Yeshe Khorlo USA was established in 1995 by Gangteng Tuku Rinpoche of Bhutan to cultivate the growth of the Pema Lingpa Lineage of the Buddhadharma through three activities:

1. Study of the dharma through the online Longchen Rabjam Shedra (Buddhist College);
2. Accomplishment of dharma practice;
3. Application of the Buddhadharma through compassionate activity.

With that aim Gangteng Tulku began travelling throughout the U.S. as early as 1986, bestowing empowerments, teaching, and instructing students in meditation practice. At the same time Rinpoche travelled in Europe to the same end and maintained his role as the spiritual head of (at that time) 37 monasteries, temples and retreat centers in Bhutan (this number has since grown to upwards of 70).

CRESTONE, CO

Choying Dzong, the Yeshe Khorlo Retreat Center in Crestone CO, was established in 2001 as the seat of the Pema Lingpa Lineage in North America. Choying Dzong is translated as Fortress of Dharmata, with dharmata meaning the innately pure nature of all phenomena, unfettered awareness itself. This rugged retreat land, situated on 310 acres in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, is home to a central temple with a meditation/teaching hall and four isolated personal retreat cabins.

Choying Dzong offers weekly and monthly meditation practices in the main hall and the opportunity for deepened, extended practice in the individual retreat cabins, which can be reserved by the week or by the month.

LOS ANGELES, CA

Located east of downtown Los Angeles in the greater Pasadena area, LAYK provides a consecrated shrine hall for teaching and meditation practice. Daily morning and evening mediation practice, as well as half-day and whole-day meditation practices on weekends, are live-streamed for engaged students nationwide.

Thanks to a significant presence of Chinese and Taiwanese students in Los Angeles, close ties are maintained with the dharma activities of YK students in both China and Taiwan. All practice texts have been translated from the original Tibetan into both Chinese and English. The Yeshe Khorlo resident lama for the U.S. currently resides at the LAYK center and leads all meditation practices.