About Us

Prajnopaya SoCal is the Southern California affiliate of Prajnopaya Institute, a non-sectarian Buddhist organization headed by Ven. Tenzin Priyadarshi.

We host visits by Ven. Tenzin Priyadarshi to Southern California and coordinate his public talks and retreats and Cyber-Dharma classes in  Los Angeles, Orange County, and Santa Barbara. Retreats by other qualified teachers recommended by Ven. Tenzin are also hosted.

The name Prajnopaya is derived from the Sanskrit terms Prajna (Widsom) and Upaya (compassion and skillful means).

It is our wish to establish and nurture a supportive sangha community that helps people become sincere students of Dharma and supports them in the study and practice of the three vehicles: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana; relying on the good guidance of Ven. Tenzin and other teachers he recommends to us.

Prajnopaya Institute of Buddhist Studies is devoted to a non-sectarian and non-denominational approach to Dharma. It brings together all five schools of Tibetan Buddhism, enjoying patronage by heads of each lineage, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, H.H. Sakya Trizin (Sakya), H.H. Chetsang Rinpoche (Kagyu), H.E. Shechen Rabjam (Nyingma), H.E. Lopon Tenzin Namdak (Bon) and Most Ven. Samdhong Rinpoche (Gelug). Short biographies of these masters are at the Prajnopaya Institute website listed on our Links page.

Proceeds from public talks and retreats are used to support the humanitarian activities of the Prajnopaya Foundation.