Letter from the President

Welcome to Dharmakirti College, named after the famous Indian Buddhist philosopher. We are a Vajrayana Buddhist organization striving to help ordinary beings attain enlightenment in this lifetime. To help achieve this, we offer comprehensive and systematic programs of study and practice guided by qualified masters in the tradition and facilitated by ordained Western practitioners. We are committed to the householder tradition that goes back to Shakyamuni Buddha in India and Padmasambhava in Tibet, sometimes referred to as the “white” tradition due to the robes worn by the yogis in this tradition. Many of the great Mahasiddhas of India and Tibet practiced as householders. This is particularly appropriate today in the West, where most of us work for a living and may have families and other life commitments.

Our offerings are selected from the best texts and teachings of the Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, Gelugpa, and Rimé traditions, as well as scholarly and scientific sources. Our teachers and guides include Tulku Khenchen Prachhimba Dorjee Rinpoche and Venerable Drikung Ontul Rinpoche as well as notable Western scholar/practitioner and author Dr. B. Alan Wallace.

While we are located in Tucson, Arizona, we also offer programs of study and practice via the Internet that are available globally. Programs are offered through Dharmakirti College™ locally and Dharmakirti eCollege™ on the Internet. There is a complete two-year curriculum available for those who wish to learn, but have limited time to study and practice. It includes a Survey of Tibetan Buddhism, Chenrezig and White Tara practice courses and a 9-month program in the complete path from the preliminary practices through Dzogchen based on the teachings of Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava.

For those who wish to pursue further studies, more detailed courses are being made available in Ngondro, the Bodhisattva‘s Way of Life, Buddhanature, Improving Your Practice, Generation Stage Practice, Chakrasamvara, Three Roots, Five-Path Mahamudra, Madhyamaka, Vajrayogini, the Six Yogas of Naropa, Kalachakra, and Dzogchen. In addition, for those interested in learning to lead the dharma, we will offer classes in Teaching Dharma and leading groups. Additional guided study and thesis projects cap the program for those seeking to become dharma teachers.

All of us who work diligently to bring this exciting program to you are strictly volunteers to keep our costs and your fees as low as possible, with a long-range goal of making them available for free! Your support through regular donations or contributions made specifically for special programs or teachings are deeply appreciated.

Please take the time to look over our website and what we have to offer, locally or on the web. We hope you will find this opportunity as exciting as we do and look forward to your participation and/or support!

Warm regards in the Dharma,

Khenpo Drimed Dawa

Dr. Dean Pielstick
President