Rigpa (organization)

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For the use of the term in Buddhist philosophy, see Rigpa.

Rigpa is the name of an international

Buddha available to benefit as many people as possible, and to offer those following the Buddhist teachings a complete path of study and practice, along with the environment they need to explore the teachings to their fullest.[4]

History

After five years teaching in the West, Sogyal Rinpoche gave the name 'Rigpa' to his work.[5] At that time, Rigpa had just one centre, in north-west London and was known as Dzogchen Orgyen Chö Ling.[6] By 1980, Sogyal Rinpoche was teaching in the UK, France, the United States, Ireland and Holland. Rigpa centres opened in a number of major cities, and in each country Rigpa was established as a non-profit organization. A programme of Easter and summer retreats began, and Rigpa's first retreat centre, Dzogchen Beara, was set up on the west coast of Ireland.[7]

Major events

Rigpa invited the

Buddhadharma
in America, and possibly in the West.

In 1990, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche taught and gave empowerments to 1,500 people at Rigpa's summer retreat near Grenoble in the French Alps.

Nhat Hanh, Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok and Penor Rinpoche
were among the masters who taught there in the years that followed.

In 1999, Trulshik Rinpoche founded the basis for a monastic community within Rigpa by ordaining the first nuns.[citation needed] In 2000 the Dalai Lama visited Lerab Ling, and gave five days of teachings entitled The Path to Enlightenment, attended by more than 10,000 students of Tibetan Buddhism from around the world.[10] The teachings given by the Dalai Lama have been published in a book entitled Mind in Comfort and Ease: The Vision of Enlightenment in the Great Perfection.[11]

Lerab Ling was officially recognized as a ‘religious congregation’ in 2002.

Buddha Shakyamuni. Rigpa's first three-year retreat began, with over 300 people remaining in closed retreat at Lerab Ling from 2006 to 2009, and since 2006, over 3,000 students have followed a 'home retreat' programme in their own countries.[13] In 2007, work began on Rigpa's Spiritual Care Centre at Dzogchen Beara.[14]

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

In 1993, Sogyal Rinpoche published The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying,[15] the success of which led to a great expansion in the work of Rigpa. A Spiritual Care Education and Training Programme was set up,[16] and in 1996 Rigpa presented a conference on care for the dying, near Munich, which had a considerable influence on the emerging hospice movement in Germany.[17]

Suspension of membership from UBF

Following the testimonies from current and ex-Rigpa students, of physical, sexual and financial abuse by Sogyal Rinpoche, the Union Bouddhiste De France suspended the membership of Rigpa Lérab Ling and Rigpa France on August 3, 2017.[18]

Independent investigation from Lewis Silkin

In July 2017 a number of allegations of misconduct were brought against Rigpa's founder, Sogyal Rinpoche. One of the actions undertaken by Rigpa was to commission an independent investigation into the allegations to enable witnesses to come forward, and "be listened to in an open, impartial and sensitive way".

The report by Karen Baxter of UK law firm Lewis Silkin confirmed that, on the balance of probabilities:[19]

  • some students of Sogyal Lakar (who were part of the ‘inner circle’) have been subjected to serious physical, sexual and emotional abuse by him; and
  • there were senior individuals within Rigpa who were aware of at least some of these issues and failed to address them, leaving others at risk.[20]

Karen Baxter[21] in her findings described one of the senior managers interviewed for the report as being "guarded, hostile and inconsistent". Another senior member of the management team was described by the lawyer as involved in "a pro-active cover-up".[22]

The UK Charities Commission has made it very clear in recent years that they will expect organisations with safeguarding problems to launch an investigation, co-operate with the authorities and put right what they can before they are allowed to move on.[23]

Rigpa has acknowledged the gravity of the independent report, and has committed to implementing its recommendations.[24]

Study and practice

Rigpa has developed a graduated "study and practice" program that is delivered internationally and which can take several years to complete. It begins with foundation-level courses introducing basic

sadhana practices focusing on the terma revelations of Sogyal Rinpoche's predecessor, Tertön Sogyal, as well as the practice of Dzogchen
meditation.

Rigpa also has a program, Rigpé Yeshé, to help members who are parents and wish to educate their children as Buddhists.[26]

Rigpa Shedra

The Rigpa Shedra, or study college, was established in 2001 in Lerab Ling.[27] It offers courses based on traditional Buddhist texts taught by lamas such as Dzogchen Rinpoche, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku and Khenpo Pema Sherab. A longer, more intensive version known as Rigpa Shedra East, which is based in Pharping near Kathmandu and is under the guidance of Khenpo Namdrol, began in 2006. This eastern shedra runs for four months a year and the full curriculum takes nine years to complete.[28]

Teachers

Over the years many senior teachers from the Tibetan tradition have taught in Rigpa centres, including the Dalai Lama,

Thich Nhat Hanh, who taught in Lerab Ling in 1993, and Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero, who taught in Rigpa London in 1983. Senior students of Sogyal Rinpoche have taught courses on meditation and Buddhism since the early days of Rigpa. Such student teachers include Patrick Gaffney, who edited the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Ian Maxwell,[29] Maureen Cooper, Christine Longaker
and Andrew Warr.

Publications and translation

Rigpa is well known in the Tibetan Buddhist community for its Tibetan calendar, which was first published in 1979.

Sakya master Ga Rabjampa, with a foreword by Sogyal Rinpoche's former tutor, Khenpo Appey Rinpoche.[32]

References

  1. ^ About Rigpa at Rigpawiki
  2. ISSN 0307-1235
    . Retrieved 2018-10-02.
  3. ^ "Independent Investigation Report". Rigpa. Retrieved 2018-09-28.
  4. ^ About Rigpa Archived 2012-05-01 at the Wayback Machine at Rigpa.org
  5. ^ The History of Rigpa, The Rigpa Journal, volume 2
  6. ^ Dzogchen Orgyen Chö Ling
  7. ^ DzogchenBeara.org: About Us
  8. ^ Rigpa Wiki: Prapoutel 1990
  9. ^ LerabLing.org: About Lerab Ling
  10. ^ Rigpa Wiki:Lerab Gar 2000
  11. ^ Wisdom Publications: Mind in Comfort and Ease
  12. ^ About Lerab Ling Archived June 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Groundbreaking three-year retreat draws to a close
  14. ^ The Spiritual Care Centre at Dzogchen Beara, Who are we?
  15. ISBN 0-06-250834-2
  16. ^ Rigpa.org:Spiritual Care Archived 2009-03-12 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ History of Rigpa: 1992-1996
  18. ^ grafactory.net, Yves Tannier -. "Communiqué suite au scandale lié à Sogyal Rinpoché - L'UBF : Fédération des Associations Bouddhistes de France". www.bouddhisme-france.org (in French). Retrieved 2017-09-08.
  19. ^ Baxter, Karen (22 August 2018). "Report to the Boards of Trustees of: Rigpa Fellowship UK, and Rigpa Fellowship US" (PDF). Lewis Silkin. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 October 2018.
  20. ^ "Independent Investigation Report". Rigpa. Archived from the original on 2018-09-28. Retrieved 2018-09-28.
  21. ^ "Karen Baxter: Partner". Lewis Silkin. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  22. ISSN 0307-1235
    . Retrieved 2018-09-28.
  23. ^ "Rigpa investigation highlights the risk of unchallenged, ongoing abuse within religious groups | Hudgell Solicitors™". Hudgell Solicitors™. 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2018-09-28.
  24. ^ Rigpa board of directors (October 2021). "Rigpa Moving Forward". Rigpa.org. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  25. ^ Meditation & other courses
  26. ^ About Rigpé Yeshé
  27. ^ Rigpa Shedra at Rigpawiki
  28. ^ "Rigpa Shedra". Rigpa Wiki. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  29. ^ Ian Maxwell at Rigpawiki
  30. ^ Rigpa Tibetan Calendar at Rigpawiki
  31. ^ View: About us
  32. ^ To Dispel the Misery of the World

External links

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