Madison Tergar Community
Upcoming Events
The Heart Sutra Hybrid Retreat with Khenpo Kunga
January 30, 2026 - February 1, 2026
Join beloved Tergar Lama Khenpo Kunga and Tergar - Madison for teachings on one of the most profound texts in the Buddhist tradition — the Heart Sutra. This weekend retreat offers both experiential and scholarly approaches to the Heart Sutra and its central teaching: emptiness. This hybrid retreat is offered in-person in Madison, WI and online via Zoom.
About the Heart Sutra
The Heart Sutra is among the most important texts in Mahayana Buddhism. Often memorized, recited, and meditated upon, the Heart Sutra distills the teachings of prajna paramita, or the perfection of wisdom, into a short and powerful form.
Its famous mantra — “Gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā” — often translated as “Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone completely beyond, awakening, so be it” — is a powerful invocation to transcend conceptual limitations and awaken to the true nature of reality.
More than a philosophical text, the Heart Sutra is a guide to transforming how we perceive and engage with reality. Its teachings on emptiness challenge habitual ways of thinking and open the door to liberation and boundless compassion.
The Teaching of Emptiness (Śūnyatā)
At the core of the Heart Sutra is the teaching of emptiness — that all phenomena, including self, are devoid of inherent existence. Understanding emptiness is not an intellectual exercise — it is an experiential realization that frees us from grasping, fear, and ignorance.
In this event, through teaching, commentary, and meditation, we will explore emptiness not merely as a negation, but as a space of possibility and liberation.
Open to Everybody
Whether you are new to Buddhist teachings or a long-time practitioner, this event is an opportunity to deepen your connection to the Heart Sutra and explore how the wisdom of emptiness opens the path to awakening.
Click here to register.
Meditation Practice - How Much and How Long?
Hybrid Discussion with Dr. Richie Davidson and Khenpo Kunga
February 3, 2026, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Meditation practice comes in various forms; informal, formal and active. In addition to these three forms of practice, one can insert practice into daily life, or remove oneself from daily obligations to practice in a retreat setting. What are the benefits of these various forms and approaches to meditation?
Join esteemed neuroscientist Dr. Richie Davidson and renowned meditation teacher, Khenpo Kunga, for a discussion of the various forms of meditation practice and their benefits. Khenpo Kunga has recently completed the rigorous 3-year retreat, and Dr. Davidson and his colleagues have long studied the brains of meditators from many different lineages and traditions who have various approaches to practicing meditation. Bringing together their many decades of practice and study promises to make this exchange illuminating and informative.
Click here to register.
The Aspiration of Mahāmudrā Hybrid Retreat
February 6, 2026 - February 8, 2026
Join beloved Tergar Lama Khenpo Kunga and Tergar - Madison for teachings on the Aspiration of Mahāmudrā retreat. This Aspiration of Mahāmudrā weekend retreat offers both experiential and scholarly approaches to the profound and direct path to awakening of the Kagyu school of Vajrayana Buddhism. The Mahāmudrā lineage of oral instructions enables individuals to recognize the clarity of awareness in every aspect of their lives. This hybrid retreat is offered in-person in Madison, WI and online via Zoom.
About the Aspiration of Mahāmudrā
Mahamudra is considered the most profound and direct path to awakening in the Kagyu school of Vajrayana Buddhism. This lineage of oral instructions enables individuals to recognize the clarity of awareness in every aspect of their lives.
In the 13th century, the third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, composed the Aspiration Prayer. The Aspiration Prayer is a comprehensive guide to the Mahāmudrā path, outlining its ultimate nature, the path of view, meditation and application, and culminating in the attainment of Buddhahood. Tergar Lama Khenpo Kunga will offer teachings on the Aspiration of Mahāmudrā prayer in English to a Western audience. We welcome you to join this precious transmission!
“Beings by nature have always been Buddhas,
yet not realizing this, they wander endlessly in samsara.”
-Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje
Prerequisite
To join this course, you need to have received pointing out instructions on the nature of mind from a qualified lineage teacher.
The Aspiration of Mahāmudrā retreat is open to those who have received both ngondro transmission and pointing-out instructions from a qualified lineage holder of either the Kagyu or Nyingma traditions. Tergar students receive these instructions and transmissions at in-person Tergar Path of Liberation retreats with Mingyur Rinpoche, Khenpo Kunga, or Lama Trinley. If you have questions about the prerequisites, please contact [email protected]
Click here to register.
Recurring Events
Joy of Living Meditation Group
Tuesday Evenings, 7:00—8:00pm
Offered as a hybrid event via Zoom and in-person.
Whether an experienced practitioner or just beginning your meditation journey, please join us on Tuesday evenings to explore the practices of awareness, compassion and wisdom.
*Community Nights: the first Tuesday of each month includes a 60-minute teaching/practice session followed by a 30-minute social period with snacks provided.
To receive the Zoom links, please subscribe to our weekly newsletter or email [email protected].
Open Meditation
Friday mornings, 8:00—10:00am
The first hour of Open Meditation is an unguided meditation, followed by one hour of shared reflections (in-person only). We alternate between Wingra Park on the west side of town and Burrows Park on the east side of town. If the weather is not good for an outside meeting, we will meet at the Tergar Center on Blount Street. An email is sent out on Thursday with the location for the following day. To join this group, please email [email protected].
Blueprints of Awakening Discussion Group
Second and Fourth Wednesdays,
4:00—5:30pm
This discussion group meets via Zoom every second and fourth Wednesday of the month to discuss the Blueprints of Awakening transmission from Vajrayana Online (online only). Meetings are held from 4 pm to 5:30 pm with rotating moderators. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Nectar of the Path Practice
Second Sunday Mornings, 10:30am—noon
This is a monthly opportunity to practice the Nectar of the Path at our center (in-person only). This concise and beautiful liturgy was written by our guiding teacher, Mingyur Rinpoche, and captures the essence of many key aspects of Tibetan Buddhism in a practice that involves contemplation, meditation, and chanting in both Tibetan and English. The one-hour practice is led by a volunteer Umdze (chant leader) and is open to all.
Dharma Talks
Biweekly on Thursday Evenings, 7:00—8:00pm
This hybrid talk is offered twice a month on Thursdays and is led by guest speakers such as Dr. Cortland Dahl, Kasumi Kato, Dr. Scott Anderson, Dr. John Dunne, and others. These meetings are FREE and open to everyone. The talks start at 7 pm and are held at our center at 301 S. Blount St. and on Zoom.
If you are interested in Buddhism or the spiritual journey, these talks are for you. To view the schedule or receive the Zoom links, please subscribe to our weekly newsletter or email [email protected].
Movie Night
Monthly on Saturday Evenings,
7:00—9:00pm
Each month the Tergar-Madison Meditation Community hosts a community movie night in our beautiful center. These screenings are free and open to all! Bring your friends, family and favorite movie snacks for a relaxing Saturday night.
Saturday, December 13th – The Buddha’s Lost Children
Buddha's Lost Children is a feature-length documentary film about a Thai Buddhist monk named Phra Khru Bah Neua Chai Kosittowho – armed only with his faith and skills and master boxer skills – wages an inspirational battle to help orphaned children, fight drug abuse, and preserve a vanishing way of life.
Saturday, January 17th - The Dalai Lama’s Gift
The Dalai Lama's Gift is a documentary about the historic 1981 Kalachakra Tantra ritual performed by the Dalai Lama in a Wisconsin cornfield, the first time the ceremony was held outside of Tibet or India. The film uses never-before-seen footage from the Smithsonian archives to explore how this sacred event and the teachings of the Dalai Lama had a transformative and lasting impact on the American and Midwestern Buddhist community that organized it.
For upcoming events and programs please go to our online calendar.
Under the guidance of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Tergar Madison holds weekly drop-in meditation groups and public talks, as well as periodic retreats, workshops and classes on meditation and Tibetan Buddhism. Please join us!
Please Note: Service animals are welcome in the center. Other animals are asked to stay home during the retreat to make the space as accessible as possible for those with allergies.
Tergar Madison
Address:
301 S Blount Street, Suite 104, Madison, WI 53703
Click here for a parking map
Email: [email protected]
FaceBook: Tergar Madison
SoundCloud: Tergar Meditation Community
Suggestions and Comments for Tergar Madison Leadership:
If you would like to offer input to the Tergar Madison Community Council, please follow this link.
Tergar Programs
Joy of Living Workshops and Retreats
The Joy of Living is a course of meditation training that is open to people of all religious and cultural backgrounds. Tergar Madison offers regular workshops and retreats related to the practices of mindfulness, compassion, and insight meditation. Read more…
Exploring Buddhism
Exploring Buddhism is a study program that covers the core teachings of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. These teachings address the full spectrum of Buddhist thought and practice, starting with teachings on the Four Noble Truths and leading up to the philosophy of Vajrayana Buddhism. Read more…
Path of Liberation
The Path of Liberation builds on the foundational teachings of the Joy of Living, presenting a course of meditation practice rooted in the ancient teachings of Tibet. Tergar Madison holds regular activities for Path of Liberation practitioners. Read more…
If you have questions about Tergar Madison programs, please send an email to [email protected].