Namchak Community Blog

My First Meditation Retreat: Honest Reflections from Ryann

My First Meditation Retreat: Honest Reflections from RyannWe recently held our first Reset and Renew retreat at the Namchak Retreat Ranch in Hot Springs, Montana. It is an introductory retreat designed based on our Stepping into Meditation and Community course. Most participants were from Hot Springs, Whitefish, Missoula, and Polson, Montana, and...

The Profound Wisdom of the Heart Sutra: An Introductory Exploration

The Profound Wisdom of the Heart Sutra: An Introductory ExplorationConcise, profound, and somewhat enigmatic, the Heart Sutra contains the essence of all Buddha’s teachings and offers insight into life, suffering, and liberation.Known in full as the “Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra,” The Heart Sutra is a short Mahayana Buddhist text – just 14 verses...

Wrathful Compassion in Tibetan Buddhism

Wrathful Compassion in Tibetan BuddhismWrathful compassion may seem like an oxymoron and the opposite of Buddhism's peaceful compassion. However, in Tibetan Buddhism, wrathful compassion is a thing! Sure, whenever someone is open to the skillful application of peaceful compassion, that’s still the go-to. But what about when they don’t? Then, we...

Celebrating Namchak’s Compassion in Action Summer Immersion Retreat

Celebrating Namchak’s Compassion in Action Summer Immersion RetreatWith grateful hearts, we are happy to share that our fifth Compassion in Action Fellows cohort embarked on their one-year program this May (2024). The program's core goal is to support next-generation leaders in learning meditation practice, building community, and promoting...

The Four Schools of Tibetan Buddhism

The Four Schools of Tibetan Buddhism Understanding the Four Major Schools that Comprise the Paths of Tibetan Buddhism Today Nyingma: Early Translations School Kagyu: Oral Transmission (or “Whispered Transmission”) School Sakya: “Pale Earth” (or “Grey Earth”) School Gelug: “Virtuous Ones” School Buddhism is an expansive spiritual tradition with...