Rigpa’s Practice Holders Make a Leap

May 6, 2022Rigpa

The recent Losar drupchös in Lerab Ling created the perfect circumstances for a group of 28 practice holders and practitioners to immerse themselves in a 2-month training and practice programme.

Those leading the training and those who participated, shared their experiences and vision for how this development can support us all in the Rigpa sangha to continue the lineages of practice that we uphold.

Read the story below or skip to the video of the participants sharing their experience with you, the sangha.

Thanks to all those who contributed to this post - Pascal, Claudia, Jana, Tobias, Dorothea, Christian, Iain, Tui, Adele, Lee, Suthari, Gwen, Sebastian.

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First steps in training practice holders

This training began for many when they were nominated as practice holders in 2019. From that time, regular international zoom gatherings began to bring the group together and explore their role. Then, after being formally introduced to the sangha in 2021, a pilot group participated in a live online course of the first four ‘Basic Practice Training Self Study Modules’. (These modules were recorded and released on Prajna at Losar for all teachers, practice holders and students who hold practices online or in Centres.) The Losar drupchö season from January to March 2022 offered the next opportunity for intensive training, with a ‘bootcamp’ style coaching in all dimensions of Rigpa’s practice tradition—choponing, umdze, vajra master and practice coordination. The group were exploring on a daily basis the vastness of our main sadhanas in the context of drupchö practice, sharing deep experiences on all levels.

This training is a significant step in laying the ground so that a wider group of practitioners can possess the specialised knowledge, skills and practice experience to uphold the practice lineages that Rigpa follows.

Far beyond skills training

Over the series of four drupchös, the group ‘learned by doing’—making beautiful shyalse (food offering tormas), clay tormas, organic tsok offerings, learned the chopon rituals and mudras, as well as practised the sacred instruments: rolmos, zilnyen and drums, and trained their voices learning the sadhanas in English and Tibetan. The entire training was infused with teachings that were shared within the context of the sadhana practice, allowing the meaning and experience to resonate and sink in even deeper.

Through this combination of intensive practice, together with skills training, the trainees could come to a deeper experience of the practice itself, as well as coming to appreciate the crucial interdependence and dance between the choponing, umdze, musicians, vajra master and practice coordination. This was so much more than learning skills and techniques.

The training was based on a foundation of togetherness, friendship, trust and love. A deep bond was created within the group—as each person tried out their new skills as umdze, vajra master, chöpön or practice coordinator, they felt the embracing support and encouragement of the rest of the group, giving them strength and greater enthusiasm to go further. Everyone was able to offer and receive feedback from others with complete honesty as they all shared the same aim to ‘get it right so we can continue this tradition authentically’.

The training was not exclusive to those who were nominated as practice holders, but was available to everyone who joined the Losar drupchös in Lerab Ling. Thus the training group was diverse and always inspired!

The Trainers

Pascal Rey and Claudia Thurn checking details with Lama Yonten

The training was led by Rigpa’s senior practice holders Pascal Rey and Claudia Thurn, as well as Chokyi (online), together with practice holders Tobias Bublat, Jana Biedka, Gabriele Kreysel, Martine Veyre and Petra Brandl. Many of this team had themselves received years of training from Sogyal Rinpoche directly, but also from monks at Chokling Monastery in Bir and Dodrup Monastery in Sikkim and felt it was imperative that their knowledge be passed on to a wider group.

Using all kinds of dynamic methods to share their knowledge, the trainers responded to the needs and level of each trainee. From morning until night they held group training sessions, hands-on practical and skills training, one-on-one guidance and more—all while participating in all-day drupchö practices. With great precision, umdze Pascal offered detailed corrections and feedback to the ten trainee umdzes on their chants via Whatsapp messages in the breaks, and Chokyi, Rigpa’s most experienced chopon, reviewed photos of the mandala house, tormas and other ritual elements giving specific corrections and feedback to make sure it was all precisely according to the tradition.

Although this training is just one more step in transmitting the knowledge and experience needed to uphold this practice tradition, for some it felt like a crucial next step to contribute to embedding dharma in the West.

The training period concluded with a tsok on Dakini Day streamed to the sangha around the world, and like a ‘finale concert’ each trainee umdze led part of the practice (in pairs), while the rituals were performed beautifully by two of the chöpöns in training.

All of the trainees are committed to continue, to boost the practice in their countries and centres, and to come back to the drupchös in Lerab Ling in May and October to further their training.

Study and Practice grants

The practice training would not have been possible without the support of the sangha who contributed through the new Tertön Sogyal Foundation Study and Practice grants. Eleven trainees were supported by these grants and could not have participated without this support. This training was a perfect illustration of how the whole sangha can contribute to and share the merit of such activity. Donations to support a range of Rigpa projects through Study and practice Grants can be made here.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributes to the Study and Practice grants fund.