The Rigpa Shedra East celebrates its fifth anniversary and more students than ever from all over the world have made their way to the hills of Pharping in the Kathmandu valley to study the Dharma and the Tibetan language for a period of almost four months. Our host Khenpo Namdrol has once again appointed Khenpo Sönam Tobden from Namdroling to teach us Shedra students for the third time now! The text Khenpo Namdrol has chosen for our studies this year is the Madhyamakavatara, the ‘Introduction to the Middle Way’ by Venerable Chandrakirti, together with the author’s auto-commentary. Every morning Khenpo explains the text for two hours. Besides personal study and clarification classes on a daily basis, we also learn Tibetan on different levels.

Class 2010

Shedra students discussing with Khenpo Sönam Tobden

Our programme has started just recently, but already many things have happened in the Nyingma Palyul Retreat Centre. At the end of last week Khenpo Namdrol, instead of inviting us to his residence for dinner as usual at the beginning of the Shedra, visited our main accommodation building on the compound of the retreat centre and offered a delicious buffet of momos and other culinary delicacies. He concluded his visit with an inspiring teaching about the Madhyamakavatara and also its relationship to the Dzogchen teachings, displaying once again his profound knowledge of the Buddhadharma. We are very grateful for all of his support and trust.

For the complete teaching please find the MP3-recordings here.

Khenpo Namdrol

At the weekend some of us went to Kathmandu, 20km north-east of Pharping, and met Marcia Binder-Schmidt, one of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche’s main translators. She was very interested in our Shedra activities. Marcia also arranged a spontaneous meeting with Phakchok Rinpoche, whom we all got to know last year in Lerab Ling. Rinpoche himself then sent us to his father Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche who was also very keen to know what we are doing.

Phakchok Rinpoche, his family, Marcia and Shedra students

The following day we had the fortune to welcome Tsoknyi Rinpoche in Pharping. Rinpoche gave very relevant advice for western Shedra students and answered questions in his wonderful manner of being super relaxed, humorous and full of understanding for what westerners often struggle with.

Soon you will hopefully find a link to the video-recordings and the MP3-recordings here.

Tsoknyi Rinpoche

And, as if that all wasn’t exciting enough, Marcia came up to Pharping and brought Richard Gere with her. He came to meet Khenpo Namdrol for the first time. In the later afternoon everybody, including Mr. Gere, gathered in the Shedra’s cosy classroom for Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s teaching.

Richard Gere, Khenpo Namdrol and Khenpo Pazang, the Shedra’s first khenpo and now teacher at Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s monastery

Khenpo Namdrol, Richard Gere and Tsoknyi Rinpoche (photo courtesy of Chris Tomlinson)

Tags: Chandrakirti, hökyi Nyima Rinpoche, Introduction to the Middle Way, Khenchen Namdrol, Khenpo Namdrol, Khenpo Sonam Tobden, Lerab Ling, Madhyamakavatara, Marcia Binder-Schmidt, Namdroling, Nyingma Palyul Retreat Centre, Phakchok Rinpoche, Pharping, Richard Gere, Rigpa Shedra East, shedra, Tibetan, Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche

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