Rigpé Shyönnu
Young people interested in meditation, compassion and Buddhist philosophy
About us
We are an international group of young people* who share an interest in Buddhist thought and practice. Most of us are part of the Rigpa Sangha and we welcome people from any background!
You can find us in Austria, Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Nepal, Switzerland & the United Kingdom.
*between 18 and 35ish years old
The Shyönnu Spirit
is to bring open mindedness, a fresh spark and a creative outlook to whatever we do - our events, practice and life in general.
We aim to create a sense of community and friendship that supports young people to work with their minds and hearts amidst the challenges of modern life.
“What does ‘Rigpé Shyönnu’ mean? It is Tibetan and literally means youthfulness (shyönnu) of the innermost nature of mind (rigpa).”
Events
Every summer and winter we organise international retreats. Throughout the year, we also hold other local events in Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, London and other cities.
Currently, we are offering a number of online events.
To find out more about our upcoming events, follow us on Instagram, facebook or sign up to our newsletter.
Impressions of Past Events
Next Events
Photography: © Léo Durand
YOUTH SUMMER RETREAT 2024 - Unbind your Mind
26 July to 4 August @ Lerab Ling, South of France
(with two short options: 26-31 July & 1-4 August)
Join us on this youth retreat as we unravel the knots of our restless, grasping minds so we can discover freedom in our innate spaciousness and clarity.
Our journey begins by settling our minds with meditation, creating space to connect with our non-dual awareness and to investigate what we call "self", "ego", or "me".
In life we operate as if there is a solid, singular and independent "me" in control, driving our actions, analysing our experience and endlessly judging. Yet how often do we actually stop and directly look for this “self”? And what about everything else - the outer world, other people or ideas of beauty or freedom? Are they real, solid and something to ultimately depend on?
Looking a little closer, paying a little more attention, we might start to notice that things are not as they appear… and this could be the key to unbinding our mind. In fact, the Buddhist teachings show that the source of all our pain, anxiety and suffering is the absence of true knowledge of who we really are, together with its result, grasping to a delusory notion of "I" and "mine”, "self and other”.
Our retreat has two parts:
First, we will join the wider International Meditation retreat The Heart of Meditation (with extra youth sessions) from the 26th July evening till the 1st August midday.
Then we will transition into a more concentrated Youth Retreat exploring emptiness and selflessness from 1st to 4th of August.
While it is possible to attend one part only, we strongly recommend joining for both as they build on and complement each other.
Connect
If you want to get involved or have any questions, just write us an email at rigpe.shyonnu@rigpa.org.
We would love to hear from you!
