Rangjung Yeshe Institute’s distinctive philosophical curriculum and educational practices have earned it a well-respected place among Buddhist studies programs worldwide. The Institute’s strong commitment to the study of original source texts, open-minded inquiry, and rigorous research creates a particularly vibrant community of learning.

At Rangjung Yeshe Institute, students engage deeply with the original works of some of the world’s greatest Buddhist thinkers—from Nāgārjuna, Candrakīrti, and Śāntideva in India to Gampopa, Sakya Paṇḍita, Tsongkhapa, and Ju Mipham Gyatso in Tibet. This immersive study brings students face-to-face with the existential questions that confront us as inquisitive human beings.

Through lively discussions and silent contemplation, translating, writing, presenting, debating, conducting fieldwork, observation, and participation in Buddhist contemplative practices, Rangjung Yeshe Institute students learn to think with precision and clarity, reason effectively, engage wholeheartedly, and speak without fear. True to its Tibetan name, the Institute offers an education that connects students to their intrinsic wakefulness (rangjung yeshe).

Rangjung Yeshe Institute (RYI) offers a specialized education in the field of Buddhist studies, with the focus on Indian and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and practice as well as related research languages. The Institute provides the highest standards in academic scholarship and traditional Buddhist scholastic training, offering structured degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Intensive language training is offered during the summers and in the year-long oral translator training (TTP). To address the interests of a broad community of Dharma students, a variety of courses afford the opportunity of studying Buddhist philosophy and Dharma without earning academic credit. These non-credit courses are offered on campus and online.

Rangjung Yeshe Institute’s students do not only acquire a profound and holistic education for life, they also excel in the international arena of academia. The MA students in particular with their formidable skills in reading, understanding, and interpreting Buddhist primary material in their source language have found their ways into prestigious universities in the US and Europe, such as Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, Hamburg, or Vienna. Since its accreditation in 2002, the Institute has produced over 200 graduates, many of whom continued to become doctoral students or translators for famous translation projects, such as the 84000 or the Khyenste Vision Project. Others have brought their philosophical education into a truly diverse range of professions and activities.