Membership

Tibetan culture has been for centuries a precious treasure trove of universal wisdom and knowledge for past, present and future generations. It began more than 4000 years ago in Shang Shung, the first kingdom of the land that would eventually become known as Tibet, and its heritage has come to us in all its beauty and complexity. The International Shang Shung Institute for Tibetan studies is committed to the preservation of precisely this wonderful and unique body of knowledge. All our activities aim to preserve the unique culture and understanding of the Tibetan people and to keep the essential values of these traditions alive and thriving.

Founded in 1989 by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu and inaugurated by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, the International Shang Shung Institute promotes various initiatives aimed at the preservation and the diffusion of knowledge related to Tibet, past and present, from quality level instruction on various aspects of Tibetan culture, as well as a variety of products related to Tibetan teachings and culture. Its staff is composed of people from all nationalities - from Tibet to India to Italy and Austria- and all walks of life, and with 30 years of lived experience of dealing with Tibetan wisdom.

For many years now we have been working on several huge projects. They are all equally important and cover the wide field of all aspects of Tibetan culture. Here are some examples of our activities:
 - the programs on Tibetan Medicine 
- the translation work of ancient texts of wisdom (Ka-ter Translation Project)
- the preservation of the Teachings of Tibetan Masters
- the work on the enormous archive
- the work on publications of books and practice materials like DVDs, CDs and MP3s
You can share with us the honor of preserving preservation of this superb culture by becoming a member of the international Shang Shung Institute. This will give you an active role in supporting all our activities and initiatives. 
By joining us as a member you will prove your interest in Tibetan culture and your commitment to preserve it for all future generations. With your concrete support you will help us to ensure that the wisdom and knowledge of such a rare and unique civilization will not be endangered.

We offer four different kinds of membership (the prices in dollars apply to the North-American users):

1. Basic Membership: $ 20
2. Ordinary Membership: $ 70
3. Sustaining Membership: $160
4. Meritorious Membership: $ 500

You can join on-line here. For Europeans and all those people who want to pay in Euros, you can pay on-line in the shop of the SSI Austria, or contact one of our branches in Italy or Austria.