Weekend Intensives
In addition to the core curriculum of classes, Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies offers weekend intensive teachings on topics from both eastern and western traditions. The weekend intensives are geared to students of every level, often attempting to bring difficult topics into focus for the non-specialist. Teachers for the weekend intensives include the resident Namgyal faculty, as well as world-renowned Buddhist scholars and instructors from other related fields. The weekend teachings are excellent for those with busy schedules, those who are not able to attend our core classes, and those looking for specific areas of study ranging from introductory to advanced level topics.
Tenzin Choeden (L) and Kamptrul Rinpoche (R) are two of the many noted teachers that have taught weekend intensives at Namgyal Ithaca.
A typical weekend begins with a Friday evening teaching that is free and open to the public. Saturday consists of a morning and afternoon teaching session, followed by a vegetarian dinner. The weekends conclude with a session on Sunday morning. Occasionally, weekends will include an event on Saturday evening, such as a slideshow or video presentation.
Among recent weekend intensive teachers, we have hosted Khamtrul Rinpoche, Jhado Tulku Rinpoche, Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen, Geshe Tsulga, Lama Pema Wangdak, Tenzin Wangyal, and resident Namgyal teacher Geshe Thupten Kunkhen. We have also recently hosted several eminent western Tibetan scholars, including Jay Garfield, James Blumenthal, and Daniel Arnold. The topics covered by these teachers have ranged from the Heart Sutra to medieval Indian epistemology to classical Tibetan texts, such as Ornament of the Middle Way, Parting from the Four Attachments and Ocean of Reasoning.