About SINI

SINI’s Four Pillars

We create and promote dynamic pathways of goodness that are based on timeless Buddhist principles and teachings for the benefit of humanity. We accomplish this vision by supporting four main pillars for growth: Roots, Study, Transmission, and Collaboration.

Roots

At SINI, we support the roots of the Dharma by encouraging SINI’s students to carry out traditional Buddhist practices, including Buddhist canonical studies and writing, prayers, ceremonies, sacred pilgrimages, and retreats. At the Institute, we seek to preserve the roots of Tibetan Buddhism as embodied in the lineage of the Khen Lop Chos Sum, short for Khenpo Shantarakshita, Lopon Pema Jungney (also known as Padmasambhava, or the Lotus Born), and Chosgyal Trisong Deutsan, together they form the trinity, or in Tibetan, Sum.

To concretely support these efforts, SINI offers resident students the opportunity to speak, teach, and write on the teachings of the Buddha and traditional lineage masters. Some of the programs that are included in the Roots pillar include, the Khen Lop Chos Sum Foundation Lecture and Writing Series, the annual Dharmachakra program, the Tibet Peace Ceremony, the Manjushrinamasanghiti Chanting Program, and daily practices, prayers, and long-term retreat programs.

Study

Study, the second pillar of the SINI Bridge of Goodness, relates to formal study programs held in residence at the Institute and in online courses.

SINI serves a niche that uniquely includes monastics and laypeople. We approach our work holistically, with the agility to respond to new challenges and issues that larger organizations sometimes struggle to address. Our in-person programs are relatively small, utilizing hybrid approaches that expose students to new fields of study.

Transmission

Transmission, the third pillar of the SINI Bridge of Goodness, refers to how teachings, practices, and spiritual insights are passed from teacher to student.

SINI facilitates the dynamic transmission of ancient wisdom by offering rich opportunities for exchange and learning through seminars, programs, and retreats. Our innovative approach ensures that the Dharma is accessible and relevant to rapidly evolving cultural trends worldwide. SINI runs teacher-training programs for Buddhist monastics. These programs equip them with teaching skills to sustain the Dharma in their communities and to teach global audiences effectively.

Collaboration

Collaboration, the fourth pillar of the SINI Bridge of Goodness, builds on the momentum gained from the three previous pillars of goodness: Roots, Study, and Transmission.

Collaboration is possible when individuals and institutions can identify their unique strengths and couple their own rootedness of knowing with an openness to learning and exchange with others.

SINI’s worldwide community is dedicated to creating a web of expertise and committed service. Collaboration ensures that the Buddhist community can meet the profound challenges they encounter.

Examples of ongoing collaborations include: Monastic-Teacher Training workshops, the Kangyur Karchag project, which is creating the first-ever Tibetan Buddhist encyclopedia of the words of the Buddha, student exchanges between SINI-EDP students and programs at universities in the U.S. and Europe, and Buddhist cultural preservation projects.

These opportunities connect all involved and hold great promise for enhancing our ever-expanding human mandala of intercultural understanding and evolution.