Rigpe Yeshe, sometimes mis-spelled Rigpa Yeshé, is an association of parents who are members of the Rigpa sangha, following the teachings of Buddha under the direction of Sogyal Rinpoche. It was founded at the Family Retreat and Conference ‘Educating Children in the Dharma’ held at Lerab Ling, France in May 2005.

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Mission Statement

" One of my strongest wishes is to develop
an authentic education programme for children.
The teaching of the Dharma is the highest form of education,
an education in wisdom and compassion.
This is what we should teach to our children."
Sogyal Rinpoche

It is the heartfelt wish of the Rigpe Yeshe Association to nourish and educate children and young adults in the dharma in an environment full of love, joy and belonging, helping them to blossom into wise, compassionate and joyful adults who will fearlessly carry on the lineage and transform the world in which we live.

For this purpose, the Association Rigpé Yeshé will:

• Support and empower parents in taking full responsibility for the dharma education of their children;
  
• Bring the authentic and appropriate dharma to children, teenagers and families of the Rigpa Sangha, accomplishing Sogyal Rinpoche’s vision of bringing up children in the wisdom of rigpa;
  
• Run dharma programmes and activities for children, teenagers and families in Lerab Ling, that are sustainable, in appropriate facilities, fully integrated with the teaching retreats and supported by the administration of Lerab Ling;
  
• Draw on the skills and resources of the whole Rigpa sangha to enrich the children, teenager and family programmes;
  
• Foster exchanges between the children’s programmes of Rigpa centres, and with children’s dharma education programmes around the world.
  

Sogyal Rinpoche's Foreword to "Children on the Path"

As we all know, the future lies in the hands of our children. In today’s world, where conflict and confusion are rife, what is so urgently needed is an education in wisdom and compassion. The goal of education is not just to impart knowledge and develop the intellect; even more important, we need to develop the heart. What will give children a firm foundation on which to base their whole of their lives is an education that is rooted in values of kindness and a concern for others.

The Buddhadharma is still in its infancy in the West, but one significant phenomenon now is that we have among us a considerable number of children whose parents are Dharma practitioners. This means that we are seeing a ‘second generation’ of students, who are not discovering Buddhism as some kind of alternative, but who are growing up with the teachings from birth. We must find ways of supporting their parents, so that they can really transmit the peace, love and wisdom of the teachings, and translate them in ways appropriate to their children.

The challenge is to find creative, and yet wholly authentic, ways of allowing our children and teenagers to make a heart connection with the Dharma. More and more, I feel, groups of them can really investigate the teachings during retreat programmes. For when they are able to make meaningful connections between the message or stories in the teachings and their own life experience, it will give them confidence, and open their eyes to the preciousness of the opportunity they have. If this younger generation is empowered, they can really step into, and take their place within, the Sangha.

It is my heart-felt wish that our young people will come to experience that same warmth, love and cosy happiness that I remember so well from the environment of my own childhood, and that they will grow into strong upholders of this wisdom tradition.

If you are interested in starting a Rigpe Yeshe group in your local Rigpa centre, please contact us.