Tergar Story

• 1998

In 1998, Mingyur Rinpoche began teaching internationally. 

• 2003

In 2003, with a goal of supporting his monasteries in Asia, Rinpoche founded the Yongey Foundation with Tim Olmsted, a long-time student of his father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. 

• 2006 

In 2006, Rinpoche established the Tergar Institute, which focused on offering teaching programs in Bodhgaya. That year, Rinpoche and Cortland Dahl began discussing how to unite his students from the different corners of the globe into a cohesive community. Initially, the idea was to create a decentralized network of independent meditation centers, but this soon evolved into the formation of two organizations: Tergar International and Tergar Asia. Tergar International’s primary focus was designated as program development.

• 2007

The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secrets and Science of Happiness was published and became a New York Times bestseller. 

• 2008

On a high-speed train ride in France and inspired by the use of recorded video teachings, Rinpoche and Cortland developed the Joy of Living curriculum, leading to the creation of Tergar’s three-level Joy of Living video teachings. Joy of Living Level 1: Calming the Mind teachings were recorded in Bodhgaya, India.

• 2009

In February 2009, Mingyur Rinpoche met with about thirty of his students at Tergar Monastery in Bodhgaya, India, to outline his vision for a global meditation community. His vision included a secular pathway of teachings, now called “Joy of Living,” and a Buddhist path called “Path of Liberation.”

That same year, Rinpoche invited Tim Olmsted, Myoshin Kelley, and Edwin Kelley to join Cortland as Tergar instructors. He asked them to lead the incorporation of Tergar International as a non-profit U.S. organization. Tergar International was officially incorporated by the State of Minnesota on April 30, 2009, with Mingyur Rinpoche, Cortland Dahl, and Edwin Kelley serving as directors. Joy of Living Level 2: Opening the Heart videos were recorded in Bodhgaya.

• 2010

Rinpoche’s book Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom was published. Mingyur Rinpoche led the first summer program at Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota. Rinpoche composed the Nectar of the Path liturgy and recorded additional Joy of Living Level 2 videos at Saint John’s University.

• 2011- 2015 

Rinpoche departed on a “wandering yogi-style” retreat. He left a farewell letter to his family and students, entrusting the instructors with Tergar International’s development and asking his brother Tsoknyi Rinpoche to teach his students in his absence. In 2012, Tergar launched its first online Joy of Living eight-week course. 

With the success of Rinpoche’s books, Rinpoche’s reach grew and supported the Tergar Meditation Community, which was growing quickly even while he was on retreat. The Tergar Instructors fostered the growth by developing curricula and Joy of Living workshops. A global network of practice groups quickly formed, first in Copenhagen, Minneapolis, Madison, Moscow, New York, Portland, Paris, Puebla, and Sao Paulo. Tergar’s emphasis was very much on the development of “people and programs,” encouraging meditation practice within practice groups. 

In 2014, Turning Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the Foundation Practices of Tibetan Buddhism was released.
In 2015, Mingyur Rinpoche returned from his wandering retreat.

• 2016 

In 2016, Tergar International launched the Vajrayana Online programming based on the Kagyu and Nyingma lineage of Buddhist teachings. This same year, long-time meditator Antonia Sumbundu joined the Tergar Instructors, and the pool of Tergar Facilitators was expanded to support Joy of Living activities in different countries.

• 2017

Mingyur Rinpoche gave the first teachings on Radiance of the Heart, the White Tara text he composed. 

• 2018

In 2018, the leadership of Tergar International and Tergar Asia gathered at Rinpoche’s Osel Ling monastery in Kathmandu to further solidify the global network of volunteers.

• 2019

In 2019, the publication of Rinpoche’s book In Love With the World, which shares the account of Rinpoche’s near-death experience while on his wandering retreat, initiated a global book tour organized by Tergar International and Tergar Asia. 

• 2020

In 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic, Tergar moved to online delivery and expanded its event offerings with translation into Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. 

• 2021

2021 saw the launch of the first annual transmission with the Way of the Bodhisattva on Vajrayana Online. Tergar launched its blog. 

• 2022

In 2022, Mingyur Rinpoche’s Vancouver TED Talk garnered more than a million views, highlighting his global influence. 

• 2023

In June 2023 in Edinburgh, Scotland, Tergar International launched the Anytime Anywhere Meditation (AAM) program, a secular program introducing the essence of the Joy of Living programming. 

In September 2023, Tergar International launched the year-long Meditation Teacher Program, with 89 graduates completing the program. Licensed graduates may teach the AAM. 

In the same year, Tergar International initiated My Meditation Journey, a series of interviews with public personas such as Laurie Anderson and Michael Imperioli, sharing their experience of meditation.

• 2024

In 2024, Tergar International hosted its first programs at the newly re-constructed Osel Ling monastery, which was heavily damaged in the 2015 Nepal earthquake and now serves as a central hub for Tergar activities in the region. This year, Rinpoche also began a cycle of the Dorje Drolo teachings. Tergar International's efforts also focused on the development of the Joy of Living app.