Our Family of Sangha
Supportand Guidance
on the Path
In the context of the Three Jewels—Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—the Sangha is the community of practitioners who walk the path together.
Namchak is one member of a larger family of sanghas, or spiritual communities. We draw support, inspiration, and guidance from these organizations.
Ewam
Founded in 1999 under the guidance of Gochen Tulku Sangak Rinpoche, Ewam is a religious, charitable, and educational nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating spiritual awareness and sharing Nyingma teachings worldwide.
About a dozen years ago, Tulku Sangak Rinpoche envisioned creating a garden of 1,000 Buddha statues on the first land dedicated to his work in America—land he had seen in visions as a child in Tibet. Today, that vision is fulfilled in the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas in Arlee, Montana, operated by Ewam.
Ewam is an international organization with centers in India, Nepal, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. In the US, Ewam centers are in New Mexico, California, and Montana.
Shechen Monastery
We carry a deep love and respect for Shechen Monastery, one of the six main Nyingma monasteries of Tibet. It was destroyed in the late 1950s. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche rebuilt it in Nepal in exile, founding Shechen Tennyi Dargyeling Monastery in 1980. Created over nearly a decade by expert artisans, it preserves the original monastery's philosophical, contemplative, and artistic traditions. Today, it is led by the seventh Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s grandson and spiritual heir.
Tulku Sangngak Rinpoche was a heart student of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and lived and taught at Shechen Monastery for many years. Previously, Khen Rinpoche was also a khenpo of Shechen Monastery.
The Academy for the Love Of Learning®
Founded in 1998 by musician, teacher, and internationally recognized learning consultant Aaron Stern, the Academy for the Love Of Learning® reimagines learning as a lifelong transformation journey. Aaron’s early career as Dean of the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago—and his collaboration with Leonard Bernstein—shaped his vision of learning as a liberating force.
Today, on its Santa Fe, New Mexico campus, the Academy offers innovative programs that awaken each person’s innate Learning Spirit and inspire meaningful engagement with the world. Aaron plays a vital role in developing and guiding our Sangha Strand. He mentors facilitators and staff in the Academy’s methodologies, co-designed the Ancient Wisdom Engaged (AWE) program with Lama Tsomo, co-teaches the Waking Up in Community retreat, and guides the Compassion in Action® Network.
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