Paris Centre Buddha Statue Consecrated by Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche

On Saturday, the day of the birth of the Buddha, both Sogyal Rinpoche and Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche visited Rigpa's Paris Centre.

They both taught and Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche performed a consecration ceremony, or Rabne, of the large Buddha statue in the main shrine room.

Soygal Rinpoche previously conducted a Rabne of the statue when it was installed in September 2008.

Sogyal Rinpoche taught on the importance of practising during the current month of Saga Dawa.

The fourth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar, Saga Dawa, is considered to be the most important month of the year for practice since, according to Tibetan tradition, Buddha's birth, enlightenment and parinirvana all fall within this period.

That day, known as Saga Dawa Düchen, falls next Sunday (7 June).

It was an auspicious day then for Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche's Rabne of the statue and the newly renovated centre.
The Buddha statue is a replica of the seven metre high Buddha statue in the temple at Lerab Ling, Rigpa's main retreat centre located in southern France.
These Buddha statues are made in the image of the most famous Buddha image, located at Bodhgaya in India where Buddha attained enlightenment.

Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche also taught on the practice of Tendrel Nyesel, highlighting the importance of embodying and practising the Dharma in everyday life.


















(Photos courtesy of Astrid Hubert).

Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche Consecrates the Buddha Statue in the Rigpa Berlin Centre

While visiting Rigpa's Berlin Centre last week, Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche conducted a consecration ceremony, or Rabne, of the large Buddha statue in the main shrine room.


The statue is a replica of the seven metre high Buddha statue in the temple at Lerab Ling, Rigpa's main retreat centre located in southern France.

These Buddha statues are made in the image of the most famous Buddha image, located at Bodhgaya in India where Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment.

Later this week, Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche will visit Rigpa France where he will consecrate the Buddha statue in the Paris centre.

Remembering François Calmès

All of us in Rigpa were deeply saddened yesterday to learn of the death of François Calmès on Saturday 23rd May following a long illness. François was among the first students of Sogyal Rinpoche in France, and contributed greatly to the development of Rigpa France. In the early days he served both as Sogyal Rinpoche’s assistant and translator. At one time he was the general secretary of the French Tibetan Buddhist Union and taught at the European Buddhist University in Paris. He was well known and respected for his intelligence and erudition, as well as his sense of humour. For those who understand French, here is a clip of François appearing on the French TV programme Voix Bouddhistes presented by Catherine Barry:

Photos from the Rigpa Spring Retreat in Berlin

Today the four day spring retreat in Rigpa's Berlin centre concluded.

Here are a few more photos from this event.

Sogyal Rinpoche teaching

Presentation in the main shrine room


The Lotus Lounge

In the garden

Photo from Namdroling

A photo from the practices held at Namdroling Monastery in South India today, marking the 49th day since Kyabje Penor Rinpoche emerged from tukdam. (Photo courtesy of Daniela Hartmann)

Scenes from Sogyal Rinpoche's Spring Retreat in Berlin

New Standing Buddha Statue in the Entrance Hall of Rigpa's Berlin Centre

About 400 people are attending a 4-day meditation retreat with Sogyal Rinpoche in Rigpa's fabulous Berlin Centre.

On the first day of the retreat (Thursday 21st May), Rinpoche practised Tendrel Nyesel with the students and taught on meditation and buddha nature.

In the evening Sogyal Rinpoche and all the students lined up to greet Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche, with traditional white scarves, incense, music and lots of excitement.

Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche is visiting Berlin after having recently taught the Three Year Retreatants in Lerab Ling, and having visited Dzogchen Beara, Rigpa's retreat centre in Ireland.

Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche (L) being greeted by Sogyal Rinpoche and Rigpa students.

The Berlin retreat continues until Sunday.

More than 650 people attend Sogyal Rinpoche's Public Talk in Berlin

On Wednesday, 19 May, Sogyal Rinpoche gave a public talk in Berlin attended by more than 650 people, 300 of whom had never met Rinpoche before. In his extraordinary teaching on profound methods of meditation, Rinpoche touched the hearts of many.

One of the new students said afterwards:

"I felt as if Rinpoche was speaking to me directly.
To bring one’s mind home is really something special. He has given me a lot to think about.
He showed clearly that to turn my mind inwardly is something that only I myself can, and have to, do!"

Another student said:

"Rinpoche's public talk was, simply, a perfect teaching. It was all-encompassing, and the way Rinpoche wonderfully linked the Buddha's teachings to our daily lives was extremely helpful and practical. He completely transformed the atmosphere in the auditorium to something peaceful and tangible."

The four-day (21-24 May) meditation retreat in Rigpa's Berlin Centre is now underway. Stay tuned for more news and pictures from that event.

Sogyal Rinpoche Teaching in Berlin this week

Buddha Statue in the Main Shrine Room in Rigpa's Berlin Centre

This week, Sogyal Rinpoche will be teaching in Berlin, Germany.

On Wednesday, 20 May 2009 at 8.00pm he will give a Public Talk, followed by a 4-day Meditation Retreat from 21-24 May in Rigpa's magnificent Berlin Centre.

Rinpoche will teach on: Finding Peace and Stability in a Troubled World through the Profound Method for Bringing Forth the Nature of Mind.

For more information about these events and to register (in English and German) click here.

Note that Sogyal Rinpoche will teach in English, but there will be simultaneous translation into German.

Rigpa's Centre in Berlin

Wonderful Long-Life Ceremony Conducted for Sogyal Rinpoche

Yesterday (Saturday, 16 May 2009), on the first warm, dry and sunny day in Lerab Ling for what has felt like aeons, Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche conducted a tenshyuk, or long life practice, for Sogyal Rinpoche in the Temple at Lerab Ling.

Following the advice of His Holiness Sakya Trizin, the Rigpa sangha offers a tenshyuk for Sogyal Rinpoche each year, requesting him to remain long in this world for the benefit of beings.

Even in the absence of Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche's monks, who usually lead the chanting, this year's ceremony went off without a hitch and the atmosphere was extremely joyous.

The ceremony, which included speeches by Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche and Patrick Gaffney, was also video-streamed live to about 300 students in forty Rigpa centres around the world.

(Photo courtesy of Jurek Schreiner)

Spiritual Care Conference Report Online

Over on the official Rigpa Website, you will find a report on the historic spiritual care conference, which took place in Ireland last month and was attended by five hundred health care professionals and caregivers from around the world.

(Photograph by Chinch Gryniewicz)

Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche in Lerab Ling

Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche is currently in Lerab Ling, teaching on the Longchen Nyingtik dakini practice, Yumka Dechen Gyalmo, as part of the three-year retreat. After his stay here, his mini-European tour will continue with visits to Dzogchen Beara and Berlin.

Meanwhile, over on Remembering the Masters you can read about OT Rinpoche's visit to Lerab Ling back in 1996, and the memorable speech he gave that year on the Life of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö.

(photo courtesy of Jurek Schreiner)

Sogyal Rinpoche Documentary at IBFF 2009

The documentary Sogyal Rinpoche: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World will have its UK premiere tomorrow as part of this year's International Buddhist Film Festival in London. Directed by German filmmaker Boris Penth, it includes extensive interviews with Sogyal Rinpoche carried out at his family home in Sikkim and in Lerab Ling, and also features Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, Lodi Gyari Rinpoche, John Cleese and senior Rigpa students. It will be shown at the Barbican Centre, Cinema 2, at 20.45. The director is expected to attend. More details can be found here.

Tuesday night will see the UK premiere of a documentary on Matthieu Ricard, attended by the directors and Matthieu himself.

Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel in Lerab Ling

A photo from Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel's teaching in Lerab Ling earlier today. (Courtesy of Jurek Schreiner)

Remembering Kyabjé Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche (1932-2009)

As our readers will undoubtedly be aware, while this blog was temporarily dormant (sorry about that), the Tibetan Buddhist world lost one of its seniormost teachers, Kyabjé Penor Rinpoche, who entered the state of tukdam on March 27th, and then remained absorbed in meditation for a week, until Friday, April 3rd. According to the teachings, each Friday is therefore a special day to remember him in our practice, and the all-important 49th day will fall on Friday, May 22nd.

Kyabjé Rinpoche, who served as the supreme head of the Nyingma school from 1993 to 2001, visited the Rigpa Sangha on several occasions to teach and bestow empowerment, most notably in London in 1988 and Lerab Ling in 1995, when he gave the Nyingtik Yabshyi transmissions.

For those who wish to learn more about Rinpoche's inspirational life and work, there is a documentary video entitled The Compassionate World of Penor Rinpoche, which can be viewed over at Online Dharma Classics. Much more information can also be found at the Palyul Ling site, where you will also find this prayer for his swift rebirth, composed by Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche.

Forthcoming Teachings

Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel, the wife of Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, will be teaching tonight (7th May) on Embracing Complexity at the Rigpa centre in Paris. You can find the details here. She will also be in London next Wednesday, teaching on Fixing versus Healing.

Sogyal Rinpoche is giving a public talk tomorrow night in Amsterdam, followed by a weekend retreat, all on the subject of Finding Peace and Stability in a Troubled World through The Profound Method for Bringing Forth the Nature of Mind. Click here for further details.

Mingyur Rinpoche will be teaching in San Francisco next Thursday, 14th May.

Meanwhile Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche is also in Europe, and will be teaching soon at the Berlin centre (more details to follow).

For regularly updated news of all forthcoming events, visit this page on the recently redesigned Rigpa.org site.

Oh yes, almost forgot, if you attend any of these events and would like to share your photos with us here at Rigpa News, please send them by email or post them online (to Flickr, Facebook, Rigpa Students, or wherever) and send us a link.

Social Networking & Rigpa

Here at Rigpa News we are well aware of the benefits of social networking. In the last couple of years Rigpa has experimented with Facebook, where we now have several groups including this one, currently boasting 450 members, and more recently with Ning, home to our very own networking site, Rigpa Students.

There's no denying that social networking provides real opportunities to share information, become more acquainted with fellow students, and even discuss the teachings. Of course, as with any other form of interaction or communication, these sites could become simply sources of distraction, or excuses to indulge in ordinary samsaric tendencies, but on the whole it seems they can be a support for the path. What do you think? Are you a member of one of these social networking sites? Please feel free to leave your comments below.

Remembering the Masters

As many readers will know, 2009 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the parinirvana of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö (1893-1959), who was perhaps the greatest Tibetan Buddhist master of the previous century. Sogyal Rinpoche is keen to celebrate this anniversary with special practices and other events to commemorate his root teacher.

According to the Tibetan calendar, the exact day of the anniversary falls on the sixth day of the fifth lunar month, which will be Sunday 28th June, whereas according to the western calendar the anniversary will fall on Friday 12th June.

To mark this occasion, we have created a new website, Remembering the Masters, dedicated especially to the memory of Jamyang Khyentse. There we hope to share some of the fruits of our research into his extraordinary life and accomplishments. As it says on the site: "We have conducted more than forty interviews over the past six years and we hope to present some of our findings to you in this blog. May all be auspicious!"