The Tergar Meditation Community supports individuals, practice groups, and meditation communities around the world in learning to live with awareness, compassion, and wisdom.
Grounded in the Tibetan Buddhist lineage of our guiding teacher, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, our online and in-person programs are accessible to people of all cultures and faiths, and support a lifelong path toward the application of these principles in everyday life.
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur Rinpoche brings a rare blend of ancient wisdom and modern insight to his meditation teachings. By weaving together traditional Buddhist practices with contemporary scientific understanding of the mind, he makes meditation both meaningful and approachable for students across cultures and backgrounds.
His own journey with meditation began in Nepal, where he was born in 1975. As a child struggling with severe anxiety and panic attacks, he found transformation through meditation practice, guided by his father, the renowned Buddhist teacher Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. Early encounters with visiting scientists sparked his fascination with Western research, leading to meaningful collaborations with neuroscientists and psychologists, including Richard Davidson and Antoine Lutz at the University of Wisconsin, to study meditation's effects on the brain.
His teachings have reached millions through his bestselling books. The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness became a New York Times bestseller and has been translated into over twenty languages. In Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom, he reveals how life's challenges can become catalysts for personal growth. His most recent work, In Love with the World, chronicles his profound transformation during a wandering retreat through India, including a powerful near-death experience. His insights on mindfulness have reached even broader audiences through his appearance in Netflix's series The Mind, Explained.
Today, as leader of the Tergar Meditation Community, Mingyur Rinpoche guides students in more than thirty countries, offering workshops that welcome both newcomers and experienced practitioners into the transformative journey of meditation.
The Tergar Lineage
At its core, "Tergar" weaves together two Tibetan words: "ter," meaning treasure, and "gar," meaning to gather. But "ter" transcends material wealth – it embodies the profound wisdom that awakens our fullest potential, eases suffering, and illuminates the path to enlightenment. When combined with "gar," it creates a powerful metaphor: a sanctuary where seekers converge to discover inner wisdom, and where the perfect conditions align for personal transformation.
The Tergar Lineage blossoms from the harmonious interweaving of two great spiritual traditions: the Karma Kagyu and Nyingma lineages. This convergence has given rise to a uniquely vibrant approach to Buddhist practice that resonates with students worldwide, regardless of their cultural background.
This spiritual heritage has been carefully preserved through generations. The Karma Kagyu teachings were passed down through the Karmapas (beginning with the 10th) and Tai Situ Rinpoches (starting with the 8th) to successive incarnations of Mingyur Rinpoche. The Nyingma wisdom came both through discovered treasure teachings (terma) and the rich dialogue between Nyingma and Kagyu masters. The current Mingyur Rinpoche, the 7th in his line, received these precious transmissions from several revered teachers: the Karma Kagyu teachings from Tai Situ Rinpoche and Saljey Rinpoche, and the Nyingma teachings from Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche.
Today's Tergar lineage honors this profound heritage while breaking new ground. Under Mingyur Rinpoche's guidance, these timeless teachings have been thoughtfully adapted to speak to contemporary minds, making ancient wisdom accessible to people of all beliefs and backgrounds.