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.

Community news & announcements

Play Video

Video: Introduction to Nalanda Monastery and its new retreat place – Maitreya Pure Land.

🔜 Upcoming Pujas

Saturday 29 January 19:00 - 20:00

Medicine Buddha puja

Saturday 5 February 19:00 - 20:00

Medicine Buddha puja

Click here to add Nalanda's events to your Google Calendar.

Visits to Nalanda are open again! We're now open for afternoon visits on Sundays by appointment only. Please call to the office +33 5 63 58 02 25 or e-mail at least two days in advance.

Past Events

Study & practice

Emptiness course

1-year residential & online
with Geshe Jamphel
starting Feb 2022

basic program

5-year residential & online
with Geshe Jamphel
starting Sep 2023

masters program

7-year residential & online
with Geshe Gyaltsen
starting Feb 2023

Can't decide which study program is for you? Click here for a brief comparison.

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."