Annual
Report
In 2023, the Tertön Sogyal Foundations supported two types of grants
Types of Grants 2023
Number of grants
128
Total amount awarded
€153,393
Study and Practice
118 grants awarded | €96,378 | 63%
Light of Dharma
10 grants awarded | €57,015 | 37%
Study and Practice Grants
These are grants for students who want to do a Nyenpa or a long-term retreat in the Dzogchen Beara (Drupdra). Grants provide financial support for the registration, food and accommodation.
In 2023 a total of nine grants were awarded for the Long-Term retreat.
These grants are for practitioners who made a commitment to be trained by the main holders of Rigpa’s practice lineage in the Vajrayana Practice roles of Chöpön and Umdze with the aim that they will give trainings themselves in the future. These initial grants were awarded for training in Lerab Ling and Dzogchen Beara.
Sixteen grants have been awarded for Training the Practice Holders to support practitioners to be trained, as well as some of the work that made the training possible.
These grants are primarily offered to students that want to attend one of the international retreats held at one of Rigpa’s main retreat centres: Lerab Ling Dzogchen Beara, Dharma Mati and Blueys Beach. Retreat duration maybe from a single week to a few months.
In 2023, twenty seven grants were awarded for these retreats:
Rabjam Rinpoche, Yonten Dzo online, Personal Retreats, Dzogchen Retreat, Ngondro Retreat, OT Rinpoche Retreat, TSND Retreat and Drupchos in Dharma Mati and Lerab Ling.
These grants are for students that want to follow Shedra studies under the Rigpa Shedra program or outside such as the Milinda teachers training.
Thirty four grants were awarded for students to attend Rigpa’s Shedra program held online, as well as onsite, in Lerab Ling.
The Chetsün Nyingtik or “The Heart Essence of Chetsün, the Perfect Secret Bindu” is a one month practice retreat to follow the teachings that were composed by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and outlines the complete Dzogchen path from the preliminaries up to the main practices of Trekchö and Tögal.
In 2023, 5 applications were awarded for retreats in Blueys Beach, Dzogchen Beara and Lerab Ling.
Under the encouragement of Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche , the entrusted group of senior teachers & practice holders gathered together for one month, in retreat at Lerab Ling to focus on practice and take steps towards their emergence as the group of senior holders that will support the sangha and the dharma in the decades to come.
27 applications were awarded in 2023 for this retreat.
Nina Polli
Dzogchen Retreat and Rigpa Yeshe
Marion Klein
Dzogchen Retreat
Aoife Coleman
Shedra
Sandrine Ferrou
Yönten Dzö
Light of Dharma Grants
These grants are offered to bring Dharma to new audiences in order to help alleviate suffering on all levels.
These grants are offered to adopt student-centred approaches for programmes at all levels and to foster sangha unity through coordinated national and international programmes.
These grants are offered to enable Senior Teachers to teach and to be available for students, create opportunities for Senior Holders to serve the sangha, and pass on their knowledge.
These grants are offered to grow a thriving community of people exploring the wisdom of the Buddhist teachings, in the spirit of Rigpa’s particular style and Sogyal Rinpoche’s vision and to communicate in ways that connect to the needs and concerns of society.
These Light of Dharma grants were awarded to support the development of new curriculum, from concept to production.
These grants are funding the upfront investment needed during the months or in some cases years that it takes to develop new curriculum.
This way, when the new curriculum is delivered at local Rigpa centres, the majority of the registration fees remain at the local centre to support its expenses.
Activities to Support Students mature on their Path.
The Sacred Art
The Sacred Art Department worked under a Light of Dharma grant to install a Mandala as part of the stupa containing the relics of Sogyal Rinpoche. This mandala is about 2.5 metres in diameter.
The stupa was made under the guidance of Tulku Rigdzin Pema. Under his guidance the team first make made, digitally, an accurate mandala according to the tradition of Jigmé Lingpa, and at a scale and level of detail appropriate to the size of the finished mandala.
The final print consisted on several pieces due to the size of the finished mandala. These prints were mounted so that gold paint can be applied to highlight the details. Once the gold painting was completed the prints was mounted onto the ceiling in the Nirmanakaya shrine room where the Stupa was constructed.
TBLD in Tibetan
This Light of Dharma grant was awarded to a team that translatd “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying” in Tibetan.
Part of the tranlating process inluded finding Tibetans who are part of the exile community in India that helped answearing questions on contemporary spoken Tibetan.
The PDF was delivered in May 2023, and an epub version will be created as a follow up.
AMOD Translation
The project consisted on the translation of the teaching collection ‘Meeting death with confidence’ (‘Sogyal Rinpoche’s heart advice for the moment of death’ – AMOD) into German, French, Spanish and Italian.
The translations were provided by:
The Grantmaking Committee
The Grantmaking Committee approves the grants and the boards of the Tertön Sogyal Foundations ratify such approval in order to fund the grants in part or in full.
ONE Rigpa Board
Tertön Sogyal
Foundations Team
Investment Committee
Tertön Sogyal Trust (UK)
Rigpa's ICG
Tertön Sogyal Stifung
(Germany)
International Steering Group
Tertön Sogyal Foundations Team
Tertön Sogyal Foundation (US) Board member
Fundación Tertön Sogyal
(Spain)
Tertön Sogyal
Foundations Team
Vision Board
Fonds Tertön Sogyal
(France)
Tertön Sogyal Foundation
(US)
The Investment Committee
The majority of the Restricted Funds and all of the Endowment Fund moneys held by the three Tertön Sogyal Foundations are invested through the advisory of the Investment Committee comprised of Rigpa students with experience in financial markets and that hold a close relationship with Rigpa and the Tertön Sogyal Foundations. All members of the Investment Committee are contributing their time and expertise on a voluntary basis.
Investment Committee
Investment Committee
Tertön Sogyal Stifung (Germany)
Tertön Sogyal Foundation (US)
A big
Thank You
to all donors who so generously supported the Tertön Sogyal Foundations. This is a major endeavour that we aim to continue long into the future to benefit a growing number of Buddhist students. Your support to make this happen is vital.
Please continue to support us.
