Distance Sangha

     Distance
     Learning
     Program

RIGPA DISTANCE SANGHA

MISSION

The Rigpa Distance Sangha supports the work of Rigpa by:

creating a virtual sangha for students of Sogyal Rinpoche who are unable to travel to a local Rigpa center;
encouraging and enabling distance sangha members to become involved in the wider work of Rigpa; and
offering information, resources, and opportunities for systematic study, reflection, practice, and mutual support, in both on-line and off-line settings.

SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS

Your subscription to the Rigpa Distance Sangha gives you:

Access to selected video teachings by Sogyal Rinpoche through the internet
Notice of online and correspondence courses for each mandala:
Meditation, Ngöndro, Dzogchen
Link to ZAM America for study and practice materials
A minimum of 4 on-line events per year
Moderated e-mail discussions
Prayer requests
Rigpa news updates
Mandala newsletters

SUBSCRIPTION PLAN

The suggested donation range for the Distance Sangha subscription is $150 - $600 per year. No one is turned away for lack of funds. You may also contribute a larger amount which will help provide scholarships for students who are experiencing financial hardship. You may pay either yearly or monthly either by check or by automatic monthly payments through your credit card. Subscriptions renew on Losar, the Tibetan New Year. This year, Losar falls at the end of Feburary, so if you join now, you may pay a prorated amount from the month you join through the end of February. Subscription fees are tax deductible.

AN INVITATION TO JOIN THE RIGPA DISTANCE SANGHA

The Rigpa Distance Sangha is for students of Sogyal Rinpoche, who, because of their home location, are not able to join an existing Rigpa center. Within the Rigpa sangha, students are grouped into mandalas.

Mandala is a Sanskrit word, the Tibetan equivalent is kyil khor which can be translated literally as "center and circumference." A mandala is generally depicted as a circle which revolves around a center. On the simplest level, a mandala can be understood to be us, the student or practitioner, and the phenomenal world around us. The word mandala also describes an integrated structure that is organized around a central unifying principle. We can say that the community of students following the approach of one particular teacher is a mandala, so Rigpa could be seen as one worldwide mandala following the guidance of Sogyal Rinpoche. Over the past few years, Sogyal Rinpoche has emphasized how important it is that all his students, whatever their level, have the help they need to support their study and practice. He has identified three different groups of students, each of which forms a worldwide mandala with its own special needs and interests.

The Meditation Mandala comprises a group of students who are committed to establishing and maintaining a daily meditation practice.
Students who are part of the Ngöndro Mandala focus their attention on the study and practice of the ngöndro and on completing the various practice accumulations that are part of the ngöndro practice.
The Dzogchen Mandala is for more advanced students and is by invitation only.

Rinpoche has been stressing how important it is that we, as students following the Rigpa program, focus more and more deeply on study and practice and that the culture of Rigpa comes to reflect this. He has also emphasized how important it is that we as individuals maintain a regular practice, deepening whatever practices we are working with and being clear about our path:

"It is important that you have a daily practice, something you do every day, but you must also study. However, a daily practice alone is not enough for long-term spiritual development. You must also have something that you are focusing on as part of your path. For example if you are practicing Ngöndro, you might focus on refuge, studying the teachings on this and deepening the practice through accumulation. Or if it is mind training, developing more patience, more generosity, more kindness. So there is clear path and you know how to progress from one practice to another, and there is a sense of accomplishment."

You may join the Rigpa Distance Sangha if you have taken a course with Rigpa either online or at a local center, or have attended a retreat with Rinpoche and would like to continue your studies with Rigpa and Sogyal Rinpoche.

HOW TO JOIN THE RIGPA DISTANCE SANGHA

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

>>Fill out the questionnaire online.

>>Download the subscription form and mail it in with your check or credit card information. If you join after Losar, you may pay a prorated amount through the end of February.

You will receive 2 email invitations to join two Yahoo groups: 1 for the Distance Sangha and 1 for your Mandala. Please join both groups within one week of receiving the invitation or else the invitation will expire.

>>Login and post your introduction