What is Sangha?
The Tibetan word for Sangha is gendün, which literally means “those who aspire to virtue.” Traditionally, it referred to the community of ordained monks and nuns, but today it includes both monastic and lay practitioners, those who study and apply what Buddha taught with the intention of transforming their minds and, ultimately, awakening for the benefit of others.
Simply put, the Sangha are the friends and companions who walk the path with us, share our experiences and challenges, and support us to grow and evolve. Individual people may come and go, but a stable Sangha ensures that there is always someone to walk beside us and share the journey.
Within Rigpa you’ll find Sangha like-minded community, many of whom are long term Buddhist practitioners, good friends who share an aspiration to realise their full inner potential, and to help others do the same.
Within Rigpa you’ll find Sangha like-minded community, many of whom are long term Buddhist practitioners, good friends.
Rigpa’s Monastic and lay sangha communities
Rigpa’s sangha includes both monastic and lay practitioners, many of whom live in our residential communities in Lerab Ling (France), Dzogchen Beara (Ireland), and Dharma Mati (Berlin). Within these communities, practitioners live, engage in spiritual practice, and support Rigpa’s local and international activities. Some community members are employed by the centres, while others work externally and contribute to the centres as dedicated volunteers.
These residential sangha communities ‘keep the home fires burning’, to create the environment for the wider sangha and anyone joining our programmes or visiting our centres to enter into a vibrant, living spiritual space.
Our monastic community
The spiritual heart of Rigpa is our monastic community, most of whom live at Lerab Ling in France.
Our monks and nuns received ordination from some of the most revered lamas in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kyabjé Trulshik Rinpoche, and Khenchen Pema Sherab Rinpoche. With great commitment, they carry out a wide range of spiritual and supportive activities, including caring for shrines, translating Buddhist texts, crafting ritual objects, supporting visiting teachers, performing ceremonies for the sick and deceased, and leading major annual rituals at Lerab Ling, Dzogchen Beara and at other Rigpa centres around the world.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Everyone is welcome in Rigpa. As Buddhist practitioners, our motivation is to benefit all sentient beings. In this spirit, we honour the richness of human experience in all its forms and are committed to creating a community where differences are valued and embraced.
Grounded in the recognition of the fundamental goodness of all beings, we treat ourselves and others with dignity and respect. This means practising patience, courtesy, and openness toward anyone whose perspectives differ from our own.
We are dedicated to maintaining a safe and supportive environment where everyone can engage in spiritual practice free from judgment, discrimination, or harm, regardless of our race, age, ethnicity or national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or physical ability.
Volunteering
Volunteers are at the heart of our community. Without their generous offerings of time, skills, and service, many of our activities wouldn’t be possible. Volunteering at centres, events, and retreats offers a meaningful, hands-on way to integrate the teachings into our lives and interactions with others, while connecting with Sangha members from diverse backgrounds, countries, and levels of experience in the Dharma.
In particular, in Rigpa our activity is guided by a rich body of teachings given by Sogyal Rinpoche, on how to apply dharma principles to our work and activity. These ‘Practical Wisdom’ teachings give us pithy, immediately relevant instructions that help us work more effectively, while also showing us ways to go beyond our habitual ways of being.
If you wish to offer support as a volunteer, check with one of our retreat centres, Lerab Ling and Dzogchen Beara, Dharma Mati City Centre in Berlin, or your local Rigpa group or centre. We’re grateful for all offers of support, skills and time and the enhancement each person brings to the entire community.
Welcoming Students from Other Buddhist Sanghas
Rigpa’s programmes, centres and retreat centres are open to everyone. Whether you’re following programmes in Rigpa or studying with another teacher, many of the events offered in Rigpa can complement and support your study and practice. In particular, our programmes are relevant for those studying the Longchen Nyingtik lineage and the teachings passed down from the great treasure revealer, Tertön Sogyal.
Ever since Sogyal Rinpoche founded Rigpa, it has been our good fortune to host important empowerments, oral transmissions and teachings from some of the most eminent masters in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. We welcome friends from all sanghas to join these events.