Tibetan Nyingma Meditation Centers Organizations

Since coming to the West, Tarthang Tulku, a leading Tibetan master and teacher, has established many different organizations.  Each playing a different role in the transmission of Buddhist teachings in the West and the preservation of the Buddhist teachings in Asia. These organizations can be thought of as a mandala, with a central point that unfolds in the four directions, each fulfilling in a distinct way the vision of the whole. In a Tibetan mandala, east is on the bottom rather than to the right.

Center, west, and east form the spine of the mandala, giving it full expression. The south and north are the wings of the mandala, giving it strength and support so that it can unfold in new dimensions.

Center
Tibetan Nyingma Meditation Center (TNMC)
TNMC is the spiritual center of the Nyingma organizations. It is the vehicle for the Head Lama to shape the vision of Nyingma in the West.

East
Dharma Publishing and Yeshe De Project
Dharma Publishing and the Yeshe De Project make available the teachings, both in written form and through sacred art. As suggested by the eastern rising sun, the unfolding of the vision begins here, for the teachings support understanding that can deepen into realization. All of Dharma Publishing's income, which is generated through the sale of its Western language books and art, is donated to the production of more texts and art. Yeshe De texts, produced in Tibetan, are given without charge to Tibetans throughout Asia • Yeshe De Tibetan Text Preservation project
 

South
Tibetan Aid Project
The south is associated with the earth, with lineage, and with the resources that make success possible. The Tibetan Aid Project reaches back to the Tibetan people, the source of the Nyingma heritage, and supports the preservation of their culture. It also reaches out to the public at large, inviting their participation and informing them as to work most in need of support.TAP generates income from private and corporate donors and uses that income in support of monastic centers and individuals, traditional ceremonies, and production and distribution of texts and art.• Tibetan Aid Project

West
Odiyan
The west is the realm of beauty and fulfillment, representing the riches of the tradition as it comes to full flower. The temples and monuments of Odiyan, a retreat center and monastery, express this beauty. By giving form to the teachings, Odiyan helps assure that in the future those teachings will flourish in the Western world.• Odiyan Country Center  

 Ratna Ling Retreat Center

Situated across the valley from Odiyan lies Ratna Ling Retreat Center the gate to the beauty, wisdom and joy of the Tibetan Culture to the western mind. Ratna Ling hosts retreats and workshops on a wide variety of topics and practices. It serves as home to Dharma Mangalam Press, Dharma Publishing and Yeshe De Text Preservation Project.

North
Nyingma Institute
Like TAP in the south, the Institute reaches out to the larger community. The north is associated with accomplishment and completion, and the Institute fulfills this role by making the teachings available in a form adapted for the culture of the West and for these challenging times.The Institute generates income through its classes and programs,  all of which goes to support additional educational projects and text preservation.• Nyingma Institute
 

Other elements in the greater mandala

Mangalam Centers

 http://www.mangalamcenters.org/

Located in the heart of downtown Berkeley in an elegant and expansive century-old building is home to:

The Sarnath International Nyingma Institute

http://www.mvp-international.com/

Currently under construction, is located in the village in India where the Buddha first taught.

The Light Foundations

The four Light Foundations: Vajra Light, Prajna Light, Ananda Light, and Light of Buddhadharma sponsor education, ceremonies, and rebuilding of Tibetan culture in Tibet and among the Tibetan exile communities. Light of Buddhadharma Foundation supports the Theravadin Sangha and the restoration of the Buddhist holy places of India in support of the larger goal of revitalizing the Buddhist tradition in the land of its birth..

International Centers

Each of the four officially established international Nyingma Centers operates on the mandala principle, with a residential center that serves to anchor an ever expanding set of activities.

http://www.lbdfi.org/

Nyingma Centrum Nederland

http://www.nyingma.nl/site/page.php

 Located in the heart of Old Amsterdam in a marvelous building that fronts one of Amsterdam’s famous canals, NCN offers an inviting bookstore, an active Institute, a publishing company, a thriving branch of the Tibetan Aid Project, art projects, a business, and initiatives in the field of management and Skillful Means. Like all the other centers, it offers work-study opportunities.

Nyingma Zentrum Deutschland

http://www.nyingmazentrum.de/

Situated in a dynamic neighborhood in the famous city of Cologne, NZD also organizes its activities in the form of a mandala. The NZD Institute’s teachings focus on the theme of healing. There is an active program of art projects and a successful business called Lotus Designs.

Recently relocated into a beautiful new home in the vigorous city of São Paulo, INB operates a very successful printing business and has an active publishing arm. One of the first Buddhist centers established in Brazil, it draws its students and supporters from across all parts of society.

Instituto Nyingma do Rio de Janeiro

Located close to famous Sugar Loaf Mountain, the Rio Center draws large crowds to classes and other programs, and more than a hundred people regularly attend full-moon chants. Its educational programs offer a carefully crafted course of long-term study that has been followed through the years by hundreds of people, and it has been responsible for several key translations of Dharma Publishing books.

http://www.nyingmario.org.br/