White Lotus School
པདྨ་དཀར་པོ་ཆོས་གྲྭ།

White Lotus School was established by Thinley Norbu Rinpoche in the late 1990s and provides an environment for students to learn and practice in a pure and simple way. Our school has operated continuously since its formation with a small group of handpicked students. The school is run primarily by volunteer support staff, mostly former students of White Lotus School who continue to offer their time and energy to continue the school. In keeping with Rinpoche’s advice that one is never too young to learn Dharma, even the youngest students are required to follow a schedule strictly focused on Dharma activities including extensive daily ritual practices of the Dudjom Tersar Lineage, basic Tibetan reading and writing/typing, studying the Dudjom Tersar preliminary practices (Ngöndro), how to make offerings, play ritual instruments, perform dharma dance offerings, and accumulate merit through circumambulation, cleaning, and gardening. In addition to Dharma subjects, students are taught an elementary level of Chinese language, and importantly the school also provides students with the basics of a standard Western education (Math, Reading, Writing, Social Studies, Science) up to a high school graduate level.

In the past few years we have been graced with the presence of several visiting teachers including Dudjom Rinpoche III Sangye Pema Shepa, who graciously spent several weeks at Kunzang Gatshal personally giving teachings and advice to students and local disciples.

Summer School

Since 2018, after numerous requests from parents in NYC and Toronto who are faithful Buddhist practitioners in general, and devoted followers of the Nyingma Vajrayana in particular, we started an intensive summer program primarily designed for students ages 10–15 who have familial backgrounds in Dharma to gain a stronger understanding of the basic precepts of Tibetan Buddhism.

Schedule and Activities

Every day begins with daily practice. After daily practice, from Sunday to Thursday students have a full day of class, while Fridays are dedicated to cleaning and gardening. Saturdays after practice are free days, allowing students to rest, read, play games, go swimming, watch movies, or occasionally enjoy outings to town.

Registration for the summer program is open annually from March 1st – March 31st and conducted through email. Decisions regarding acceptance will be made by April 15th. We accept about ten students to join each summer. The program runs for six to eight weeks, from approximately July 1st – August 31st. However, since we have a primarily volunteer staff, we re-evaluate every year depending on available staff levels and other major events at Kunzang Gatshal which may impact our summer program. Previously enrolled WLS Summer Students, and waitlisted students from previous years are offered priority for registration. There are a limited number of spots available, so please register early!

2026 Summer Program Dates

July 11th, 2026 – September 6th, 2026

Core Six Week Summer School Program: July 11th – Aug 22nd

Additional Program & Retreat Activities: Aug 22nd – Sept 6th

Detailed Dates

Students Arrive (10–15): Saturday, July 11th
Senior Students (16+) Arrive: Friday, August 21st

Guru Rinpoche Day: Saturday, August 22nd

Junior Students (<13) Depart: Sunday, August 23rd

All remaining students depart: Sunday, September 6th

Fee

The tuition rate for the summer program is $250 USD per week per child.

Registration