Ari Bhöd

Welcome to Ari Bhöd the American Foundation for Tibetan Cultural Preservation. Established by the Venerable Lama Chödak Gyatso Nubpa Rinpoche in 2003, our mission is to preserve and transmit the priceless legacy of the ancient Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, a sacred culture of peace that has been kept vital and effective through more than fifty generations of lifelong practitioners and lineage masters.

Ari Bhöd’s retreat center, Pema Drawa, is located on 475 acres in the serene mountains of Tehachapi, California where northern and southern California meet. Ari Bhöd’s retreat land was given the name “Pema Drawa” (Lotus Web) by His Holiness the 4th Dodrupchen Rinpoche in 2009. Ari Bhöd’s principle programs and activities include:

Traditional Tibetan Art and Architecture
Meditation Practice and Ceremonies
Facilitating Authentic Retreats and Events
Text Translation and Publishing

Preparing for Death Q&A | Lama Chödak Gyatso Nubpa Rinpoche

Quote over a Tibetan rug: As a practitioner, as a monk, a nun, or as a member of the community of the monastery, one thing you do is; if you are able to put your buttocks on your seat, whether it is in the shrine, class, or your room, then nothing is going to be an obstacle or hindrance. In this very lifetime you will be in the state of your own Lama. And if you are not able to put your buttocks on your seat, then that is the beginning of your disintegration. — Lama Chödak Gyatso Nubpa