Tibet House US

On Tuesday, October 13, the calendar at 22 West 15th Street lists two sessions. One is Vajra Yoga, yoga instruction from the Indo-Tibetan traditions, taught by John Campbell and Patty MacRae. The other, at 6:30pm, is the introduction to Bob's Buddhism, a pop-up series celebrating the Buddhism of Robert Thurman, with Ganden Thurman, Beata Tikos, David Kittay and Joe Loizzo. Both are listed as hybrid, open in the room or online.

Tibet House US exists because the Dalai Lama asked for it. The organization's history page says he asked his friends to establish a Tibet House as a culture center during his first U.S. visit in 1979. At the inauguration in 1987, he stated his wish for a long-term cultural institution to ensure the survival of Tibetan civilization and culture.

The mission statement is blunt about the stakes. Tibet House US says it is dedicated to preserving Tibet's unique culture "at a time when it is confronted with extinction on its own soil," and it describes itself as part of a worldwide network of Tibetan institutions. Its resources reflect that purpose: a Repatriation Collection, an Old Tibet photographic archive, an animated history of Tibet and the Tibetan Declaration of Independence. The gallery mounts exhibitions, and TABO: Into The Light is currently on view.

The programming covers Tibetan cultural heritage, religion, history and art, neuroscience and meditation. A weekday Lunchtime Meditation runs online from 1 to 1:45pm Eastern, with a suggested donation of $10. Its January schedule rotated somatic practice, mindful self-compassion, mindfulness, embodied mindfulness and loving-kindness through the week. A 100-hour mindfulness meditation teacher training with Dharma Moon runs from October 9 to January 17.

The organization also points to Menla, its upstate retreat center in a secluded valley beside a stream in the Catskill mountains, and to an annual benefit concert that reaches its 40th edition in 2027.