Application

Student Commitment Before applying to Ngedon School, please take a moment to consider how much time and personal energy you have to devote to studying with us. We have found that it takes some commitment on the part of participants in our courses, to keep up and to get the most from the experience. Here’s what you can expect. Each course is eleven weeks in length, with a weekly lecture of about one hour. There are required readings that may take two hours per week—and perhaps a little more—to read and contemplate.

The online threaded discussions are a significant part of the experience of each course and as a Ngedon student you should plan to spend at least an hour in the group each week, reading other students’ comments and responding. This interaction among students and faculty in the discussion groups is a vital component of the courses. During the eleventh week, an exam will conclude the course.

Participants in any of our courses should expect to spend three to five hours per week considering study time, talks and discussions. Of course things happen in our busy lives that may interfere, and this is understood. But it’s very important to plan to stay caught up week by week. We hope you join us, and we want each prospective student to understand how to make the most of the experience.

The Application Process

To begin the application process, if you are not already enrolled in the on-line program, you must fill out the application form found by clicking the Application button below. This form is designed to gather information and help us get to know you and serve your needs as a student in our courses. Any information that you provide is completely confidential.  

Before filling out your application there are a few things we'd like you to know about how Ngedon School works. Please take a moment to read the following paragraphs.

Financial Assistance

At Ngedon School we are grateful for the donations and grants that we've received to get our online program running. It is primarily through the generosity of the Tides Foundation and the Shambhala Trust that we were able to start up the online school. At the present time we are continuing to fundraise.

Ngedon online has been in operation since 2004. Our overhead expenses in this medium are substantial. This means that scholarships in the form of reduced tuition rates are quite limited. We regret this but it's unavoidable for this stage in the life of the school. The view of Ngedon School is to expand the scope and availability of the ngedon dharma. So in the long run, we hope to be able to provide access to this exciting learning opportunity to everyone qualified and motivated to study with us. If you have special financial needs please let us know and we can discuss your situation.

English Only

At present our program is in English only. We welcome any suggestions and offers of help to translate lectures and printed material into French, German, Spanish, Eastern European dialects and other languages.

Entrance Requirements

Since its inception Ngedon School has been available only to those dharma students who have received vajrayana transmission from the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, his successor Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche or one of their designated representatives. Only those students may attend Ngedon School classes. This is due to the unique nature of the transmission of the vajra dharma established by Trungpa Rinpoche. If you have any questions about whether you qualify for Ngedon School study based on special personal circumstances, email us at ngedon@indra.com and we can discuss your situation.

If you are not qualified to enter Ngedon School you may pursue dharma study through your local Shambhala Center, or investigate other options through the following links:

Shambhala Online
The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Nalandabodhi
The Nitartha Institute
The Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
Lhobpon Rechung, Mipham Shedra
The Margaret and Malcolm Database, Buddhactivity.com
Ashoka eDharma University
Buddhanet.net