Sogyal Rinpoche

Biography: Born in Kham in Eastern Tibet, Sogyal Rinpoche was recognized as the incarnation of Lerab Lingpa Tertön Sogyal, a teacher to the thirteenth Dalai Lama, by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, one of the most outstanding masters of the twentieth century. Jamyang Khyentse supervised Rinpoche's training and raised him like his own son. n 1971, Rinpoche went to England where he studied Comparative Religion at Cambridge University. He went on to study with many other masters, of all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, especially Kyabjé Dudjom Rinpoche and Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, serving as their translator and aide. With his remarkable gift for presenting the essence of Tibetan Buddhism in a way that is both authentic and profoundly relevant to the modern mind, Sogyal Rinpoche is one of the most renowned teachers of our time.

Rinpoche has been teaching for over 25 years and continues to travel widely in Europe, America, Australia, and Asia, where he addresses thousands of people on his teaching tours and is a frequent speaker at major conferences. In 1993, Rinpoche founded the Spiritual Care Program which, under his guidance, aims to bring the wisdom and compassion of these teachings to professional and trained volunteer caregivers who work in end of life care.

Particular teachings: Spiritual Care Program, the aim of which is to demonstrate practical ways in which the compassion and wisdom of the Buddhist teachings can help those facing illness or death, their families, and medical caregivers. Based on the teachings of Sogyal Rinpoche and The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, together with insights drawn from hospice experience, we offer an integrated approach for people from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds.

Book: The Tibetan Book ofSogyal Rinpoche is the author of the highly-acclaimed and ground breaking book, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Over 1.6 million copies of this spiritual classic have been printed, in 27 languages and 54 countries. It has been adopted by colleges, groups and institutions, both medical and religious, and is used extensively by nurses, doctors and health care professionals.

Main Website: www.rigpa.org