please visit our website.

"What makes RYI truly exceptional is its rare integration of both academic and traditional approaches to Buddhist studies. On one hand, the institute offers rigorous scholarly training — critical thinking, textual analysis, translation studies, and research methodology — that meets the highest international academic standards. On the other hand, students are immersed in authentic traditional teachings passed down through living lineages, offering a depth of understanding that no textbook alone could provide. This harmonious blend of the two worlds has enriched my studies in ways I could never have anticipated. "

To read Trung Thanh Nguyen full article “ A Journey of Learning at Rangjung Yeshe Institute ”
Please click the link below:
https://studentblog.ryi.org/2026/05/27/a-journey-of-learning-at-rangjung-yeshe-institute/

Curious about the texts featured in our specialized textual studies courses this fall? Explore the rich selection we're offering:

◆ The Way of the Bodhisattva
◆ Distinguishing Phenomena from Their Intrinsic Nature
◆ Gateway of Knowledge
◆ Jewel Ornament of Liberation
◆ Root Verses of the Middle Way

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟵 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟴, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲.
𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻!

Have any questions about the courses? Please reach out to us at [email protected].

𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

On May 29, the Translator Training Program (TTP) graduation ceremony was held at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery, in the presence of our founder, Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche; Principal, Dr. Thomas Doctor; and Director of Studies, Dr. Julia Stenzel. Our four graduates from the US, China, Nepal, and Mexico were felicitated with certificates and blessed by Rinpoche. We wish them all the best in their endeavors!

To learn more about our programs, please visit our website and write to us at [email protected]

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗻𝗶

What does an RYI education look like beyond the classroom?

After completing her BA and MA at Rangjung Yeshe Institute, Franziska Oertle went on to teach Colloquial Tibetan at Sarnath International Nyingma Institute and author the Heart of Tibetan Language textbook series. Could this be your story too?

Applications for Fall 2026 are now open!
Have any questions about the Courses? Please reach out to us at [email protected].