Starting this September

The Heart of Buddhism

A Year Long Buddhist Studies Program

HOB - confirmed teachers (1)

About The Heart of Buddhism

Welcome to The Heart of Buddhism: A Year of Study and Practice. Starting in September 2026, we'll explore the history, core teachings, and practices that guide Buddhist practitioners in the Tibetan tradition in waking up to their true nature of innate compassion and wisdom.

The Buddhist path offers profound guidance for working with the individual and collective challenges we face, and transforming suffering into liberation. These teachings show how we can each become a light in the darkness, embodying the luminous spaciousness that is the heart-essence of who we are.

Each five-week course builds upon the previous while also standing alone as a complete course. Join the year-long cohort to meet the teachers, meet other practitioners, and develop connections. For those who complete the whole course and the exams, a Certificate of Completion will be offered.

The Heart of Buddhism: A Year of Study and Practice

The Path of Liberation (September 18 - October 25, 2026) with Dr. Amelia Hall

  • Discover important historical context for a Buddhist spiritual path
  • Learn the foundational practice of shamatha meditation, which offers stability amidst uncertainty
  • Discover feminine perspectives on the Buddha's awakening
  • Transform personal challenges into sources of wisdom

What the Buddha Taught (Oct 30 - Dec 12, 2026) with Dr. Amelia Hall

  • Learn how the Four Noble Truths address contemporary suffering
  • Discover the Eightfold Path as an ethical framework for everyday life
  • Explore the principles of karma and interdependence
  • Experience how meditation reveals innate wisdom
  • Optional: Take or renew the Refuge Vow to formally embark upon the Buddhist path (must have completed Heart of Buddhism I & II, or Sutrayana equivalent)

The Awakened Heart (January 22 - February 26, 2027) with Dorje Lopön Chandra Easton and Lopön Karla Jackson-Brewer, featuring Zoketsu Norman Fischer

  • Practice tonglen for working with collective suffering
  • Study the Heart Sutra's feminine expression of emptiness
  • Engage in the rich practice of the Six Paramitas within the context of your daily life
  • Optional: Take or renew the Bodhisattva Vow to formally embark upon the Bodhisattva path (must have completed Heart of Buddhism I, II, & II, or Sutrayana and Mahayana equivalent)

Sacred View, Sacred World (March 5 - April 11, 2027) with Dorje Lopön Charlotte Rotterdam, featuring Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

  • Study the rise of the feminine in Tibetan Buddhism
  • Transform daily life through sacred view
  • Learn the householder approach to practice

The Great Perfection (April 16 - May 23, 2027) with Lama Tsultrim Allione and Tulku Ösel Dorje, featuring Sangye Khandro

  • Learn the essential practices for recognizing natural awareness
  • Discover feminine perspectives in Dzogchen lineages
  • Experience how recognition spontaneously benefits others

Who Is This Program For?

Have you ever wanted to learn about the history and practical application of Buddhism? This program is ideal for both beginners and seasoned practitioners. It is also an excellent foundation point for those looking to formally enter the path of Buddhist practice and study. This program is required for the Magyu and Gateway study pathways, and will be offered regularly.

Exams & Certificate of Completion

Those who complete the year-long program and pass the exams will receive a Certificate of Completion. The exam questions will be available at the end of each course, with the live, Zoom-based exams taking place one week later. All participants are invited to take the exams to integrate and solidify the teachings. Exams are required for those in the Magyu and Gateway programs and those seeking a Certificate of Completion.

Register for the yearlong Heart of Buddhism Course

Register now

Meet the Teachers

Lama Tsultrim

Lama Tsultrim Allione

Teaching: The Great Perfection

Lama Tsultrim Allione is the founder of Tara Mandala, an internationally respected Buddhist teacher, and the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom, Feeding Your Demons, and Wisdom Rising. A pioneer in bringing the wisdom of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and the sacred feminine to Western students, she has guided practitioners for more than four decades.

Tulku Osel

Tulku Ösel Dorje

Teaching: The Great Perfection

Recognized as the reincarnation of the great Dzogchen master Yudra Nyingpo, Tulku Ösel Dorje is the Dorje Gyaltsab (Vajra Regent) and resident lama of Tara Mandala. Following four years of intensive solitary retreat, advanced training in Dzogchen, and a Master's degree in Buddhist Studies from Rangjung Yeshe Institute, he now teaches internationally, bringing profound lineage wisdom to contemporary practitioners.

Dorje Lopön Charlotte Rotterdam

Dorje Lopön Charlotte Rotterdam

Teaching: Sacred View, Sacred World

Dorje Lopön Charlotte Rotterdam is a senior Vajra teacher in Tara Mandala's lineage, authorized to teach by Lama Tsultrim Allione in 2006 and later appointed Magyu Lopön and Dorje Lopön. With decades of practice, graduate study at Harvard Divinity School, and years of teaching meditation, compassion, and Vajrayana internationally, she is known for illuminating how the profound wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism can be integrated into contemporary life with clarity, compassion, and openness.

Lopön Karla Jackson-Brewer MS

Lopön Karla Jackson-Brewer MS

Teaching: The Awakened Heart

Lopön Karla Jackson-Brewer has practiced Chöd for more than three decades and has taught alongside Lama Tsultrim Allione for many years. Her compassionate, experiential approach invites students to cultivate courage, wisdom, and the awakened heart in daily life.

Dorje Lopön Chandra Easton

Dorje Lopön Chandra Easton

Teaching: The Awakened Heart

Dorje Lopön Chandra Easton is a Buddhist teacher, devotional chant leader, author, and translator rooted in Tibetan Buddhism and Dzogchen. She studied Buddhism and Tibetan language at the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives in Dharamsala and earned her degree in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara

Dr. Amelia Hall

Dr. Amelia Hall

Teaching: The Path of Liberation and What the Buddha Taught

Dr. Amelia Hall is Associate Professor of Buddhism and Dean of Graduate Programs at Naropa University. With a PhD in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies from the University of Oxford, she brings together rigorous scholarship and accessible teaching, offering a clear and grounded foundation in Buddhist history, philosophy, and practice.

Norman-Fischer

Zoketsu Norman Fischer

Teaching: The Awakened Heart

Zoketsu Norman Fischer is a Zen teacher, poet, translator, and director of the Everyday Zen Foundation. For many years, he has taught at the San Francisco Zen Center, the oldest and largest of the new Buddhist organizations in the West, where he served as co-Abbot from 1995-2000.

Sangye Khandro-1

Sangye Khandro

Teaching: The Great Perfection

Sangye Khandro is one of the foremost translators of Tibetan Buddhism and a deeply respected teacher of the Nyingma tradition. She has studied with many of the greatest lineage masters and has dedicated her life to preserving and transmitting the profound teachings of Dzogchen through translation, scholarship, and practice.

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

Teaching: Sacred View, Sacred World

Revered Buddhist nun, renowned Dzogchen teacher, and one of the foremost translators of Tibetan Buddhism. Her lifelong dedication to study, practice, and translation has brought the profound wisdom of the Great Perfection to generations of practitioners around the world.

The Learning Experience

  • Flexible learning environment; participate live or study at your own pace
  • Live sessions weekly at 10:00 am-12:00 pm MST/MDT (depending on the course)
  • Weekly guided practice sessions
  • Engage with a global practice community in weekly discussion forums
  • All sessions are recorded and available within 24 hours

Exams & Certificate of Completion
Those who complete the year-long program and pass the exams will receive a Certificate of Completion. The exam questions will be available at the end of each course, with the live, Zoom-based exams taking place one week later. All participants are invited to take the exams to integrate and solidify the teachings. Exams are required for those in the Magyu and Gateway programs and those seeking a Certificate of Completion.

Who Should Attend?
Have you ever wanted to learn about the history and practical application of Buddhism? This program is ideal for both beginners and seasoned practitioners. It is also an excellent foundation point for those looking to formally enter the path of Buddhist practice and study. This program is required for the Magyu and Gateway study pathways, and will be offered annually.

Program Tuition
$1,345 Standard Tuition
$895 Community Supported Tuition

Learn more about available financial assistance options and apply for a scholarship here.

Installment Payment Plan Option at Registration
Recognizing that everyone’s financial situation is unique, Tara Mandala strives to make its programs as accessible as possible. During registration, participants have the option to either pay the program fee in full or select the Installment Payment Plan. For those choosing the installment plan, a 25% deposit is required at registration, with the remaining balance automatically divided into equal monthly payments. The final payment is due 14 days prior to the program’s start date. If retreat enrollment occurs close to the start date, additional arrangements can be made. For any questions or special requests, the Finance Team is ready to assist at care@taramandala.org.

Sustaining Sangha Membership
Membership discounts are available for this program. To learn more about membership benefits and discounts, click here.

Offering dana to the Teacher
The practice of offering dana, which means “generosity,” is the traditional offering the student makes to the teacher as a symbol of appreciation, gratitude, and reciprocity for receiving the precious teachings. Information on offering dana to the teacher will be provided during the program. To learn more about dana and suggested dana ranges, please click here.

The suggested dana for this yearlong program is $250 – $750. Many people choose to give a portion of their dana for each course.

Program Schedule
Each session meets from 10 am-12 pm MST/MDT (Mountain Time) beginning September 18, 2026. See how this daily schedule translates into your timezone.

  • Course One | Fridays: September 18, 25, October 2, 9, 16, 2026. Exams: October 24 & 25, 2026.
  • Course Three | Fridays: January 22, 29, February 5, 12, 19, 2027. Exams February 27 & 28, 2027.
  • Course Five | Fridays: April 16, 23, 30, May 7, 14. Exams May 22 & 23, 2027.

What if I join the program mid-year?
You are welcome to join the Heart of Buddhism at any time. Enrollment will remain open until May 14, 2027. You will receive a link to the recordings of past courses and can view them at your own pace. We are unable to schedule exams for past courses, and a Certificate of Completion will not be available to those who join mid-year. The yearlong program will be offered annually.

Recording Access
For each of the five courses, all participants will have access to the recorded sessions for one year after that course closes.

Tara Mandala Pricing Guidelines
As we work to become an equitable, diverse, and inclusive community, our pricing guidelines are intended to be a map, inviting each of us to take inventory of resources that contribute to our access to precious dharma teachings.

Tara Mandala programs are offered at two tuition levels: Standard and Community Supported. We invite you to choose the rate that fits your circumstances. Community Supported tuition is made possible by the generosity of our sangha, and is here for those who need it. To learn more about Tara Mandala’s pricing guidelines, please visit this page.

What is a Tara Mandala Online Program?
Tara Mandala offers online programming via live and pre-recorded curricula, providing you with the opportunity to access dharma teachings, engage in guided practice, experience personal retreats and hands-on learning, and connect with other participants through easy-to-use online platforms and an engaged community network. When needed, the program description and schedule will inform you in advance if and when a specific online session must be attended live, if a direct transmission (Tib. lung) may be given. Access to recordings of all sessions will be available for additional viewing for one year.

Online Programs Cancellation and Refund Policy

Mental Health Disclaimer
While Tara Mandala offers profound Buddhist teachings and a supportive spiritual community, we do not provide mental health services, and our teachers are not operating as mental health professionals. Spiritual guidance provided by a Tara Mandala teacher is not a substitute for professional mental health support. We honor the importance of mental well-being and encourage community members seeking support to connect with licensed professionals in their local area. For immediate assistance with mental health concerns, please contact your local crisis resources or emergency services.