Rigpa

Rigpa is an international Tibetan Buddhist organization founded by Sogyal Rinpoche in 1979. It began in the United Kingdom under the name Dzogchen Orgyen Chö Ling and developed into a network of nonprofit entities, teaching centers, retreat facilities, study programs, and affiliated groups. Its name was adopted after Sogyal Rinpoche had spent several years teaching in Western countries. By the early 1980s, Rigpa activities were taking place in the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Ireland, and the Netherlands, and the organization subsequently expanded its presence to other countries. The organization presents itself as offering a complete path of Tibetan Buddhist study and practice. Its educational sequence generally progresses from introductory meditation and Buddhist principles to Mahayana teachings, Vajrayana preliminary practices, sadhana practice, and Dzogchen meditation. Programs may include meditation instruction, retreats, teachings by Tibetan Buddhist masters, study of classical texts, mantra practice, tonglen, refuge and bodhicitta training, and more advanced practices for experienced students. Rigpa has also operated programs for Buddhist education of children and families. Rigpa's principal retreat center is Lerab Ling in southern France. The site opened in 1992 and later became a major venue for teachings, retreats, and large international gatherings. It was formally recognized as a religious congregation in 2002, and a traditional-style temple was completed there in 2006. Rigpa also developed Dzogchen Beara on the west coast of Ireland, including facilities associated with retreat and spiritual care. In India, the organization sponsored the Dzogchen Monastery in Kollegal, which was formally inaugurated in 1992. A further educational institution, Rigpa Shedra, was established at Lerab Ling in 2001; Rigpa Shedra East began operating near Pharping, Nepal, in 2006. The publication of Sogyal Rinpoche's The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying in 1993 substantially increased the visibility and reach of both the teacher and the organization. Rigpa subsequently established spiritual-care education and training initiatives and organized a 1996 conference on care for dying people in Germany. It has also published a Tibetan calendar since 1979, produced the Rigpa Journal, and maintained translation projects involving Tibetan Buddhist literature. Rigpa has hosted or supported teachings by prominent Buddhist teachers, including the Dalai Lama, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Thich Nhat Hanh, Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok, Penor Rinpoche, and others. The Dalai Lama gave teachings at Lerab Ling in 2000 to an international audience reported by the organization as numbering more than 10,000 people. Rigpa's activities have therefore combined religious education, residential retreat, scholarly study, translation, publishing, spiritual care, and public Buddhist events. The organization faced a major crisis in 2017 after former and current students publicly alleged sexual, physical, emotional, and financial misconduct by Sogyal Rinpoche. Rigpa commissioned an independent investigation by Karen Baxter of the UK law firm Lewis Silkin. The resulting findings stated, on the balance of probabilities, that some students in Sogyal Rinpoche's inner circle had experienced serious physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and that senior individuals within Rigpa had been aware of at least some problems and had failed to act. The report also identified conduct characterized as a cover-up. Rigpa acknowledged the seriousness of the findings and committed to implementing recommendations. The Union Bouddhiste de France suspended the membership of Rigpa Lérab Ling and Rigpa France in August 2017. Sogyal Rinpoche withdrew from teaching and died in 2019. Rigpa remains an active international organization, although its public identity and governance have been shaped by the safeguarding controversy and subsequent reform efforts.

Rigpa originated in the work of Sogyal Rinpoche, who had taught in the West for several years before giving the name Rigpa to his activities in 1979. The organization initially operated from a single center in north-west London, then known as Dzogchen Orgyen Chö Ling. During the early 1980s, Sogyal Rinpoche taught in several Western countries, including the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Local Rigpa organizations were generally established as nonprofit bodies, while retreats and teaching programs created a common international structure. Rigpa's early development included Easter and summer retreats and the creation of Dzogchen Beara on Ireland's west coast. The organization also cultivated relationships with senior Tibetan Buddhist teachers. It invited or sponsored teachings by the Dalai Lama in Paris in 1982, London in 1984, and San Jose in 1989. The San Jose event attracted several thousand participants and was described at the time as one of the largest Buddhist gatherings held in the United States or the West. In 1990, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche taught and gave empowerments to approximately 1,500 participants at a Rigpa summer retreat in the French Alps. A major institutional expansion occurred in 1992. Rigpa opened Lerab Ling near Montpellier in southern France, which became its principal retreat and teaching center. In the same year, the Dzogchen Monastery in Kollegal, India, sponsored by Rigpa, was formally inaugurated in connection with teachings and empowerments given by the Dalai Lama. The organization later hosted teachings by figures including Thich Nhat Hanh, Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok, Penor Rinpoche, and other Tibetan Buddhist masters. The publication of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche in 1993 greatly broadened public awareness of his teaching. The book's focus on Buddhist perspectives on death, dying, and compassionate care supported the development of Rigpa's spiritual-care work. In 1996, Rigpa organized a conference near Munich on care for dying people, an event described as influential in relation to the developing hospice movement in Germany. Rigpa also continued its publishing and translation activity, including the Tibetan calendar first issued in 1979 and the journal View: The Rigpa Journal, launched in 1994. Rigpa expanded its formal educational infrastructure during the 1990s and 2000s. The first nuns connected with a monastic community within Rigpa were ordained in 1999. The Dalai Lama visited Lerab Ling in 2000 and gave a five-day teaching program attended by a large international audience. Rigpa Shedra, a study college based at Lerab Ling, was established in 2001. It offered sustained study of traditional Buddhist texts under teachers including Dzogchen Rinpoche, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku, and Khenpo Pema Sherab. Lerab Ling received recognition as a religious congregation in 2002. A three-storey traditional temple containing a large Buddha Shakyamuni statue was completed there in 2006. From 2006 to 2009, more than 300 participants were reported to have taken part in a closed three-year retreat at Lerab Ling. Rigpa also developed a home-retreat program for students practicing in their own countries. Rigpa Shedra East began near Pharping, Nepal, in 2006 under the guidance of Khenpo Namdrol. Its annual program was structured around a longer curriculum intended to take approximately nine years to complete. Construction of a spiritual-care center at Dzogchen Beara began in 2007. Alongside these institutions, Rigpa offered a graduated international study-and-practice program, Rigpé Yeshé for children and families, and Buddhist translation projects. The organization's history changed sharply in 2017. Current and former students issued allegations of sexual, physical, emotional, and financial abuse by Sogyal Rinpoche, as well as claims that senior members had tolerated or concealed misconduct. Rigpa commissioned an independent investigation by Karen Baxter of Lewis Silkin. The report concluded that, on the balance of probabilities, serious abuse had been inflicted on some students and that senior individuals had failed to respond adequately to known concerns. It also identified evidence of a proactive cover-up. The Union Bouddhiste de France suspended the membership of Rigpa Lérab Ling and Rigpa France on August 3, 2017. Sogyal Rinpoche withdrew from teaching and public leadership and died in 2019. Rigpa continues to operate as an international Buddhist network, but its governance, safeguarding obligations, and public reputation remain closely associated with the consequences of the 2017 controversy.

• 2017

  Abuse allegations and institutional crisis

  [1]Rigpa (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  Former and current students made public allegations of serious misconduct involving Sogyal Rinpoche and senior Rigpa figures.

• 2006

  Lerab Ling temple completed

  [1]Rigpa (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  A traditional three-storey temple with a large Buddha Shakyamuni statue was completed at Lerab Ling.

• 2006

  Rigpa Shedra East begins

  [1]Rigpa (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  An extended study program began near Pharping, Nepal.

• 2002

  Lerab Ling recognized as a religious congregation

  [1]Rigpa (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  Lerab Ling received formal recognition as a religious congregation.

• 2001

  Rigpa Shedra established

  [1]Rigpa (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  Rigpa established its study college at Lerab Ling for sustained study of traditional Buddhist texts.

• 1993

  Publication of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

  [1]Rigpa (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  Sogyal Rinpoche published the book that significantly expanded the international visibility of his teaching and Rigpa's work.

• 1992

  Lerab Ling opens

  [1]Rigpa (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  Rigpa opened its main retreat center, Lerab Ling, near Montpellier in southern France.

• 1989

  Large Buddhist gathering in San Jose

  [1]Rigpa (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  A Rigpa-sponsored event in San Jose drew approximately 5,500 participants.

• 1982

  Dalai Lama teaching in Paris

  [1]Rigpa (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  Rigpa invited or sponsored a teaching by the Dalai Lama in Paris.

• 1979

  Rigpa name adopted

  [1]Rigpa (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  Sogyal Rinpoche gave the name Rigpa to his Western teaching activity, which was then based at one center in north-west London.

An international Tibetan Buddhist study-and-practice network combining accessible introductory instruction with advanced Vajrayana and Dzogchen training, residential retreats, Buddhist scholarship, translation, and spiritual-care education.

• Buddhist education

  International Study and Practice Program

  Rigpa's structured educational pathway introduces students to meditation, Buddhist ethics and philosophy, Mahayana teachings, tonglen, Vajrayana preliminaries, sadhana practice, and Dzogchen meditation. It is intended to provide a progressive route from introductory instruction to more advanced Tibetan Buddhist study and practice.

• Retreat center · 1992

  Lerab Ling

  Lerab Ling is Rigpa's principal retreat and teaching center in southern France. It hosts teachings, meditation retreats, study activities, religious ceremonies, and large gatherings. The site includes a traditional temple completed in 2006 and has been used for extended closed retreats.

• Buddhist study college · 2001

  Rigpa Shedra

  Rigpa Shedra is a study college established at Lerab Ling. Its curriculum is based on traditional Tibetan Buddhist texts and has been taught by a range of lamas and scholars. The program is designed for sustained, text-based study rather than only short introductory courses.

• Spiritual care training

  Spiritual Care Education and Training Programme

  Developed after the success of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, this initiative applies Buddhist perspectives and practices to care for dying people and to support professionals and volunteers working in end-of-life settings.

• Publishing and translation · 1979

  Rigpa publications and translations

  Rigpa has published a Tibetan calendar since 1979, issued View: The Rigpa Journal from 1994, and supported translations of Tibetan Buddhist texts. Its translation work has included modern renderings of lojong and other Buddhist teachings.

• 2018

  Lewis Silkin independent investigation

  An investigation led by Karen Baxter concluded that, on the balance of probabilities, some students had experienced serious abuse and that senior figures had failed to address known problems. The report also found evidence of a cover-up.

  Source

• 2017

  Allegations of abuse and misconduct

  Current and former students accused Sogyal Rinpoche of sexual, physical, emotional, and financial abuse. The allegations also raised questions about the conduct and responsibilities of senior Rigpa personnel.

  Source

Read more

• 2000The Path to Enlightenment teachings

  France · International

  Rigpa hosted a five-day teaching program by the Dalai Lama at Lerab Ling.

  Outcome. The event attracted a large international audience, reported by Rigpa as exceeding 10,000 attendees, and was later associated with a published collection of the teachings.

  Source
• 1996Conference on care for the dying

  Germany · Europe

  Rigpa organized a conference near Munich focused on care for dying people and Buddhist approaches to end-of-life support.

  Outcome. The event was described as having an influence on the emerging hospice movement in Germany.

  Source

• 2017

  Commissioning of an independent safeguarding investigationStrategy

  Background

  Rigpa faced public allegations of serious misconduct involving its founder and concerns about whether organizational leaders had responded appropriately.

  Action taken

  The organization commissioned Karen Baxter of Lewis Silkin to conduct an independent investigation intended to give witnesses an impartial process for presenting evidence.

  Aftermath

  The resulting report substantiated serious allegations on the balance of probabilities, identified failures by senior figures, and prompted Rigpa to acknowledge the gravity of the findings and commit to recommendations.

  Source

• 2017

  Sogyal Rinpoche withdraws from teachingOther

  Background

  The founder stepped back after public allegations of abuse and misconduct.

  Action taken

  Sogyal Rinpoche withdrew from teaching and public leadership of Rigpa.

  Aftermath

  Rigpa continued as an organization while facing the need to address safeguarding, governance, and reputational consequences.

  Source

1. 1Rigpa (organization)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Rigpa official websiterigpa.org
3. 3Independent investigation referencelewissilkin.com