Would you like to bring some (or even) more compassion and wisdom in your life? Connect in person in Nepal or online with the Rigpa Shedra and let the wisdom and compassion of Shantideva transform your day wherever you are!
We invite Buddhist students to join the 2026 Rigpa Shedra, which is under the guidance of Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche, for a period of in-depth study with Verena Pfeiffer.
Shedra teacher and Rigpa Senior Teacher Verena Pfeiffer will teach the Bodhicharyavatara over a period of 2,5 months from 12 January to 20 March using the commentary of the great Tibetan Master Khenpo Kunpal called “Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech”. Countless great masters have praised the value of studying and taking to heart Shantideva’s magnificent, practical and profound teaching.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama said: “If I have any understanding of compassion and the bodhisattva path, it is entirely on the basis of studying the Bodhicharyavatara that I possess it.”
Sogyal Rinpoche, who taught extensively on the Bodhicharyavatara during the first year of the Three Year Retreat, said: “The Bodhicharyavatara shows us how to educate ourselves dharmically and transform our basic character. It is called ‘Entering the Bodhisattva Way of Life’ because it offers us an entire culture, a whole way of life and being which is completely different from the ordinary samsaric culture that we’re used to living in. When you really take these teachings to heart, they make you into a perfect human being—a true bodhisattva.”
This program is offered for in-person attendance in Pharping, Nepal. Most likely an online option will be offered for those who can’t travel to or stay in Pharping.
Tibetan Classes
The Rigpa Shedra also offers students who attend in person in Nepal the opportunity to learn Tibetan. Tibetan classes on several levels, from absolute beginners to translators in the making, are part of the shedra’s daily schedule in Nepal. The Tibetan classes will be offered in person in Nepal by Stefan Gueffroy.
Practical Information
Dates & Prices
Please note that the prices might be subject to change depending on the fluctuation of currencies and number of students. Final prices will be known once all applications have been processed and at the time of payment.
Bodhicharyavatara: 12 January to 20 March (please aim to arrive in Pharping on 11 January)
IN PERSON in Pharping, Nepal: 1950€
details: Tuition 900€, food 500€, accommodation 550€.
ONLINE: (tuition fee only) €900
If you can’t afford the complete fee, please still apply, there may be different possibilities for supporting you in your studies, such as applying for a study grant from the Tertön Sogyal foundation. The deadline for applying for a grant is 1 November 2025.
If you join the Shedra in Nepal, you can roughly plan for the following additional expenses:
- Flight: between 800€ and 1400€, depending on timely booking, distance & airline
- Visa for three months: 125€ for the 90 days visa to be imperatively done at the airport when you first arrive.
- Mandatory Insurance: up to 500€, see medical disclaimer
- Extras: between 250€ and ?€, depending on your lifestyle. This can include printed texts (if necessary), offerings to the teacher and for the Tsok-practice, and outings to Kathmandu or other interesting places in the neighbourhood.
Time investment and daily program
The time investment for the online audience will be 4-5 hours a day from Monday to Friday. Classes and review sessions are mandatory.
Whether you are on site or you join the online shedra class, it’s important not to have any major obligations next to following this programme, in order to allow you to really make the most of this precious opportunity.
The daily programme will include:
- Class with Verena Pfeiffer
- Review session
- Study groups or personal revision to prepare for review class
- In Pharping Nepal: group practice/meditation session and Tibetan Class
There will also be quizzes to help you check your knowledge and understanding as a skillful tool for your studies, as well as contemplations and study assignments.
Language
All classes and activities are held in English.
Application process
If you are interested, please let us know by filling in the application form. We will get in touch with you and will be happy to answer all the questions you might have. We are aware that it is not always easy to free yourself for two months and to make your decision for such a big commitment. We can explore together to determine if this program is appropriate for your needs.
Note that the application is not yet a commitment on your side but will allow us to know you and contact you. The commitment to join our program only comes at the time of registration in October, which is accompanied by payment.
Experience of studying at the Rigpa Shedra
Ane Samten said, “I have been attending the Shedra for 20 years, since it started, except for two years when first I did a personal retreat and second, for family reasons when I followed the teachings online. We are very fortunate that our Shedra is welcomed in a monastery created by the most extraordinary Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche. It is a very warm-hearted and secure environment, totally dedicated to study and practice and where we are fully cared for. Our Shedra is really a family. Since the beginning, we have had amazing khenpos explaining to us the deeper meaning of the texts. Studying at the Shedra has inspired me, nourished me and helped with my translations from English into French. It continues to do so. The profound texts that we study illuminate what we learn and study from Sogyal Rinpoche’s teachings. It’s not possible to express all the benefits of studying at the Shedra, whether in person or online. However, I must say that being in Nepal, in a valley blessed by Manjushri and in Pharping, a sacred place with its sacred caves blessed by Guru Rinpoche, year after year, has been a joy. I just hope that you can all join.”
Michael Pizzardello said, “Attending Rigpa Shedra was the most transformative experience of my life. The teachings are profound and life-changing, delivered with clarity and depth. Khenpo Tashi is an exceptional teacher—wise, warm, and deeply respected. The environment fosters both rigorous study and a healthy sense of community, with a good balance between formal learning and informal connection. There is also space for leisure, including memorable afternoons at the rooftop bar in Pharping, where students often unwind together. Being based in Kathmandu offers unique access to other Tibetan masters and a broader spiritual community. The friendships formed, the calibre of the teachings, and the opportunity to engage deeply with the Dharma in such a living context make this a truly rare and enriching experience.”
For some impressions of studying at the Rigpa Shedra in Nepal by Debra Smith and Kay Farrell, please click here.
And for an inspiring report of daily life in the shedra, please watch a short clip by Hugo Baucher, who participated in 2024 in a class given by Khenpo Tashi Tseten, here.
More information for those who are attending the Shedra in Nepal in person
Comfort
Most foreigners find life very pleasant and easy in Nepal and Nepalese people are on average very welcoming and kind. Yet anyone coming to the Rigpa Shedra must be aware that Nepal is a developing country; among the poorest in the world. This has consequences in terms of comfort, hygiene, power and water availability, quality of internet, roads and so on. Nevertheless, to the best of our capacities within this environment, the Rigpa Shedra offers comfort conditions that are suitable to Westerners and conducive to study (accommodation in single rooms with mostly shared bathrooms, vegetarian meals under hygienic conditions, batteries for power outage, etc.), keeping in mind that it is a retreat and monastic environment, and not in any way a holiday resort. Since its inception in 2006, the Rigpa Shedra has welcomed more than 200 different students from all over the globe for several months (many of which have been returning every year) and most – if not all – have had a pleasant experience despite (or because of!) the differences from the typical Western environment.
Medical Disclaimer
The Rigpa Shedra cannot be held responsible for any loss, theft or damage to personal property or bodily injury or death during the period of the Rigpa Shedra East. We cannot provide medical or psychological care, medication, hospitalization or transportation. Please ensure that you are adequately covered and have the proper vaccinations (including Covid vaccination). Proof of medical insurance is required to attend Rigpa Shedra. There are neither medical staff nor medical facilities on-site. Please also note that the shedra is a place for studying Tibetan Buddhist teachings that are not intended as a substitute for psychotherapy. If you have a psychological or psychiatric problem, we recommend that you inform your therapist before applying, and you need to notify us prior to your registration to see whether joining the shedra is a good thing for you to do at this point in time. If you are taking medication prescribed by your doctor, do not discontinue it during your stay. If you disregard this advice we regret that The Rigpa Shedra cannot be held responsible.
Natural Disaster Disclaimer
Nepal is part of the Himalayan region and is subject to unpredictable natural disasters such as earthquakes. Coming to Nepal involves taking a risk. Safety measures and facilities (e.g. medical) in this country do not always comply with Western standards. The Rigpa Shedra cannot be held responsible for damage to personal property, bodily injury or death during the period of the Rigpa Shedra program. For your information, the earthquakes which happened in 2015 haven’t damaged the shedra buildings and everybody was safe.
Behaviour
Traditionally a shedra takes place in a monastic environment where a strict set of rules is implemented, permeating all levels of everyday life. Khen Rinpoche Namdrol and other masters have advised that a similar set of rules be applied to the Rigpa Shedra since they have proven to be a great support for one’s study. It is not easy to transfer a system of rules designed for a Tibetan monastic environment to a group of western students, nevertheless a frame of rules will be proposed to the shedra students so that they will be able to make the best of their precious time.
In addition, we will operate under the Rigpa Code of Conduct, which we strongly suggest you familiarize yourself with.