INTERNATIONAL YUTHOK SANGHA COURSE

Foundations of Vajrayana Buddhism:

ONE YEAR TRAINING IN YUTHOK'S HEALING PATH
Empty space, drag to resize
In honor of the auspicious lunar Year of the Horse — the year in which Yuthok Yönten Gönpo first transmitted his heart teachings to his disciple Sumtön Yeshe Zung in the 12th century for the benefit of practitioners of future generations — this one-year online training offers a rare opportunity to receive a systematic transmission and step-by-step instruction in the foundational practices of Yuthok Nyingthig. Through authentic teachings from lineage-holder Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, accompanied by word-by-word Tibetan text study and guided progressive practices by qualified teachers, students receive a clear and structured map of the path, building genuine confidence in practice for both new and experienced students.

Vajrayana — the "Diamond" or "Indestructible" Vehicle of Buddhism — aims to rapidly transform ordinary perception into enlightened awareness, offering profound tantric methods that allow the dedicated practitioner to achieve Buddhahood in a single lifetime through skillful engagement with the mind's fundamental nature. Within the vast landscape of Vajrayana Buddhism, the Yuthok Nyingthig presents a unique and integrated path of healing for oneself and others, rooted in the timeless wisdom of the Medicine Buddha and offering practical application in a modern context.

The foundation of this path is Ngöndro — the Preliminary Practices — which offer profound opportunities to purify karma and accumulate merit, gradually and safely transforming the mind through a structured series of embodied meditations. In the Yuthok Nyingthig, special emphasis is placed on Guru Yoga. Following a deep and progressive journey through the Ngöndro practices, the course culminates in the Outer Guru Yoga, known as "the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel" — the first of four distinct Guru Yogas in the Yuthok Nyingthig — through which students establish a personal connection to the blessings of the living lineage, deepening the practitioner's own healing and enriching the healing skills they bring to others.
Write your awesome label here.

Schedule:

Sundays March 1st 2026  - January 31st 2027

7am Los Angeles | 9am Mexico City | 10am New York | 12pm Rio de Janeiro | 3pm London | 4pm Rome | 5pm Kiev | 6pm Moscow | 8:45pm Kathmandu | 10pm Jakarta | 11pm Singapore

90 minutes per session
Empty space, drag to resize

Course Format:

Following Dr. Nida's text Foundations of Vajrayana Buddhism as its primary study companion, this eleven-month program weaves together integrated study, practice, and community engagement through:

  • Monthly online teachings with Dr. Nida (1st Sunday of the month)
  • Tibetan text study with Dr. Ben Joffe (Second Sunday of the Month)
  • Progressive guided practice sessions
  • International reading and study group coordination
  • In-person retreat opportunities at multiple location

Course Includes:

  • Two Year Access to all video recordings
  • Suggested home daily practice protocols
  • Questions for contemplation
This course will be offered with simultaneous translation in multiple languages.
Please write to us if you require translation or if you would like to offer your translation services.
Empty space, drag to resize

Tuition

Suggested Contribution: Covers the basic costs of offering this program and supports our publications and ongoing efforts to preserve and transmit these teachings. By choosing this rate, you help keep our institute alive and flourishing. 

Sponsor: Your generosity makes it possible to offer reduced rates to others and supports the continuation of this living lineage.

Reduced Rate: We want these teachings to be accessible to all sincere practitioners. Choose this option if you have financial hardship or a currency exchange rate that makes the suggested contribution unaffordable.

If the reduced rate is still a financial hardship, please reach out to us by email to request further financial support.
Empty space, drag to resize
Write your awesome label here.

Dr. Nida Chenagtsang

Born in Amdo, in North Eastern Tibet Dr. Nida began his early studies Sowa Rigpa (Traditional Tibetan Medicine) at the local Tibetan Medicine hospital. Later he was awarded scholarship to enter the Lhasa Tibetan Medical University, where he completed his medical education in 1996 with practical training at the Tibetan Medicine hospitals in Lhasa and Lhoka.

Alongside his medical education, Dr. Nida trained in Vajrayana with teachers from every school of Tibetan Buddhism, especially in the Longchen Nyingthig of the Nyingma school from his root teacher Ani Ngawang Gyaltsen and in the Dudjom Tersar lineage from Chönyid Rinpoche and Sremo Dechen Yudron. He received complete teachings in the Yuthok Nyingthig lineage, the unique spiritual tradition of Tibetan Medicine, from his teachers Khenpo Tsultrim Gyaltsen and Khenchen Troru Tsenam, and was requested to continue the lineage by Jamyang Rinpoche of the Rebkong ngakpa/ma (non-monastic yogi and yogini) tradition.

 A well-known poet in his youth, Dr. Nida later published many articles and books on Sowa Rigpa (Traditional Tibetan Medicine) and the Yuthok Nyingthig tradition both in Tibetan and English which have been translated into several languages. 

Foundations of Vajrayana Buddhism

At the intersection of spiritual practice and healing wisdom lies the Yuthok Nyingthig—a complete Tibetan Buddhist path that uniquely integrates Medicine Buddha practices with Sowa Rigpa (Traditional Tibetan Medicine). The Yuthok Nyingthig was transmitted by the great Tibetan yogi-physician, Yuthok Yönten Gönpo in the twelfth century and embodies his most essential heart teachings.

Based on decades’ worth of teachings by renowned Sowa Rigpa practitioner and Buddhist teacher Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, compiled and expanded with newly translated Tibetan texts by Dr. Ben Joffe, this book is the most comprehensive guide to Yuthok’s foundational spiritual practices ever published.

While especially treasured by healers and medical practitioners, Yuthok’s practices are open to and can offer profound benefits to all seekers. Rich with traditional and personal commentary, this volume explores Yuthok’s Ngöndro and Outer Guru Yoga practices and Yuthok's distinctive seven-day retreat approach with unprecedented depth and clarity. At once a guide to one specific Tibetan tradition and an accessible introduction to Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism in general, it will be of value for both seasoned practitioners and newcomers. It explains and contextualizes the words, visualizations, and profound meaning of Yuthok's Vajrayana practices, showing readers how to connect with them in a deeply personal way in order to directly experience their transformative power.