a warm welcome to

Nalanda Monastery

One of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the West, established in 1981 by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche and located in the South of France. Named after Nalanda Monastery in ancient India, we offer a conducive environment for monastics, programs in Buddhist Philosophy, meditation retreats and opportunities to serve.

Open for visitors & guided tours every Sunday, 14:00-18:00.

Ordination

To become a monk of Nalanda, one would have to first complete the aspirant questionnaire, and then if accepted by the community of Gelongs, a mentor would be appointed as a guide.

Retreats

Our retreat huts are available for short term and long term personal retreats. We also host a range of group retreats during the summer months of July & August.

Volunteer

Offering service at Nalanda is a great opportunity to live in spiritual community, attend teachings with our resident Geshes and other events in a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery.

Art Workshop

Nalanda has a well-equipped art workshop. Our primary service is making moulds for individual tsa-tsa practices or for centers, stupa building projects and other Dharma activities.

Study & practice

Upcoming Programs

FPMT Basic Program

5 year residential & online

with Geshe Jamphel

starting Sep 2023

FPMT Masters Program

7 year residential & online

with Geshe Gyaltsen

starting Feb 2024

Current & Upcoming Courses

Stepping Out on the Path

5 month residential & online

with Geshe Losel

Started in Feb 2023

Nagarjuna Course

5 month residential & online

with Geshe Gyaltsen

Started in Feb 2023

Yamantaka Commentary & Retreat

3 month residential & online

with Geshe Gyaltsen

Starting in Sep 2023

Events at Nalanda

“We need to remember that we are all human beings. We have to think about the whole of humanity, not just my group. We can achieve this through education, one of whose roles is to reduce the gap between appearance and reality. The appearance is that there is a difference between “them” and “us”, while the reality is that humanity is one.”

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

“We need to remember that we are all human beings. We have to think about the whole of humanity, not just my group. We can achieve this through education, one of whose roles is to reduce the gap between appearance and reality. The appearance is that there is a difference between “them” and “us”, while the reality is that humanity is one.”

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Nalanda's Frontline
Lama Yeshe
Lama Yeshe

Founder of Nalanda Monastery

"We’re establishing Nalanda Monastery to produce many saints and scholars. That’s why I called it Nalanda. We can be just like the ancient Indian monastery Nalanda, which produced such great Indian pandits as Atisha, Naropa, and Shantideva. I really feel that our own monastery can produce such saints and pandits."
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Spiritual Director of the FPMT

The real heroes are those who are practicing Dharma. Many people don’t understand Buddhists; they don’t understand Sangha living in the West...However, you are the real hero! You are practicing Dharma, guru devotion, renunciation, contentment. Contentment is a great source of peace and happiness to you and others. And you are practicing bodhichitta—wow! This brings all happiness to you and every single being all the way up to enlightenment.
Geshe Jamphel
Geshe Jamphel

Current Abbot

Geshe Gyaltsen
Geshe Gyaltsen

Resident Teacher

Geshe Losel
Geshe Losel

Resident Teacher

Ven. Tharchin
Ven. Tharchin

Current Director

Ven. Kalden
Ven. Kalden

Assistant Director

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