Maitripa College sits in the Hawthorne district of southeast Portland, Oregon, in a converted multi-story building that includes academic offices, a meditation hall, classrooms, a library, and a small set of residential rooms. The institution was founded in 2005 by Yangsi Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist lama in the Gelug school recognized as the reincarnation of Geshe Ngawang Gendun, who had been a senior teacher at Sera Je Monastery in Tibet. Maitripa was conceived as a Western Buddhist college providing accredited graduate education in Tibetan Buddhist studies alongside formal Buddhist practice training, in the spirit of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). The institution holds an unusual position in North American Tibetan Buddhism: an accredited graduate-degree-granting college teaching Tibetan Buddhism in an academic format, founded and led by a recognized tulku, set in an urban West Coast US city rather than at a traditional rural retreat property. Maitripa offers Master of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees in Buddhist studies, with curriculum drawing on classical Tibetan texts, philosophy, meditation training, and traditional Tibetan Buddhist studies. For practitioners outside the degree program, Maitripa runs an active continuing-education and weekend-program calendar. Topics include lamrim (the graduated path to enlightenment, a foundational FPMT curriculum), Mahayana philosophy, Tibetan Buddhist meditation, language study (Tibetan), and visiting-teacher events bringing senior Tibetan lamas to Portland. Programs are open to non-degree participants and draw both Portland-area practitioners and visitors from across the Pacific Northwest. Maitripa is part of the FPMT international network founded by Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, but its degree-granting academic structure distinguishes it from the standard FPMT center model. Following Lama Zopa Rinpoche's death in 2023, FPMT has entered a transitional period; Maitripa has continued its academic and continuing-education programming under Yangsi Rinpoche's leadership.
Programs run on standard academic schedules. Continuing-education weekends combine sitting practice with lamrim teachings or specific topics. Multi-week courses meet weekly with reading and practice between sessions. Daily morning and evening meditation in the institution's meditation hall is open to students and the broader sangha. Multi-day retreats happen at off-site partner venues in the Pacific Northwest. The teaching format draws on traditional Tibetan analytical study (working through texts, debating philosophical points) alongside meditation practice in the standard FPMT framework.
The teaching line is Tibetan Gelug by way of Yangsi Rinpoche's training at Sera Je Monastery and the broader FPMT lineage of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. The Gelug school traces back through Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), the founder of the school. Maitripa's curriculum draws on the classical Gelug textual tradition combined with the FPMT's particular Western-accessible presentation of Tibetan Buddhism.
Tibetan Buddhist practitioners in the Lama Yeshe / Lama Zopa Rinpoche lineage who want a Pacific Northwest center with access to the full FPMT curriculum.
Adults considering or pursuing Master of Arts or Master of Divinity degrees in Buddhist studies in an accredited program founded and led by a recognized Tibetan tulku.
Practitioners in greater Portland who want a Tibetan Buddhist urban center with continuing education, daily practice, and visiting-teacher events.
For continuing-education programs, register through the institution's website and attend at the Portland campus. Most programs have meals available on-site or self-arranged. For degree program study, application is through the standard graduate admissions process. The institution is set in urban Portland with parking and transit access. Some programs include guest accommodation for traveling students; longer stays involve nearby Portland accommodation.
The Portland campus includes the meditation hall, classrooms, library, academic offices, and a small set of residential rooms for students. The building is multi-story in the Hawthorne district. Off-site partner retreat venues in the Pacific Northwest are used for multi-day silent retreats. Meals at on-site events are vegetarian; the institution's dining facilities serve students and program participants.
Continuing-education program fees are published per program, typically USD 100 to 1,500 depending on length. Degree-program tuition is separate and follows accredited graduate-school tuition structures. Scholarships and reduced rates are available through the financial aid office for both academic and continuing-education students. Teacher dana for visiting Tibetan lamas is traditional and invited at the close of teachings.
An accredited Tibetan Buddhist college in urban Portland, founded and led by a recognized tulku.
Yes. Maitripa is an accredited college offering Master of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees in Buddhist studies. The academic structure distinguishes it from standard FPMT centers, which are typically practice-focused without degree-granting authority. The college admits both degree-seeking students and non-degree participants in continuing education.
Yangsi Rinpoche is the founder and president of Maitripa, a Tibetan Buddhist lama in the Gelug school recognized as the reincarnation of Geshe Ngawang Gendun, a senior teacher at Sera Je Monastery in Tibet. He completed traditional Tibetan monastic training and brings that combined background of formal Tibetan Buddhist scholarship and Western accessibility to the institution.
Multi-day silent retreats happen at off-site partner venues in the Pacific Northwest. The Portland campus is set up for daily practice, classes, and continuing education rather than as a residential retreat property. Off-site retreat options are listed on the institution's program calendar.
Maitripa is part of the FPMT international network founded by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, while operating with degree-granting academic governance distinct from standard FPMT centers. Following Lama Zopa Rinpoche's death in 2023, FPMT has entered a transitional period; Maitripa continues programming under Yangsi Rinpoche's leadership.
Compare upcoming retreat dates, prices, and availability for Maitripa College & Retreat and similar centers.
OMP earns a small commission if you book through Tripaneer's network. Editorial ranking isn't affected.