Arizona Friends of Tibet

06/18/2026

Arizona and other friends of Tenzin Bob Thurman: we have an opportunity to offer prayers for him together online at 7A Arizona Time. More information here:

Prayers for Bob Thurman, led by Dr. Nida Chenagtsang

Friday, June 19 at 10:00am EST

Please note, Tibet House US will be closed Friday in observance of Juneteenth. The prayers will be live-streamed only:

https://m.youtube.com/live/ZDSIOMqXehM?si=4i9AQCXGzJNCMx-l&fbclid=IwZnRzaASiLvFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeqXQnfCSzpTdQqDQdiU3aF9LUjnatpVQ7lsPoHNi7j6YhDCoFHUSMOyTG5TM_aem_13kHTp1CsFzSl9lZN5wr8g

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89012329966?pwd=NSCO2GRGGFbh9smJ1n3MuGUGOxnO9m.1

To honor Bob during his cremation ceremony, his beloved friend and fellow teacher, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, will lead a live online practice of the Heart Sutra and Bardo prayers and mantras for 108 minutes. We warmly invite you to join us in this collective offering of prayer, devotion, and dedication. ❤️🙏

Thank you for holding Bob, his family, and the entire Menla and Tibet House US community in your hearts during this time.

May all the merit generated by his extraordinary life ripple endlessly throughout the world for the benefit of all sentient beings.

With love and gratitude,
Tibet House US & Menla

06/17/2026

It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of Bob Thurman. He was a friend of Tibet and the indirect reason for the founding of Arizona Friends of Tibet. Bob was a friend to our founder, Peggy Hitchcock. After he took her through a guided tour of Tibet, Peggy was so moved by the plight of the Tibetan people that she founded this organization. We wish peace and solace for Bob’s family, friends, admirers and the countless people he influenced.

We are deeply saddened to announce that Robert A.F. Thurman, prominent American Buddhist scholar, co-founder of Tibet House US, author and translator whose teachings shaped countless lives, died Tuesday morning, June 16, in Woodstock, New York.

Om Mani Padme Hum 🙏

The Thurman family requests privacy at this time.
Please check thus.org for updates.

06/10/2026

Did you know there are several ways you can donate to Arizona Friends of Tibet?

You can choose from three convenient ways to make your your tax-deductible donations:

PayPal: Press the Donate button in the link below.

Zelle: From within your banking app, send your donation to [email protected] or by using our Zelle tag, arizonafot.

Mail: Send your donations to
Arizona Friends of Tibet
P.O. Box 1116
Sahuarita, AZ 85629-1116

JOIN + SUPPORT US BECOME A FRIEND Friends Support and Donations are used for medical and educational aid for Tibetans and Tibetan organizations and projects worldwide, including orphanages, monasteries, nunneries, and elder homes. 100% of your contribution goes to support our mission and activities....

03/29/2026

About Arizona Friends of Tibet
Our mission
Arizona Friends of Tibet is a nonprofit organization dedicated to manifesting His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s vision of promoting basic human values, as set forth in Tibetan culture, civilization, and ancient Buddhist traditions.

Our goals and objectives
We provide grants to support education and health-related programs benefiting Tibetans around the world.
We sponsor various community events that highlight Tibetan culture, including movies, lectures, teachings, and sand mandala creations.
We facilitate travel to Arizona for Tibetan and Buddhist teachers (including the Dalai Lama in 1993 and 2005).
We promote a sense of community and shared practice for Buddhists and students in the greater Tucson area.

Arizona Friends of Tibet is affiliated with Tibet House US; https://thus.org

How you can help
Volunteer Please send an email message to [email protected].

Recommend a grant recipient If you know of a project that helps Tibetans directly, please contact us with the details at [email protected] or have them complete the application on our Grants page; https://arizonafriendsoftibet.org/grants/

Donate today Whether you can contribute $5, $10, $100 or more, we need your help. Choose from three convenient ways to make your tax-deductible donation:
PayPal: Click the button below to visit our Join+Support page; https://arizonafriendsoftibet.org/join-support/ ,where you will find options for donating via PayPal.
Zelle: Send your donation from within your banking app to arizonafot (our new Zelle tag) or to [email protected].
Mail: Send your check made out to Arizona Friends of Tibet to:
Arizona Friends of Tibet
P.O. Box 1116
Sahuarita, AZ 85629-1116

03/26/2026

Bon Future Fund

The Bon Future Fund supports some of the last remaining Bon monks and anis (nuns) in the world. Our grants have been directed to the Redna Menling nunnery, which is in the foothills of the Himalayas in Dolanji, India. Last year, the anis purchased much needed winter coats. This year, they made technological improvements to their classroom so that they may offer online instruction.

03/21/2026

The Pureland Project

The Pureland Project is a U.S.-based nonprofit based in the U.S. that is dedicated to supporting Tibetans with medical care, education, and cultural enhancement.

Our 2025 grant to Pureland went directly toward supporting His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche as he continues helping people — such as the Tibetan elder pictured here — in remote villages.

For more information about Pureland, visit their website here; https://www.thepurelandproject.org

03/20/2026

Featured grantees

Each year, Arizona Friends of Tibet sends out at least $20,000 in grants in support of Tibetan Buddhist causes around the world. Your donations enable us to give generously to our carefully vetted recipients, as well as helping us host teachings and other events in the Tucson area.

The response to our 2026 Grant Application, which opened in January, has been both inspiring and a little overwhelming. We have so many wonderful causes to choose from! At our last board meeting we made some initial selections (not yet announced to those grant recipients), with more to come. Watch for more details on the Grants page of our website;

ARIZONA FRIENDS OF TIBET ** OUR 2026 GRANT APPLICATION IS NOW OPEN ** HOW TO COMPLETE AND SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION We are mindful that some grant applicants have limited access to the Internet, so we have created two ways for you to complete and submit your application: 1. Press

03/20/2026

Sand mandala timelapse video now available!
We are so excited to share this video with you, and so grateful to the University of Arizona Humanities Hub for making it happen (with a special shoutout to Christine Hoekenga and her student film crew for making sure the camera at the Weil Center was running when it needed to be).

Please click here: https://healthhumanities.arizona.edu/sand-mandala-creation to view the timelapse video of Venerable Lama Losang Samten (and a number of community “contributing artists”) creating and then dismantling the awe-inspiring Kalachakra sand mandala here last October.

In October, 2025, the Arizona Friends of Tibet sponsored Lama Losang Samten to travel to the University of Arizona and create a beautiful sand mandala.