MONASTIC EDUCATION
Monastic Teacher Training
An annual intensive training program for Buddhist monastic educators from all four Tibetan schools. Monastics gather at SINI for 5 to 8 days of workshops on modern pedagogy, digital teaching tools, and strategies for reaching new audiences while preserving the integrity of the teachings.
A Critical Moment for Buddhist Education
Even in traditional Buddhist communities, a profound gap is emerging. People raised in Buddhist culture struggle to answer basic questions about their own tradition; monasteries are navigating unprecedented change: formal government curricula, university partnerships, and the demands of a digital world.
“How do we ensure these ancient teachings remain alive and relevant, where they first took root?”
In 2015, a conversation between SINI and Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in Bodh Gaya sparked this shared concern. The answer became Three Cups: tradition, context, and innovation as the three vessels for carrying the Dharma forward.
About the Program
The pilot training took place in January 2025 with over 35 monastics from all four schools. The second edition in January 2026 brought together 38 participants (29 monks and 9 nuns) from 30 monasteries across India, Nepal, and Bhutan, with teachings from Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and Mingyur Rinpoche.
Monasteries and nunneries represented across the 2025 and 2026 training programs
The Three Cups Journey
2015
SINI convened a transformative seminar co-facilitated by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, gathering over 30 monastic teachers representing Tibetan Buddhist traditions from the Himalayan region. This seminal event was inspired by a pivotal conversation in Bodh Gaya regarding the need to enhance monastic education for the modern era.
2024
Leading up to the in-person training, participants met throughout 2024 online to share their hopes and aspirations. A pilot training curriculum was developed under the planning and participation of experts in the fields of education, technology, Buddhist chaplaincy, and psychology.
2025
The seminal Three Cups Teacher Training Program was conducted at SINI over an eight-day period. The event hosted over 35 monastics representing all four schools, hailing from throughout the Himalayan region, South India, Australia, and Germany. 32 sessions were conducted.
2026
The second Three Cups Training Program brought together 38 monastics (29 monks and 9 nuns) from all four Tibetan Buddhist schools and 30 monasteries across India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The five-day program featured teachings from Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and Mingyur Rinpoche, with 15 returning participants from the 2025 training.
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