IMI Organisation

All the monks of Nalanda are members of the International Mahayana Institute (IMI) . The IMI is the community of monks and nuns of the The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT).

The purpose of the IMI is to support the Sangha in many ways - financially, educationally, and by providing an environment conducive for its members to maintain their ordinations. In this way, the IMI encourages the growth of future generations of Sangha, which in turn helps Buddhism remain a living tradition worldwide.

The Buddha said, "Wherever there is Sangha, there the Dharma will flourish." He also said, "Wherever a monk or nun observes the Vinaya, that place is luminous. I myself abide there."

The Sangha, the community of Buddhist monks and nuns, is the oldest monastic tradition going back at the time of the Buddha, nearly three thousands years ago. By becoming a monk or a nun, one abandons the ways and appearance of a lay person and adopts the appearance and ways of an ordained person by keeping a number of vows. The Sangha of the FPMT includes the Himalayan Sangha and the Sangha of the International Mahayana Institute. The International Mahayana Institute was established by Lama Yeshe for the benefit of Western students who were inspired to dedicate their lives to the practice of the Buddhist path by taking the vows of monks or nuns.The IMI includes several monastic communities.

The Lama Yeshe Sangha Fund was established to provide the minimal needs for food and shelter to IMI Sangha Members. Donate to the IMI Sangha/Lama Yeshe Sangha Fund here. For more information you can visit the IMI website.

For further details or information about the IMI and its communities and activities, please contact the Director of the IMI, Venerable Losang Monlam.

Also, the current Director of Nalanda Monastery, Venerable Tendar, is the European Representative of the IMI, and can be contacted with any questions you might have.