Programs
Transforming the Mind: The Practice of Lojong in Everyday Life
With Matthew Zalichin
In fall of 2025, Samye Hermitage New York hosted a weekend retreat on lojong—the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of “mind training.” Lojong teachings show us how to transform adversity into the path, open the heart of compassion, and bring Dharma practice directly into everyday life. Guided by Matthew Zalichin, this retreat focused on The Seven […]
The Song of Lodro Thaye: A Study in Mahamudra
With Matthew Zalichin
In the fall of 2023, our resident meditation instructor, Matthew Zalichin, offered a series of classes dedicated to The Song of Lodro Thaye by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye, a concise yet profound poem from the Kagyu Gyurtso. Closely aligned with Phakchok Rinpoche’s presentations on Mahamudra, this text lays out the essentials of Mahamudra—the ground, path, […]
Trinley Nyingpo Retreat
With Tulku Migmar Tsering
In this retreat, Tulku Migmar Tsering taught on the fundamentals of tantric practice, including the three samadhis, four stakes, and other essentials, with daily group practice of the Trinley Nyingpo. This condensed sadhana practice is drawn from the Lamé Tukdrup Barché Kunsel (The Guru’s Heart Practice, Dispeller of All Obstacles), which was discovered by the […]
Developing Compassion
With Tulku Migmar Tsering
In the summer of 2023, Tulku Migmar Tsering guided us toward a deeper experience of compassion. Over a week-long series of personalized teachings and practice sessions, Tulku Migmar led us into ever greater insights into how we can develop ever greater compassion, the heart of Buddhist path. This style of mind-training is a powerful mechanism […]
The Four Foundations: A Tibetan New Year's Retreat 2024
With Tulku Migmar Tsering and Matthew Zalichin
In winter of 2024 during the New Year of the Tibetan lunar calendar, known as Losar, Samye New York hosted an immersive retreat on the Four Foundations of the Dharma. According to tradition, the actions carried out during these first days of the year are believed to carry a potency magnified a millionfold. Guided […]
The Path of Meditation
With Tulku Migmar Tsering
In this introductory retreat, Tulku Migmar Tsering led us through the Buddhist path of meditation. Experiential guidance in the traditional path of meditation was combined with dedicated practice sessions, suitable for absolute beginners as well as those who wish to reconnect with their sitting practice. Tulku Migmar elucidated the path from the outset of […]
Private Retreats at Samye Hermitage
Samye Hermitage New York is a sanctuary for those who wish to deepen their practice and train their minds. We encourage serious Buddhist practitioners who are studying under the guidance of a teacher to apply for private retreat. After we receive your deposit, our resident meditation instructor Matthew Zalichin will review your application and reach […]
Sundays at Samye: A Morning of Practice & Study
With Michael Friedman
Each Sunday, our sangha gathers for a morning of meditation, practice, and Dharma study. Whether you join for one session or the full rhythm of the morning, Sundays at Samye offer a welcoming space to deepen practice and explore the Buddhist path together. Schedule 8:00 am – Open Meditation A quiet, self-guided time for […]
The Trinley Nyingpo: Online Practice Group
The Trinley Nyingpo Online Practice Group offers a space for committed sangha members to come together in the heart practice of Guru Rinpoche. This gathering is student-led, with the liturgy chanted in English, allowing participants to engage the sādhanā in a way that is accessible while preserving its depth and lineage integrity. Participation in […]
Buddhist Studies Circle: Weekly Discussion Group
The Buddhist Studies Circle is a weekly, student-led discussion group for anyone interested in exploring how Buddhism functions in the modern world — and in our own lives. Each season, we’ll take up a theme that helps us look at Buddhist traditions in both their historical depth and contemporary expression. This course will be offered […]
Living the Dharma: Residential Practice Program
Deepen your practice. Serve with awareness. Live the Dharma. Samye Hermitage New York invites practitioners to join our community for periods of residential practice and service during the quieter months of the year. Set on our 26-acre retreat campus in the hills of Cooperstown, this program offers an opportunity to live within a rhythm […]
Cultivating Awareness: Weekly Meditation Group
We welcome you to this weekly practice of calm-abiding (shamatha) meditation, suited both for beginners and those who which to reinvigorate and sustain their practice. Deepen your experience of the essential art of meditation as found in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. This meditation group not only provides a structured environment for practice but also emphasizes […]
The Foundations of Realization: New Year's Ngöndro Retreat 2026
With Matthew Zalichin
Begin the year with a week of focused practice in the ngöndro, the foundational practices of the Vajrayana path. Following the guidance of Phakchok Rinpoche, these practices are understood as the Foundations of Realization—the essential preparation for entering the Vajrayana, the Path of Realization. This retreat will be a practice immersion, offering extended sessions […]
Samye Institute Summer Immersion 2026
With Phakchok Rinpoche, Tulku Migmar Tsering, Sophie (Shu-chin) Wu, Tawni Tidwell, Urgyen Gyalpo, Tsunma Jamyang Donma, Andrea Sherman, Seth Auster-Rosen, Alex Yiannopoulos and Hilary Herdman
Experience Buddhism as a Living, Holistic Path The Samye Institute Summer Immersion (SISI) invites students of all backgrounds to explore Buddhism as a living, integrated way of life. Over the course of six weeks, participants engage with both the inner sciences of Buddhist philosophy, meditation, and ethics, and the outer arts and sciences—logic […]