5 July 2026 (Sunday) - 30 September 2026 (Wednesday)
2026 Dzogchen Lineage Internship
at the Dzogchen Retreat Center USA
1-Month program — Living the Buddha Path
July 5th – August 1st, 2026
3-Month Master Program —
The Journey of Transmission and Realization
July 5th – September 30th, 2026
***Special Notice: There are several special events that are scheduled the day before and the day after the 1-month Internship concluding ceremony, as well as during the 3-month Internship. Many Internship participants will want to attend these special events, so please make your travel plans accordingly.
Thursday, July 30th: Dzogchen Buddha Path Dharma Education Commencement Ceremony
Saturday, August 1st: Dzogchen Buddha Path Emaho Awards and Noble Dharma Prize Ceremony
Friday-Saturday, August 21st-22nd: Dzogchen Buddha Path Dharma Teacher Authorization and Enthronement Ceremony
(must arrive on August 20th, and leave on August 23rd)
***Fees for these events will be announced later.
2026 One-Month Summer Dzogchen Buddha Path Retreat
An International Dzogchen Buddha Path Teacher Training Program conducted by His Eminence Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche.
The first month of the Internship is the One-Month International Grand Buddha Path Teacher Training Program, an annual assembly of the International Dzogchen Buddha Path Lineage students. Attendees of the first month are required to have attended at least one seasonal retreat within the Dzogchen Buddha Path Lineage or be tutored by an authorized Dzogchen Buddha Path Teacher who can help applicants prepare for the Internship.
Date & Time: Retreat starts on Sunday, July 5, 2026 and concludes on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
Qualifications: This is a private retreat and is only open to authorized Buddha Path Teachers and those who are trained and invited by authorized Buddha Path Teachers. See additional prerequisites below.
Traveling Guidelines: Interns must arrive on or before Saturday, July 4, 2026 and cannot leave until Sunday, August 2.
Encouraged: Retreatants are encouraged to arrive a couple of days before July 4 so that you can acclimate your body and mind.
*Please note: those who have smoked marijuana within 100 days of the start of the retreat or who are addicted to any legal or illegal substance may not attend.
Dzogchen Rigdzin Dupa Drupchen Practice
Date & Time: To Be Announced.
Qualifications: Only those who completed the 2026 One-Month Summer Dzogchen Buddha Path Retreat will be eligible to apply for the 2026 Dzogchen Rigdzin Dupa Drupchen.
2026 Three-Month Dzogchen Lineage Internship
An Advanced Buddha Path Retreat and Teacher Training Program conducted by His Eminence Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche
The full three-month master program is intended only for graduates of prior Dzogchen Lineage Internships. Both one-month and three-month options are intended for those who sincerely want to become Buddha Path teachers to benefit this world and to become Buddha in this very life. These are for students who have faith in the Dzogchen Lineage and who understand that progress in Dharma requires comprehensive training and continuous diligence in the three methods of learning, contemplation, and meditation.
For the retreat fees and other details that are specific to our International Sangha, please contact your regional Internship Director or coordinator.
Date & Time: Starts Sunday, July 5, 2026 and ends on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Qualifications: This is a private retreat and is only open to authorized Buddha Path Teachers and those who are approved to attend by The Dzogchen Buddha Path Internship committee. See additional prerequisites below.
Traveling Guidelines: Interns must arrive on or before Saturday, July 4, 2026. Interns cannot leave until Thursday, October 1, 2026.
Note regarding extended stay: If individuals want to stay on as volunteers or for personal retreat, they must request the Internship Director in advance and receive prior approval.
Registration is limited, so be sure to fill-out the online registration as soon as possible.
Internship Requirements
It is important that prospective Interns understand the demands of this internship and are willing to meet certain requirements.
Prior Retreat Experience
Please contact the Internship Director using the addresses below if you need any clarification on the following prerequisites:
Prerequisites for the One-Month Summer Dzogchen Buddha Path Retreat:
- Required to have taken Buddhist Refuge within the Dzogchen Buddha Path Lineage
- Must have attended at least a one week retreat within the Dzogchen Buddha Path Lineage OR have received 10 tutoring sessions by an authorized Dharma Teacher of The Buddha Path
- Must be evaluated by and have permission to attend from the Internship Director
- Must arrive by July 4th, 2026 and promise to remain in retreat for the specified time through the concluding ceremony of the chosen option
- Must be fluent in one or more of the following languages: English, Chinese, Russian, Spanish
Traveling Guidelines: Retreatants are encouraged to arrive a couple of days or by July 4 to acclimate body and mind. Interns must arrive on or before Saturday, July 4, 2026 and cannot leave until Sunday, August 2.
Prerequisites for the Three-Month Option of the Internship:
- Must have graduated from at least one previous Internship Program
- Must have given eight formal public Dharma teachings in the year prior to attending
- Must have permission to attend from the Internship Director
- Must be able to understand English. In-session translations will sometimes not be provided.
- Must arrive on or before Saturday, July 4, 2026
Traveling Guidelines: Interns must arrive on or before Saturday, July 4, 2026. Interns cannot leave before Thursday, October 1, 2026.
Registration is limited, so be sure to fill-out the online registration as soon as possible.
Our Kind Vajra Master
We are extremely happy to announce that our kind teacher His Eminence Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche, a meditation master, professor of Dzogchen Shri Singha University, and Dzogchen Lineage Holder, will lead this Dzogchen Lineage Internship and provide daily instruction to all students during the entire Internship. This program is an extraordinary opportunity to receive profound instructions directly from a living Vajra Master born and trained in Tibet.
His Eminence Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche
Biography of His Eminence Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche
Additional Information
Expectations
Minors must be accompanied by parent(s) or legal guardian(s) and provided with full-time care if they are not attending the sessions. All students must be of sound mind and body. Students must commit to attend whichever retreat option they select in its entirety, and plan to forgo other obligations or distractions during that time. Students can expect to have limited contact with the outside world and should prepare their friends and families accordingly. Students will have limited or no access to the Internet during the Internship.
Students will live at the rural and secluded Dzogchen Retreat Center USA, where they will study and practice in groups and individually for approximately sixteen hours a day on a rigorous and dynamic schedule. Students will be expected to obey all federal, state and local laws as well as the rules of the retreat center and the specific rules and schedule of the Internship.
Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche teaches all courses in English, drawing upon his knowledge of Sanskrit, Tibetan and Chinese when appropriate. Internship translators and tutors facilitate discussion and understanding of each days’ teachings in English, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.
Is the Dzogchen Lineage Internship Right for Me?
Training one Dharma teacher is equal to establishing one Dharma Center. Opening one Dharma Center is equal to closing many jails, closing the doors of lower realms, and opening the doors of higher realms and enlightened paths.
This internship is intended for those who sincerely want to benefit others and realize wisdom and compassion in this lifetime. It is for students who have faith in the Dzogchen Lineage and who understand that progress in Dharma, the root of happiness, requires comprehensive training and continuous diligence in the three techniques: learning, contemplation and meditation.
As Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche teaches us, “Human life is precious. Life is impermanent. If you realize in this life that your top priority is teaching Dharma to others for the sake of world peace, then the Dzogchen Lineage Internship program is for you.”
Based on the belief that lasting change must come from within, the Dzogchen Lineage Internship serves to create Dharma teachers with a firm foundation in Buddhist fundamentals. Throughout the course of this internship, students will train in increasing renunciation, compassion, faith, love and wisdom. This training promotes positive change in the students so that they might better serve others.
The intensive and comprehensive approach to the teachings used in this internship is specifically intended to help students to become tutors, guides and teachers of the Dharma, as well as Dzogchen Lineage Holders.
Retreat Preparation
Students must prepare for the internship in advance by completing the specific preparatory exercises and study program outlined in the 2026 Internship Handbook, which will be distributed electronically to all admitted applicants.
Admission
Admission to the Internship will be based on an application process. We welcome applications from all who would like to attend. The Internship Application Committee will review all applications. Attendance is limited, so please apply early if you think you want to participate.
We encourage all sincere and well intentioned Buddhist students to learn more about this program by visiting the internship website, contacting us and asking any questions they have.
Translations and Interpretations:
Sessions during the one month Internship will include Mandarin Chinese translation by Bodhi Lama Lau Kin and Bodhi Lama Li Heng, PhD; Russian language translation by Bodhi Lama Evgeny Golyuk; and Spanish language translation by Dharma Acharya Mila Maren.
Registration is limited, so be sure to fill-out the online registration as soon as possible.
Application Process
The application process is as follows:
- Applicant fills out the online application form .
- The Internship Director acknowledges the receipt of the application and sends more information.
- The Internship Director interviews the applicant over the phone.
- The Internship Director presents the applicant to the Internship Committee for approval.
- If approved, the Internship Director asks the applicant to sign the Internship Agreement and return it with a 25% non-refundable down payment.
Internship Fees
To honor and support our Sangha to join this year’s Internship program and all three great events, the officers of the Dzogchen Shri Singha Foundation and the Dzogchen Lineage Internship Committee have wholeheartedly decided to offer a special discount for this year’s Internship fees.
Publicly announced fees for the 2026 One Month Internship: $3,415
Special discounted fee for the 2026 One Month Internship will be similar to the 2019 fee.
$2800USD, a $615 discount
Publicly announced fees for the 2026 Three Month Internship: $5,780
Special discounted fee for the 2026 Three Month Internship will be similar to the 2019 fee.
$4900USD, an $880 discount
1 month Internship: $2,800
3 month Internship: $4,900
You must pay in full, in order to attend the Internship.
Also, if you do not complete the payment, you will not receive credits.
Discount Options
You might be eligible for ONE of the discounts listed below. You may only apply for ONE of these discounts. Please provide necessary information to the Internship committee when you apply. You cannot combine discounts listed below. You may select only one discount per person. The Internship Director will let you know if the discount that you apply for has been granted to you.
1. International Travel Discount: Up to $300
2. Returning Reward: $6.00 per completed month of Internship (not to exceed $300)
3. Student Discount: In order to encourage young people to attend the Internships, a discount of up to 5% may be offered to applicants in need who are 20 to 25 years of age.
4. Teen Discount: For those 13-19 years of age, there is a $250 discount.
5. Youth Discount: Instead of the flat $2,800 one-month rate, youths 5-12 years of age will be charged $1 per year old per day. For example, a 12 year old who resides 48 days at the DRC will be charged $12 x 48 = $576 USD
For the benefit of participating students, the Dzogchen Lineage Internship is offered as an act of devotion. Because we hold no profit motive, every fee carries a built-in scholarship: tuition has been minimized to cover only the essential operating costs of food, lodging, utilities, and maintenance. The Dharma itself — the teachings, sadhana practice, and sacred Buddhist ceremonies guided by our Holy Vajra Master and Dharma teachers — is, and always will be, offered freely. It is the inheritance of every sincere student. Donations to the teacher are warmly welcomed but never required.
We ask that students arrive prepared to support themselves during the Internship, including health care and personal necessities, and that they bring their Dharma books and holy objects with them. Because the instruction unfolds as a single, unbroken transmission, students who depart for any reason will not be able to return to continue the program later, and fees are non-refundable once the Internship has begun. We hold this boundary with care as protection for the integrity of the lineage and the depth of each student’s experience.
Since 2008, while costs have risen everywhere, we have raised our fees only minimally. Through conservation, thoughtful upgrades, and the tireless generosity of our volunteers, we have worked to keep the doors of this practice open to as many sincere students as possible.
Contact Information
International Dzogchen Lineage Internship Directors
Dzogchen Internship Event Director: Bodhi Lama Mari Evans
Email: dzogchen.lineage.internship@thebuddhapath.org
Overview of the Dzogchen Lineage Internship
Celebrating Over Ten Years of Dzogchen Lineage Internships
Since 2008, the annual Dzogchen Lineage Internship Program has been an intensive course of study and training in the view, meditation, conduct, and result of Buddhist Sutras and Tantras. This program integrates scholastic methods with personal instruction and meditation techniques to allow students to progress infallibly and swiftly from a logical understanding of the Dharma to the unwavering realization of Dzogchen. This internship program is a rare and precious opportunity for contemporary students to study and train in the methods of the Dzogchen Lineage.
Dzogchen Buddha Path Internship Curriculum
The Dzogchen Lineage Internship is an intensive course of study and training in the view, meditation, and conduct of the authentic Buddhist Sutras, Tantras, and Shastras. This teaching and training method is based on the time-tested tradition of Dzogchen Shri Singha Five Sciences University of Tibet, Nalanda University and Oddiyana Mandala City of ancient India. For thousands of years, these methods of training have led many Buddhist practitioners to attain the supreme result of enlightenment and become holders of the Dzogchen Lineage.
Interns also study the five minor sciences of poetics, semiotics, prosody, drama, and astrology. These classes ensure that students receive a comprehensive education in authentic Buddhist view, meditation, and conduct with special emphasis on firmly grounding that education in the fundamental ground, path, and result principles of Buddhism. These teachings and curriculum adhere to the system of the Dzogchen Shri Singha Five Sciences University of Tibet, Nalanda University, Odantapuri Temple, and the Oddiyana Mandala City of ancient India.
An Immersive Training Experience
Dzogchen Buddha Path Interns stay sequestered at a designated Internship site for the duration of the Internship program. All Interns are required to attend every session and activity of the Internship program, which consists of a daily twenty-four hour schedule of training.
A typical daily Internship schedule begins and ends with at least an hour of group practice. The interim is centered on a minimum of six hours and up to twelve hours of in-class study with the Guiding Vajra Master, Dharma teachers, and senior Dharma tutors. These class sessions cover topics of the traditional Buddhist major sciences of art, medicine, linguistics, philosophy, and especially the Buddhadharma, which is learning, contemplating, and meditating on the teachings and shastras of the Vinaya, Sutra, and Abhidharma in general, and the Vajrayana Tantras and the Dzogchen Tantras in particular.
In addition, classroom sessions include training in meditation techniques, academic research, translation, composition and editing, teaching and public speaking, pedagogy, debate, leadership, counseling, conflict resolution, healing techniques, miracle powers, parapsychology, yoga, ritual ceremony, nutrition, and other practical knowledge, skills, and competencies. Interns must also demonstrate ability in self-guided study through reading and writing assignments, memorization, media presentations, speeches, and teachings.
An Internship program also functions as a practicum. Periods in between the main sessions are utilized to further train Interns in the context of team roles, individual and group projects, committee participation, event organization, and management positions.
Interns are directed to utilize the principles they have acquired throughout all periods of the daily schedule by meditating on enlightenment, reminding themselves and others to embody Buddhist principles, practicing Buddhist visualization, reciting Buddhist mantras and teachings, and acting and speaking in accord with Buddhist guidelines for conduct. Students are also taught techniques for transforming mundane daily activities such as sleeping, waking up, tending to personal hygiene, walking, eating, drinking, and even physical work into Buddhist enlightened practice.
Dzogchen Buddha Path Internships provide one of the most complete and holistic programs of Buddhist learning and training in the world. Graduates of these programs receive a breadth and quality of education that is difficult to quantify. Many past and present Interns have described their participation in these programs as the single most important activity and defining experience of their lives, transforming their entire view and approach to living. Those who attend multiple Internships progressively deepen their understanding, experience and realization of Dharma. Dzogchen Buddha Path Interns graduate as scholars learned in Buddhist principles, Buddhist practitioners on the path to enlightenment, and teachers who are benefiting their families, communities, and the world at large.
Gaining Credit Hours and Achieving Awards
The Dzogchen Buddha Path Authentication Committee (the Committee) was formed in the U.S. in 2013 by members of the Dzogchen Shri Singha Foundation USA and international Dzogchen Shri Singha institutions for the purpose of developing criteria for verifying those Dzogchen Buddha Path students who have achieved a sufficient level of Dharma learning, contemplation, and meditation to be recognized as Buddha Path Teachers.
The Committee recognizes the value of integrating traditional educational models with modern academic standards. Accordingly, these criteria incorporate the modern system of standards following the guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Education. This system awards course credit hours based on both contact (in-class) and assigned (out-of-class) study.
The Committee believes that by establishing criteria that combine the rigorous requirements of these respected educational models, recipients of Dzogchen Buddha Path certificates, diplomas, and degrees can be trusted as knowledgeable teachers of Buddhist principles. These criteria far exceed those normally used for determining expertise in a field of study. The criteria especially emphasizes identifying those students who have both knowledge and faith in authentic Buddhism. Thus, the Committee unreservedly recognizes award recipients for their accomplishments in authentic Buddhist training.
The Committee encourages and authorizes all certificate holders to teach Buddhist principles in general, and to teach The Buddha Path in particular to all mankind for the True Happiness of all beings. However, these awards do not support recipients as qualified Dharma teachers if they do not properly uphold Buddhist principles, including moral conduct. If this moral contract is broken, then these certificates and awards will be invalidated.
Registration is limited, so be sure to fill-out the online registration as soon as possible.
The Great Merit of Supporting Dharma
A Heartfelt Note on Sponsorship:
The truth, gently spoken, is this: program fees alone do not sustain us. Our teacher and sangha hold immense compassion and offer these teachings tirelessly — but the resources to carry this work forward come from those who feel called to give.
To every sponsor and supporter who has walked beside the Dzogchen Retreat Center USA over the years — thank you. Your generosity is woven into every retreat, every awakening, every student who returns home transformed. You have made it possible for Dharma students and teachers from around the world to receive training of extraordinary depth and authenticity.
If your heart moves you to support this work — whether through sponsoring a retreat, underwriting a student’s training, contributing to the retreat center, or offering ongoing patronage — we would be deeply honored to welcome you into this circle of benefactors. Every offering, large or small, becomes part of an unbroken chain: the Dharma reaching the next student, the next generation, the next being who needs it.
As we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donations are tax deductible in accordance with the law. Supporting Buddhist education generates great merit for the donor. If you would like to contribute financially or with your time, please contact us immediately. Your assistance is necessary and greatly appreciated.
There are many ways you can help:
- Offer donations of money, property, or stock
- Sponsor students or other volunteers
- Volunteer at the retreat center before or during the Internship
- Recite the Heartfelt Dharma Aspiration Prayer
- Encourage your friends to participate
Click here to Offer!
Dzogchen Internship Information and Registration Site
