History

Shedra East

2006

In 2006 the first Rigpa Shedra East took place at the Palyul Retreat Centre in Kathmandu, Nepal. Students spent four months studying Mipham Rinpoche’s Khenjuk with Khenpo Pasang Tenzin, translated by Gyurme Avertin.

2007

In 2007, the Shedra East focused on Shantideva’s classic text, the Bodhicharyavatara with Khenpo Sönam Tobden, translated by Gyurme Avertin. MP3 audio files of these teachings are available here.

2008

In 2008, Shedra East students studied Shantarakshita‘s Ornament of the Middle Way (Skt. Madhyamālaṃkāra; Tib. Uma Gyen), with Khenpo Sönam Tobden, translated by Gyurme Avertin.

2009

In 2009, the Shedra East focused on the Uttaratantra Shastra (Tib. Gyu Lama), Buddha Maitreya’s famous treatise on buddha nature, following Mipham Rinpoche’s commentary. In addition, Khenpo Namdrol taught on Mipham Rinpoche’s original treatise entitled ‘Lion’s Roar, an Exposition of Buddha Nature‘.

At Sogyal Rinpoche’s request, at the end of the 2009 Shedra East courses, students devoted an entire month to strict personal retreat.

2010

The main text studied at Shedra East in 2010 was Madhyamakavatara (Tib. Umajukpa) and its auto-commentary by Chandrakirti with Khenpo Sönam Tobden, translated by Gyurme Avertin

2011

Teachings on Mipham Rinpoche‘s commentary on the Abhisamayalankara with Khenpo Sönam Tobden, translated by Stefan Gueffroy.

2012

Shedra East students studied either Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara, using the commentary by Khenpo Kunzang Palden, taught by Ane Lopön Damchoe Wangmo and translated by Melanie Slomka and Damien van Effenterre, or the Guhyagarbha Tantra, using the commentary by Mipham Rinpoche, taught by Khenpo Sönam Tobden and translated by Gyurme Avertin.

2013

Three texts were offered to Shedra East students for study: Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara, taught by Ane Lopön Sangye Paldrön and translated by Melanie Slomka and Damien van Effenterre; the Khenjuk, by Mipham Rinpoche, taught by Lopön Tenzin Wangdü and translated by Damien van Effenterre and Roger Espel Llima; and the Guhyagarbha Tantra, using the Key to the Precious Treasury commentary by Dodrupchen Jikmé Tenpé Nyima, taught by Lopön Tashi Tseten with translation by Ane Lopön Damchoe Wangmo (Canada).

2014

Shedra East students studied the Bodhicharyavatara, taught by Ane Lopön Phuntsok Chamdrol and translated by Christina Monson; Shantarakshita’s Ornament of the Middle Way, with commentary by Mipham Rinpoche, taught by Lopön Lodrö Palge and translated by Damien van Effenterre; and Finding Comfort and Ease in the Nature of Mind, part of the Trilogy of Finding Comfort and Ease by Longchenpa, taught by Khenpo Gyatso with translation by Ane Lopön Damchoe Wangmo (Canada). In addition Khenchen Namdrol taught for six weeks to 76 students.

2015

The three texts offered to Shedra East students for study included the Bodhicharyavatara using Khenpo Shenga’s commentary, taught by Ane Lopön Phuntsok Chamdrol and translated by Daniela Hartman and Han Kop; Maitreya’s Uttaratantra Shastra using Mipham Rinpoche’s commentary as well as his The Lion’s Roar: A Commentary on Sugatagarbha, taught in English by Ane Lopön Damchoe Wangmo (Canada); and the Guhyagarbha Tantra using the Essence of Clear Light commentary by Mipham Rinpoche, taught by Lopön Tashi Tseten, with translation by Christina Monson. An additional six students joined the Uttaratantra class for a one-month short option teaching on the Four tenet systems, using Mipham Rinpoche‘s Summary of the Wish-Fulfilling Treasury’s Chapter on Tenet Systems, based on a text by Longchenpa, also taught in English by Ane Lopön Damchoe Wangmo (Canada).

2016

The Shedra East students received teachings on the Bodhicharyavatara, taught in English by Chantal Bergers; Chandrakirti’s Introduction to the Middle Way, using Mipham Rinpoche’s commentary, taught in English by Ane Lopön Damchoe Wangmo (Canada); or the chapter 10 of Jikme Lingpa’s Yönten Dzö, taught by Lopön Tashi Tseten and translated by Christina Monson.

2017

The Shedra East students received teachings on the Abhisamayalankara, taught by Lopön Penpo Tsering and translated by Roger Espel and Han Kop. Shedra East also hosted students of the Milinda Programme who studied four different Madhyamaka texts, each for a two week period.

2018

The Shedra East students received teachings on Shantarakshita‘s Madhamakalankara, Ornament of the Middle Way, taught by Lopön Tashi Tseten and translated by Damien van Effenterre, and Mipham Rinpoche‘s commentary on the Guhyagarbha Tantra, The Essence of Clear Light, also taught by Lopön Tashi Tseten and translated by Christina Monson.

2019

The Shedra East students received teachings on the Bodhicharyavatara, taught in English by Verena Pfeiffer; and Mipham Rinpoche’s Beacon of Certainty, taught by Khenpo Tashi Tseten and translated by Christina Monson. Also this year, another Shedra East first, Chantal Bergers taught an on-line course on the Bodhicharyavatara, which was followed by over 90 students.

2020

The shedra East students received teachings on Finding Comfort and Ease in the Nature of Mind, with Khenpo Tashi Tseten, translated by Christina Monson, January-February 2020

Shedra West

2001

The Rigpa Shedra began in Lerab Ling in the summer of 2001. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and Ringu Tulku Rinpoche both taught on the ninth chapter of Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara.

2002

For the second year, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche gave a commentary on Maitreya’s Uttaratantra Shastra, Ringu Tulku taught Mipham Rinpoche’s Wheel of Investigative Meditation and Professor Steven Goodman introduced the basic themes of the Abhidharma.

2003

For the third year, which took place in Dzogchen Beara in Ireland, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche taught on Maitreya’s Abhisamayalankara and Alan Wallace presented the views of the four main philosophical schools of Buddhism. Students also reviewed Ringu Tulku Rinpoche’s teachings on the whole of the Bodhicharyavatara.

2004

For the fourth year, Dzogchen Rinpoche taught on the Abhisamayalankara and introduced us to buddhist debate, and Ringu Tulku Rinpoche began his teachings on Shantarakshita’s Madhyamakalankara using the commentary of Mipham Rinpoche.

2005

In the fifth year, the shedra was once again at home in Lerab Ling. We had the pleasure of welcoming back Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, the Rigpa Shedra’s most regular teacher, for the second and final year of his brilliant commentary upon Mipham Rinpoche’s celebrated exposition of the Ornament of the Middle Way by Khenpo Shantarakshita. Each day, Rinpoche delivered a brilliant and seemingly effortless summary of as many as thirty or forty pages of text, masterfully encapsulating the essential meaning of the treatise.

For the second part, we had the good fortune to study Haribhadra’s Clear Meaning commentary on the Abhisamayalankara with the young and brilliant Khenpo Jampal Dorje from Dzongsar Monastery in India. During his lively and extremely detailed presentation, he drew upon the writings of the great Sakyapa master Kunkhyen Gorampa and especially upon the annotation commentary of the great Khenpo Shenga, to whose lineage he himself belongs.