About Us
Namchak is dedicated to sharing one of the oldest forms of Tibetan Buddhist practice and making the teachings newly accessible to Westerners. Students learn from Tibetan masters as well as Western teachers and receive support from a vibrant community. We serve students on every step of the path, from those exploring meditation for the first time to more experienced students.
We offer a variety of learning programs, including: in-person teaching, small group learning, bi-coastal retreats, online courses, and soon-to-be-established residential retreats at the Namchak Retreat Ranch in Montana. In coming years, we will offer everything from introductory retreats to Dzogchen, the most profound practice in our tradition—and from weekend retreats to the traditional three-year retreat.
For information, please contact [email protected].
For media requests, please contact [email protected].
Our Equity Statement
The historical Buddha was an activist, and caused India to drop the caste system and to take giant strides in gender equality in his lifetime. In that same spirit we at Namchak believe in the equal intrinsic worth of all beings, and extend love and a warm welcome to all regardless of color, ethnicity, economic status, religion, or gender identity. While we honor the pure nature of all, we also honor the individuality of each person. As such we are committed to the ongoing pursuit of diversity, equity, and belonging.
To truly commit to living our values, we must examine where we are at today and where we want to grow as an organization in the future. Below are the initial steps that we are currently doing to become better allies and members of our communities.
- Holding conversations within our leadership, staff and Learning
- Circle communities about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
- Investing in anti-racism training for staff and leadership.
- Compiling resources for staff to continue learning together as a community and on our own.
- Researching other organizations who are leading in this arena and how we can best learn from their practices.
Our Community Commitments
In order to co-create a brave, inclusive, anti-oppressive and learning-centered space, in our community we each agree to:
- Be inclusive of diverse opinions and backgrounds through treating each other with respect and appreciation.
- Commit to words and actions of non-harm within our group interactions.
- Learn by immersing in these practices and giving them a real test drive.
- Hold personal sharing in confidence.
- Be present, practice mindful listening, and do not offer unsolicited advice.
- Allow and invite for equal sharing of voices as well as the right to pass.
- Take care not to speak for others in the group.
- Assume good intent and come from a place of curiosity and care.
- Come as we are with permission to be “raggedy.”
- Be mindful of and take personal and collective responsibility for our own biases including the use of language that may “other,” “cancel,” or dehumanize any person, groups of people, and/or their experiences.
- Perfection is not expected although personal and collective responsibility always is. Use the “Ouch/Oops” tool to address hurtful comments and language in the moment and to allow space for repair.*
We aspire for this sangha to be a place of refuge.
*Ouch/Oops . This is a tool for addressing hurtful comments/language in the moment. If someone says something hurtful, anyone can bring attention to it in the moment by saying “Ouch” and then explaining what was hurtful. If it is a word choice issue, be sure to give the first speaker the chance to rephrase and try again (remember, it’s okay to be raggedy, and we are all assuming good intent!) When someone says something that comes out wrong or hurts someone else, they should start with “Oops” – first, acknowledge the impact of their words, and then try again. This can also be done outside of the event if someone feels an “Ouch,” but does not feel comfortable sharing it with the group at that time.