The Dharmadhara Study and Practice Program was developed by the Drikung Translation Group at the request of His Holiness, Drikung Kyabgön Thinle Lhundup, and launched in January 2024. The aim of the program is to convey essential topics of Buddhism, especially of the Drikung Kagyü Lineage, to interested people. In keeping with the name “Dharmadhara”, which means “holder of the teachings”, the aim is to enable participants to practice the Buddha’s teachings independently (e.g. in longer individual retreats up to a traditional three-year retreat) and to support the spread of Dharma in the West in different roles (e.g. by working in centers or as teachers).

Students have the opportunity to fulfill the program requirements flexibly in their own time and through an individual choice of courses. A credit point system is used for this. In addition to individual events and weekend seminars, which can mostly also be attended online, retreats of varying lengths offer the opportunity to deepen newly acquired knowledge and consolidate learned practices. The program can be completed in about five years, depending on individual time constraints.

All further information about Dharmadhara can be found at www.dharmadhara.de.