Raised in activism, the author’s path evolves through Buddhist practice, transforming social action into a moment-to-moment expression of awareness and compassion. Guided by Thich Nhat Hanh and Mingyur Rinpoche, they integrate inner reflection with collective engagement, fostering empathy in conflict and demonstrating that true change arises through mindful presence and shared humanity.
In this timely essay, Tergar Institute student Eli Winkelman explores sustainability beyond “green” buzzwords, reframing it through Buddhist insight as a foundation for collective wellbeing. Drawing on environmental science, social research, and contemplative practice, he examines the interdependence of ecological stability, economic systems, and human flourishing, and outlines pathways for transformation at the personal, local, and global levels—inviting sustainability to be seen not as sacrifice, but as the conditions for a thriving world.
In this reflective essay, Tergar Institute faculty member Jacob Fisher explores how Buddhist education can honor timeless lineage while responding skillfully to contemporary contexts. Drawing on lived experience from retreat, teaching, and mentorship at Tergar Institute, he reflects on the integration of study, meditation, and real-world application, and shows how Mingyur Rinpoche’s vision offers a living model for the transmission of the Dharma beyond Tibet—fresh in expression, yet uncompromised in essence.
Justin Kelley, Anya Adair, and Colin Simonds explore what makes Tergar Institute’s Foundations of Buddhist Experience program distinctive: an immersive education where rigorous study, daily meditation practice, and mentorship become a single integrated path. Rooted in a living lineage and held within an active monastery, students engage the Dharma through listening, contemplation, and meditation—transforming understanding into embodied insight and real-world action.
Darcie Price-Wallace reflects on her first semester teaching Abhidharma at Tergar Institute, where the rhythm of meditation, study, dialogue, and mentorship shaped a living classroom. Through pilgrimages, shared challenges, and students’ creative explorations of karma, the aggregates, and the two truths, she discovers how teaching becomes a path of learning in itself.
Learning to Teach, Teaching to Learn: Reflections from My Life at Tergar Institute Read More »
Continuing their exploration of AI and spiritual practice, Justin Kelley and Jacob Fisher turn to the ethics of relying on AI for guidance. They examine the distinction between information and realization, the risks of replacing human teachers, and the nuanced ways AI might support learning without disrupting the heart of the student–teacher relationship.
Beyond Intelligence: Promise and Pitfall of AI in Buddhism (Part 2) Read More »
What role can AI play in Buddhist practice? In Part 1 of this dialogue, Justin Kelley and Jacob Fisher consider AI’s potential as a contemplative tool, the dangers of misusing it, and how Buddhist wisdom might shape its future.
Beyond Intelligence: Promise and Pitfall of AI in Buddhism (Part 1) Read More »
This Dharma Incubator profile highlights five projects bringing the Bodhisattva path into contemporary life. From death awareness and contemplative art to interdependent health, marginalized communities, and compassionate culture change, each initiative embodies view, meditation, and application—translating timeless Buddhist principles into creative responses to today’s challenges.
This conversation with Tergar Institute faculty explored transformative learning as lived Dharma. Through stories of practice, reflection, and teaching, the dialogue revealed how awareness, compassion, and wisdom can shift habits of mind and open new possibilities for growth, connection, and liberation.
Transformative Learning: From Knowledge to Wisdom Read More »
This special Heart Sutra gathering explored emptiness as lived experience. Through transmission, teaching, and practice, participants discovered how joyful effort and deep wisdom can transform daily life into a path of liberation and compassion.
Empty, Yet Engaged: The Heart of the Heart Sutra in Everyday Life Read More »
