Sogyal Rinpoche facts for kids
Sogyal Rinpoche (born 1947, died 2019) was an important Tibetan Buddhist teacher. He was a Lama from the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He taught for more than 30 years. He traveled to many countries, including Europe, America, Australia, and Asia.
He started Rigpa, a worldwide group of over 100 Buddhist centers. These centers are in 23 countries. He also wrote a very popular book called The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. This book has been translated into 30 languages. It has been sold in 56 countries.
Rinpoche often spoke at big meetings. He talked about topics like health, education, and peace. He also shared ideas about helping people who are dying.
Early Life in Tibet
Sogyal Rinpoche was born in 1947. He was born in Kham, a region in Eastern Tibet. A great teacher named Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö said that Sogyal Rinpoche was a reincarnation of Tertön Sogyal. Tertön Sogyal was a teacher to the Thirteenth Dalai Lama.
Jamyang Khyentse raised Sogyal Rinpoche like his own son. He made sure Rinpoche received excellent training. When things became difficult in Kham, Khyentse Rinpoche and his young student moved. They went to Central Tibet and then to Lhasa.
In 1955, they met Tenzin Gyatso, who is the 14th Dalai Lama. After that, they moved to India. They settled in Gangtok because the king of Sikkim invited them.
His Education
Rinpoche went to a Catholic school in Kalimpong, India. Later, he studied at a university in Delhi. In 1971, he came to the West. He studied comparative religion at Trinity College, Cambridge in England.
He continued to learn from many Buddhist masters. These included His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche and His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. He studied with teachers from all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
Teaching Around the World
Rinpoche soon began teaching in Paris, France. He often helped translate for His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche. He also traveled with Dudjom Rinpoche to the United States in 1976.
In 1977, he started a center in London, England. He named it Dzogchen Orgyen Chöling. Many important teachers taught there. These included Dudjom Rinpoche, His Holiness Sakya Trizin, and Gyalwang Karmapa.
In 1979, Sogyal Rinpoche chose the name Rigpa for his work. Rigpa means "the innermost, essential nature of mind." Rigpa began to organize teaching events called retreats. These retreats took place with Sogyal Rinpoche and other teachers.
They had teachings in France every summer. Retreats were held in California during Thanksgiving. Winter retreats were in Germany, followed by Australia. Then, Easter retreats were held in England. The first winter event in Germany was in 1986. Retreats in Australia started in 1989. The first Thanksgiving retreat in the US was in 1988.
In 1987, Rinpoche became the spiritual director of a center in Ireland. This center became Dzogchen Beara. It was Rigpa’s first long-term retreat center. In 1991, Sogyal Rinpoche opened another retreat center. It was called Lerab Ling, near Montpellier in southern France. The first three-month retreat was held there in 1992. A center in Berlin, Germany, named Dharma Mati, opened in 2007.
His Passing
Rinpoche passed away on August 28, 2019. He was 72 years old. He died in a hospital in Thailand from an illness.
See also
In Spanish: Sogyal Rimpoché para niños
