Chapter 9, the Paramita of Wisdom
Would you like to bring some more wisdom and compassion in your life? Connect in person in the cozy winterlandscape of Lerab Ling or online with the Rigpa Shedra and let the wisdom and compassion of Shantideva transform your day, including your practice, wherever you are!
We invite Buddhist students to join the 2027 Rigpa Shedra, for a period of in-depth study with Rigpa Shedra teacher Verena Pfeiffer.
Verena will teach chapter 9 – the paramita of wisdom – of the Bodhicharyavatara, over a period of 2 months, from 11 January to 5 March, using classical commentaries of the great Tibetan Master Khenpo Kunpal called “Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech” and The Ketaka Jewel by Mipham Rinpoche, as well as commentaries by contemporary masters.
The Text
Countless great masters have praised the value of studying and taking to heart Shantideva’s magnificent, practical and profound teaching. At the beginning there will be a short introduction to the first eight chapters of the text to establish the proper context for understanding this chapter.
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.”
Ringu Tulku Rinpoche: “In the opening verse of Chapter 9, Shantideva reveals that the preceding chapters, with their profound teachings on the paramitas of generosity and other virtues, are all stepping stones on our transformative journey toward wisdom. It is wisdom itself that holds the key to liberating ourselves from the clutches of suffering. Within this chapter, Shantideva succinctly imparts profound insights into the nature of reality—the dual nature of conventional and ultimate truths. Furthermore, he unveils the true essence of emptiness, an extraordinary concept that serves as the remedy for the immense anguish we endure.”
While going through this chapter, Verena will take time to also explain certain topics that Shantideva assumes we are familiar with, so as to gain a deeper understanding and experience. She will do this in her own unique teaching style, by not just providing the theoretical framework of the progressive stages of the view, but also giving us a flavour of how to apply wisdom in our daily life, to really bring about a transformation.
This program is offered for in-person attendance in Lerab Ling, France. An online option will be offered for those who can’t travel to or stay in Lerab Ling.
The Teacher
Verena Pfeiffer was born in Rosenheim, Germany and began to study and practise Buddhism under the guidance of Sogyal Rinpoche in 2005. Very soon she developed an interest in Buddhist Philosophy and studied for many years at the Rigpa Shedra, Rigpa’s college for Buddhist Philosophy in Nepal under the guidance of Khenchen Namdrol. She has held review classes in the Rigpa Shedra for a number of years, and has taught the Bodhicharyavatara at the Rigpa Shedra in 2018 and 2026. She is a senior teacher in Rigpa known for her clear and humorous approach, and her ability to make difficult, profound topics understandable for everyone.
Please read some testimonials here.
Who is this for?
For anyone who has a solid background in relative Bodhicitta/Lojong teachings, and wishes to engage more in the wisdom aspect, the view.
Maybe you have studied chapter 1-8 of the Bodhicharyavatara in the Three Year Retreat, or in the AEP, and always have been curious about what’s in chapter 9 on the paramita of wisdom, which makes all the other paramitas complete.
Or maybe you’ve studied the 7 Points of Mind Training, and have a wish to go deeper into the slogans that read: “Regard all phenoma as dreams” and “Examine the nature of unborn awareness”
For Ngöndro students is an opportunity to deepen your understanding of the view underlying the practice. A deeper understanding of wisdom and emptiness can enrich your appreciation of the meaning and purpose of the Ngöndro practices and support you in bringing the practice more fully to fruition.
Studying this chapter on wisdom is especially important for teachers, instructors and practice holders who wish to deepen their understanding of the view, including through gaining a more direct experience of it.
Practical Information
Dates & Prices
Please note that the prices might be subject to change depending on the number of students. Final prices will be known once all applications have been processed and at the time of payment.
Bodhicharyavatara: 11 January to 5 March (please arrive in Lerab Ling on 10 January)
–IN PERSON including all meals and accomodation in Lerab Ling €3550 –IN PERSON including lunch in Lerab Ling, France: €1480
Details: Tuition €800, food and accomodation (special reduced price) €2750 based on a single retreat room, full board. Lunch only: €680
–ONLINE: (tuition fee only) €850
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 studygrant from the Tertön Sogyal foundation. The deadline for applying for a grant for following this programme is 1 November 2026. You can already apply for this scholarship, together with sending in the shedra application form. Just click here.
Time investment and daily program
The time investment (apart from group practice) will be 4 – 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 besides following this programme, in order to allow you to really make the most of this precious opportunity.
The daily programme for those in Lerab Ling will include:
- Class with Verena Pfeiffer in the morning
- Review sessions in the afternoon (onsite in Lerab Ling with Chantal Bergers.
- Study groups or personal revision to prepare for review class
- A daily group practice
The review classes (both onsite and online) will be very interactive, and include meditations on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, providing an experiential approach to emptiness.
There will also be (optional) quizzes to help you check your knowledge and understanding as a skillful tool for your studies, as well as contemplations and study assignments.
For the online audience: you can watch the teaching by Verena by yourself in your own time by watching the daily (slightly) delayed streaming. The review sessions of that class are the following day, but always on Monday-Friday, and is to be followed in person online via Zoom (mandatory). The online review sessions will be held by Martina Cotter for those in EU or East Coast US timezone, or Walter Kaan for those in Australia or West Coast US timezone. More information (exact days/times) will follow later.
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 if you haven’t studied in the Rigpa Shedra Intensive Programme before, 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 at the end of October/beginning of November, which is accompanied by payment.