THE FIVE HOUSES
Awakening
your Life Purpose
in Stillness
BRIDGE to the Diamond Way 5
ASIAN CLASSICS INSTITUTE MAKES THE FOUNDATIONAL, PROFOUND, AND TRANSFORMATIONAL TEACHINGS OF THE BUDDHA AVAILABLE TO THE WORLD IN AN ACCURATE, ACCESSIBLE AND RELEVANT WAY
Stewards of classical Asian traditions in the lineage of Je Tsongkapa, we train teachers; produce teaching events; archive original works; and translate and distribute these materials worldwide
The year is coming to a close, and we need your help.
Help ACI with a one-time gift now.
Prayers for the People
Do you ever have a crisis or experience the death of a loved one and feel absolutely helpless? Do you ever have a joyful special event in your life and want to do something extra to celebrate?
We offer regular weekly sessions (English only) with our volunteer prayer team, and monthly sessions in five languages led by an ACI teacher or advanced practitioner.
Geshe Michael
has a dream for 2030.
If you want to know more…
Join the 30/30/30 Ambassador Program
upcoming
EVENTS & STUDY
January
ACI 11: A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, Part II
with
Venerable Sumati
Online Course
January 19 – March 2
Kompletion Karma
A 15-month Comprehensive Review
with
Timothy Lowenhaupt
Online Course
November 2025 – January 2027
Next event with Geshe Michael Roach
THE FIVE HOUSES
AWAKENING
YOUR LIFE PURPOSE
IN STILLNESS
BRIDGE TO THE DIAMOND WAY 5
In-person & Online
MARCH 4-15, 2026
Diamond Mountain Retreat Center
Bowie, Arizona, USA
ACI Schedule 2026
-
ACI 16: THE GREAT IDEAS OF BUDDHISM, PART I
with Timothy Lowenhaupt
January 11ACI 2: BUDDHIST REFUGE
with Venerable Utpala
January 7 – February 6ACI 7: THE BODHISATTVA VOWS
with Inna & Bill McMichael
January 23 – March 8ACI 11: A GUIDE TO THE BODHISATTVA'S WAY OF LIFE, PART II
with Venerable Sumati
January 19 – March 2ACI 8: DEATH AND THE REALMS OF EXISTENCE (SPANISH)
with Sofia Arellano
January 12 – March 30 -
ACI 16: THE GREAT IDEAS OF BUDDHISM, PART I
with Timothy Lowenhaupt
February 8ACI 2: BUDDHIST REFUGE
with Venerable Utpala
January 7 – February 6ACI 11: A GUIDE TO THE BODHISATTVA'S WAY OF LIFE, PART II
with Venerable Sumati
January 19 – March 2ACI 7: THE BODHISATTVA VOWS
with Inna & Bill McMichael
January 23 – March 8ACI 15: WHAT THE BUDDHA REALLY MEANT
with Venerable Gyelse
February 10 – March 8ACI 6: THE DIAMOND CUTTER SUTRA
with Rache Lim
February 26 – June 11ACI 8: DEATH AND THE REALMS OF EXISTENCE (SPANISH)
with Sofia Arellano
January 12 – March 30 -
THE FIVE HOUSES
AWAKENING YOUR LIFE PURPOSE IN STILLNESS: BRIDGE TO THE DIAMOND WAY 5
with Geshe Michael Roach and others
March 4 – March 15
Diamond Mountain Retreat CenterACI 16: THE GREAT IDEAS OF BUDDHISM, PART I
with Timothy Lowenhaupt
Dates TBDACI 11: A GUIDE TO THE BODHISATTVA'S WAY OF LIFE, PART II
with Venerable Sumati
January 19 – March 2ACI 7: THE BODHISATTVA VOWS
with Inna & Bill McMichael
January 23 – March 8ACI 15: WHAT THE BUDDHA REALLY MEANT
with Venerable Gyelse
February 10 – March 8ACI 6: THE DIAMOND CUTTER SUTRA
with Rache Lim
February 26 – June 11ACI 17: THE GREAT IDEAS OF BUDDHISM, PART II
with Silvia Engelhardt
March 26 – March 29ACI 8: DEATH AND THE REALMS OF EXISTENCE (SPANISH)
with Sofia Arellano
January 12 – March 30 -
ACI 6: THE DIAMOND CUTTER SUTRA
with Rache Lim
February 26 – June 11ACI 12: A GUIDE TO THE BODHISATTVA'S WAY OF LIFE, PART III
with Venerable Sumati
April 2 – June 1ACI 4: PROOF OF FUTURE LIVES
with Venerable Utpala
Dates TBDACI 17: THE GREAT IDEAS OF BUDDHISM, PART II
with Timothy Lowenhaupt
Dates TBDACI 9: THE ETHICAL LIFE (SPANISH)
with Sofia Arellano
Dates TBD -
ACI 6: THE DIAMOND CUTTER SUTRA
with Rache Lim
February 26 – June 11ACI 12: A GUIDE TO THE BODHISATTVA'S WAY OF LIFE, PART III
with Venerable Sumati
April 2 – June 1ACI 17: THE GREAT IDEAS OF BUDDHISM, PART II
with Timothy Lowenhaupt
Dates TBD -
ACI 6: THE DIAMOND CUTTER SUTRA
with Rache Lim
February 26 – June 11ACI 17: THE GREAT IDEAS OF BUDDHISM, PART II
with Timothy Lowenhaupt
Dates TBDACI 8: DEATH AND THE REALMS OF EXISTENCE
with Inna & Bill McMichael
Dates TBD -
ACI 17: THE GREAT IDEAS OF BUDDHISM, PART II
with Timothy Lowenhaupt
Dates TBDACI 10: A GUIDE TO THE BODHISATTVA'S WAY OF LIFE, PART I (SPANISH)
with Sofia Arellano
Dates TBD -
ACI 17: THE GREAT IDEAS OF BUDDHISM, PART II
with Timothy Lowenhaupt
Dates TBDACI 10: A GUIDE TO THE BODHISATTVA'S WAY OF LIFE, PART I
with Venerable Utpala
Dates TBDACI 7: THE BODHISATTVA VOWS
with Rache Lim
Dates TBD -
ACI 18: THE GREAT IDEAS OF BUDDHISM, PART III
with Timothy Lowenhaupt
Dates TBD -
ACI 18: THE GREAT IDEAS OF BUDDHISM, PART III
with Timothy Lowenhaupt
Dates TBDACI 11: A GUIDE TO THE BODHISATTVA'S WAY OF LIFE, PART II (SPANISH)
with Sofia Arellano
Dates TBD -
ACI 18: THE GREAT IDEAS OF BUDDHISM, PART III
with Timothy Lowenhaupt
Dates TBDACI 9: THE ETHICAL LIFE
with Inna & Bill McMichael
Dates TBD -
ACI 18: THE GREAT IDEAS OF BUDDHISM, PART III
with Timothy Lowenhaupt
Dates TBD
ACI ONLINE STUDENT PLATFORM
We have finally achieved the goal of creating our own multilingual Online Student Platform. From now on, any student will be able to take our ACI Foundational Courses from certified ACI teachers in their own language, and from their own homes.
So far, and with the generous help of translators, we are bringing you many courses in English, Spanish, Romanian, German, Russian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Ukrainian, as well as Mandarin and Cantonese.
In this online platform, students will have access to class videos, readings, homeworks, and exams. They will also be able to find extra material that complements the study of these courses.
PROGRAMS
TEACHER TRAINING AND ACCREDITATION
The ACI Teacher Accreditation Program commenced in 2019, and will help to expand our offerings for trainings in ACI content, in our upcoming practice studios, and on how to run a retreat program around the world.
TRANSLATION
More than 200,000 pages of brilliant commentary have been composed by masters and scholars in ancient scriptural languages. The aim of this program is to create and guide a team of students to translate these great classics into English, and from there into other modern languages such as modern Chinese, Spanish, German, and Russian. Translation into other languages will follow.
FOREIGN STUDY
Since 2004, the Foreign Study Program, started by Geshe Michael Roach, has sent over 50 students to a number of institutions abroad to study ancient languages and culture. Previous program participants are now active in translating and teaching this material. Students who cannot afford to go on their own receive scholarships for airfare as well as for room and board.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
ACI's mission includes putting the teachings into practice and taking them out into our communities to directly serve others. In Arizona, there are many immigrants who struggle to make a living and to gain access to education. ACI supports programs to help the children of immigrants with language instruction, funding for higher education initiatives, and other support programs in underserved communities.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Our goal is to make the teachings accessible to everyone, regardless of financial capacity. Each year, we support many students on full and partial scholarships. Up to 25% of the participants in our programs benefit from the many types of grants we offer.
DIGITAL ARCHIVES
The digital archives are an active collection of audio and video recordings of teachings by Geshe Michael Roach and his teachers, along with his translations of and commentaries on scriptures created by the great masters. All of this material is freely available for download on this website and on our sister site, The Knowledge Base.
