Yangsi Kalu Rinpoche teaching in Montpellier

Yangsi Kalu Rinpoche: 

"I am not creating some new Dharma. I might have a new face and new body but the Dharma is the same."

This year students in the West will see the emergence of a whole new generation of teachers. Amongst others, His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi and Yangsi Kalu Rinpoche are preparing for their international teaching tours, including a number of events at Rigpa centres.

Each of them an incarnation of a great master from the last century, it is amazing to see how quickly they are making a mark as teachers in their own right. While their predecessors might have been somewhat startled by the peculiarities of modern, western life, this group of young lamas are fully up to the challenge. Raised by English-speaking tutors and just as familiar with Playstation as they are with Madhyamika philosophy, they transmit the teachings of the Buddha in ways both authentic and accessible.

Last week Lama Sonam and Kagyu Rinchen Choling hosted Yangsi Kalu Rinpoche's public talk in Montpellier, near Rigpa's main centre of Lerab Ling in France. A number of Rigpa's monastic and lay community attended the teaching. They had the opportunity to meet Kalu Rinpoche after the talk, and to express both Sogyal Rinpoche and the sangha's excitement about his visit to Lerab Ling next month.

The Montpellier event is part of Kalu Rinpoche's first European tour since finishing a three year retreat in 2008, and he will teach at around 30 centres during this three-month tour. Kalu Rinpoche's teaching style was direct, warm and very natural. He covered a wide range of topics including bodhichitta, devotion, lineage, meditation, karma and motivation - making them completely accessible to both Buddhist and non Buddhists alike. Even though the words seemed clear and simple, one could feel a much deeper and direct teaching underlying!

When speaking about the motivation of bodhichitta, Kalu Rinpoche described 'all sentient beings' as an extension of our family. We simply need to extend the love and care we show our family to all sentient beings. 'All sentient beings' are just our family! As if hinting about the need for us to recognize our Buddha Nature, he referred again and again to 'being natural' and 'being yourself'.

Join us for Kalu Rinpoche's visit to Lerab Ling from 12 - 14 April where he will teach on the Four Foundations of Shangpa (the Shangpa Preliminaries). This text was composed by Tai Situ Rinpoche in 2009 at the request of Yangsi Kalu Rinpoche, so it is an incredible opportunity to receive teachings on this new text from the holder of the lineage! This event is open to all. For more information and to register visit the Lerab Ling website.

  The previous Kalu Rinpoche during a teaching at Rigpa Paris in 1983

Rigpa Berlin - Recent Events

Recently, Rigpa's Berlin centre hosted one of Rigpa's senior student teachers, Andrew Warr, who led a weekend of teachings on loving kindness and compassion according to Tibetan Buddhism, presenting Sogyal Rinpoche's teachings and guiding students through the practices themselves.

About 100 students attended, coming from as far away as the Czech Republic.

For more information about Rigpa activities in Berlin, go to the website of the Rigpa Berlin Centre (in English and German).

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Centennial Celebrations Begin

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. The celebrations commenced on 20 February with a three-day programme at Dilgo Khyentse’s Shechen Monastery, near the Boudha Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The festivities began with a traditional procession of lamas carrying sacred relics and personal artifacts of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. It seemed like every great master you could think of was there: Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s incarnation Khyentse Yangsi, Kyabjé Trulshik Rinpoche, Khamtrul Rinpoche, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Tenga Rinpoche, Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, all of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s sons (Chökyi Nyima, Tsikey Chokling, Tsoknyi and Mingyur Rinpoche), Neten Chokling Rinpoche, Tulku Urgyen Yangsi, Beru Khyentse Rinpoche, Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche, Pema Wangyal Rinpoche, Khenchen Namdrol, Khenchen Pema Sherab, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, and of course Sogyal Rinpoche, as well as many other rinpoches, lamas, khenpos and monks.

For three days, the assembly practised a Rimé Guru Yoga composed by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. On the evening of the first day, under a starry Kathmandu sky, more than a thousand people gathered in the courtyard of Shechen Monastery to watch a new and incredibly moving film about the life of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, directed by Neten Chokling Rinpoche.

All the buildings were glowing with garlands of light, adding an even more festive touch to the already electrifying atmosphere. Seeing all these amazing images of Khyentse Rinpoche and experiencing the love and devotion his students have, it felt like he was really present.

On the second day, there were performances of sacred dance and devotional songs. On the last day, offerings of body, speech and mind were made by the lamas to Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche (pictured above, and below with Sogyal Rinpoche). In the evening, Rabjam Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s grandson, led a Marmé Mönlam prayer to conclude the celebrations. It was so inspiring to see how Khyentse Rinpoche’s legacy is alive and thriving, and how his wishes are being fulfilled by Rabjam Rinpoche.

As part of this year's celebrations, Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche will visit several countries where his predecessor taught. Khyentse Yangsi and the sacred relics of Dilgo Khyentse will come to Lerab Ling this summer during the All Mandala Retreat, which begins on 14 July.

Report by Verena Pfeiffer. Photos by Jurek Schreiner.