Scholarship Deadlines
- Application deadline is August 1 of each year.
- Short-listed candidates must be available for interviews from August 15 to October 31.
- Final decisions will be announced by
November 30.
Ready to Apply?
Please revise carefully all the fields and verify that your information is correct before submitting your application form. Plan and prepare the required documents for submission ahead of the scholarship deadlines.
Required documentation
Three-year Retreat Applicants
- A letter from the lama of the retreat confirming that you have been accepted as a participant.
- An outline of qualifications for entering your retreat and the extent to which you satisfy these qualifications.
- A letter from the retreat manager or administrator specifying the retreat costs.
Solitary Retreat Applicants (three-year retreat graduates)
- A description of your proposed hermitage and of the practical support conditions that will allow you to accomplish your solitary retreat.
- A description of your retreat program including practices and schedules.
- A detailed budget of your retreat costs.
All Applicants
- A standard résumé or curriculum vitae detailing your study and work history.
- A dharma résumé or curriculum vitae detailing your dharma history (both formal study and retreat practice – no need to list transmissions received).
- A recent head and shoulders photo.
- A clear description of your financial situation, including any personal savings or income, as well as any external sponsorship or support and your efforts to secure such support.
- A letter of recommendation from your current lama or meditation instructor. In the case of retreat graduates, you may alternatively request a letter of recommendation from a Buddhist colleague.
- A letter of recommendation from an individual who is neither a lama nor a family member.
All the materials listed above should be submitted during the online application process and uploaded in PDF format. The two letters of recommendation should be submitted as PDF files attached to an email sent directly to contemplativescholarship@tsadra.org by those writing them on your behalf.