Diamond Mountain

About Diamond Mountain University

• Diamond Mountain Information

Diamond Mountain University is beautiful and rugged, remote, primitive, and blessedly quiet. We came here to learn from the land, to allow the silence to permeate our minds, to test our concepts by pitting them against the challenges of the environment, to learn to work together, and to help each other and the beings who live here. It was founded by Geshe Michael Roach.

Today, Geshe Michael Roach is concentrating on building Diamond Mountain, his “university”, which is currently a barren patch of land in Arizona, and teaching Yoga in locations around America. He has been largely criticised, and even ostracised by traditional Buddhist practitioners and organisations, and in fact, has strayed from conventional Buddhist principles to the point that his legitimacy as a Buddhist teacher is seriously in question.

Where is of Diamond Mountain

Diamond Mountain is about 15 minutes from downtown Bowie, which has a few small businesses (no hotels or motels).

Things to bring to Diamond Mountain

1. Food and drink. Bring a water bottle you can refill; it is important to keep well-hydrated in the desert. You need to bring your own food while youre at Diamond Mountain. Refrigeration is minimal and reserved for campers. Please consider bringing a personal cooler with ice and mouse-proof food storage containers.

2. A flashlight. There are few exterior lights at Diamond Mountain. On moonless nights you will need a flashlight to get around.

3. Something to sit on. There will be a limited number of folding chairs available, but we expect most people will sit on the floor for classes. Please bring a cushion or pillow to sit on.

4. Hat and sunscreen. You can very easily get a serious sunburn here. Please take precautions instead of learning this the hard way. If youre particularly sensitive, you may want to use an umbrella for sun protection while youre here.

5. Warm clothing. Once the sun sets, the temperature drops and you may need a sweater. In October the average nighttime lows approach 45°F (7°C).

6. Closed-toe shoes (and socks!). There is no pavement at Diamond Mountain, and snakes and critters are long-time residents here. Please dont tempt them with your highly edible toes and ankles.