Ananda Dharma Center - Choden Rinpoche's Home Center

Rinpoche's long-term aim is to develop Ananda into a Buddhist monastic university where the traditional Buddhist Five "Great Branches of Learning" are taught. In this way, students may develop themselves to their fullest Enlightened potential and be of the greatest benefit to all beings.

Ananda will model its academic approach on one of the finest seats of Buddhist learning in world history, the highly renowned Nalanda University of ancient India. At Nalanda five key areas of Buddhist learning were understood to be essential parts of the journey towards Enlightenment. Of the five branches of study, the most fundamental area is Buddhist Philosophy. The disciplines of Astrology and Linguistics come next, while Medical Healing, and Art/Crafts and Sculpture are also important areas of accomplishment. In the Nalanda tradition, students gaining mastery of all five branches of learning would earn the title of 'Pandita'.

Following in the footsteps of the illustrious tradition of Nalanda University, Ananda will provide students with an opportunity to master all five Great Branches of Learning as part of their journey towards Enlightenment.

We are committed to creating a harmonious environment where we live and work in accord with Dharma principles. The positive energy we generate in this way will not only benefit those we come into immediate contact with but will also influence the wider community. As Rinpoche says, 'Once a part becomes good, the whole becomes good.'

It is very beneficial to establish a center in a location such as San Jose where the Dharma has not yet flourished. We chose a convenient downtown location for Ananda Center in order to insure we are accessible to as many visitors as possible. Rinpoche received many requests from people to establish a Dharma center in this kind of setting. While other Tibetan Buddhist centers in the area are really quite remote, Ananda is very easy to reach.