Teachings and Empowerments on the Transformative Path of Buddhism
with Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche
Main event: 9-13 September
With the 3-day practice extension: 9-16 September
This gathering with Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche is a unique opportunity to connect to the unbroken living lineage of Tibetan Buddhism coming from the Buddha to Guru Rinpoche and the lineage masters to us. We can tap into its extraordinary vision of the flawlessly radiant and sky-like nature of our mind and heart.
As spiritual heir of the great Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche offers teachings and transmissions that invite us to gently explore and practise Vajrayana together as a community. All this supported by experienced Rigpa practitioners and teachers, in a beautiful retreat environment.
What We’ll Explore
At the heart of this event are Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s teachings on Guru Rinpoche, regarded not simply as the person who brought the Buddha’s teachings to Tibet, but as the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the buddhas and the ultimate reminder of our own buddha potential. The teachings show that by invoking the blessings of Guru Rinpoche, we are able to open our mind and heart beyond their ordinary limitations—this is seen as the essence of the Vajrayana path.
In this context, “blessing” points to something experiential: the way that teachings, practices, and the loving and profound atmosphere of realization created by the spiritual masters can inspire and reawaken something within us, which, like the sky momentarily covered by the clouds, is always there.
Running through this introduction to the path of Vajrayana is the theme of devotion—understood here not as blind faith, but as a skillful way of revealing our innate wisdom. In a fragmented and distracted world, this quality of trust and inner connection can become a genuine source of protection and serenity.
What the programme includes (9-13 September):
- Teachings and blessing empowerments bestowed by Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche
- Guided meditation and group practices
- Rare films and archival footage of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
- Time for questions, reflection, and sharing as a community
In particular, Rabjam Rinpoche will give:
- Teachings on The Quintessence of the Profound Path: A Concise Guide to the Stages of Visualization for the Guru Yoga of the Seven-Line Supplication, A Shower of Blessings. This is a detailed guide to Mipham Rinpoche’s Shower of Blessings, a famous guru yoga practice based on the Seven-Line Prayer to Guru Rinpoche. The text is freely available here
- Teachings on selected poems of Heart Advice by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, covering different aspects of the spiritual path
- Blessing empowerments, which are planned to include Guru Rinpoche, Orgyen Menla (Guru Rinpoche of Medicine), Green Tara and a long-life blessing (final programme to be confirmed).
A 3-day extension led by Rigpa teachers and practice holders (14-16 September):
For those who wish to take more time to deepen their practice, this extension will create space to further integrate the teachings that Rabjam Rinpoche has just given. We will gather several times a day to practise the Shower of Blessings guru yoga as a community. We will ‘accumulate’ the Seven-Line Prayer to Guru Rinpoche and dedicate our practice and pray strongly for all those affected by war, environmental changes, and anyone enduring hardship and loss across our world.
This is an ideal opportunity for Ngöndro students accumulating the Seven-Line Prayer.
Who This Event Is For
No prior experience with Tibetan Buddhism is required—only an open mind and a genuine interest in exploring these teachings and this living tradition.
As Rinpoche will teach on the Seven-Line Prayer and guru yoga, the event is especially beneficial for students practising the Vajrayana Preliminaries (Ngöndro) and Vajrayana practices.
Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche
Rinpoche is one of the most eminent Tibetan Buddhist Masters in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Grandson and spiritual heir of the great Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991), he is notably the combined emanation of the three main lamas from Shechen Monastery* who had all perished in Chinese prisons in the early sixties—the previous Shechen Rabjam, Shechen Kongtrul and Shechen Gyaltsap, Gyurme Pema Dorje.
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche was regarded by many as one of the greatest Dzogchen masters of the twentieth century, and the very embodiment of Padmasambhava. It is Khyentse Rinpoche’s profound and rich teachings of the ancient Nyingma lineage that Rabjam Rinpoche has dedicated his life to transmitting. In his presence and through his teachings and transmissions, the presence and blessings of Dilgo Khyentse are palpable and vividly present.
Rinpoche is greatly loved and appreciated everywhere on account of his generosity, his modern approach and his warm and endearing presence. The Rigpa community holds him especially close to their heart, deeply grateful for his constant kindness and guidance.
*Shechen Monastery is one of the Six “Mother” Nyingma Monasteries of Tibet