Teachings | Bhutan Mindfulness

Teaching the dharma is an ancient tradition, an experiential wisdom transmitted orally from master to disciple. Before launching Bhutan Mindfulness, we sought blessings from His Eminence (H.E.) Polu Tulku Rigzin Jigme. A reincarnated master, after learning what he deemed a “noble cause,” H.E. offered to teach our inaugural class.

Held on March 28, 2023, those who attended felt H.E.’s radiance coming off the screen - a first contact moment with two worlds, however improbably intersecting. To our immense gratitude, H.E. and other talented monks continue to teach in the program.

Empowerment

One-hour classes are offered weekly on Monday at 5:30 am EST. The weekly classes are meant to be informal, with room for questions. There is no obligation to attend a class, and registered participants will gain access to recordings and transcripts. Bhutan Mindfulness classes come at no cost, but we do ask participants to consider providing a small donation.

If you have an interest in attending weekly classes, please email us at contact@bhutanmindfulness.org

Class Schedule

Though our means would prohibit any large-scale change, we wanted to help. Our initial emphasis was on providing economic relief for those we knew. However, as the employment challenges were more deep-rooted, our focus shifted towards creating sustainable gains. Inspired by the story of Muhammed Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank, we wanted to initiate a project that was self-sustaining, could create jobs, and provide purposeful work.

We then asked: what does Bhutan have that the world needs? We realized it was mindfulness. As a Buddhist nation, the country has 10,000 monks and nuns, many of whom have spent their entire lifetime in thoughtful introspection on how to pacify suffering and create lasting happiness. Our aspiration was to bring this knowledge to the West, and use it to encourage more charitable engagement that would create immense societal gains.

Getting Involved

Teachers

Our current teachers consist of a life-long practitioner and a professor of Tibetan Buddhism. Biographies are listed below.

Polu Tulku Rigzin Jigme

Polu Tulku Rigzin Jigme was born in 1980. The only child of his parents, his birth was accompanied by auspicious signs and clear recollections of his former life. When he started to speak, he declared that he was the reincarnation of Polu Kenpo Thupten Kunga Gyaltsen (1896-1970).

Tulku's parents had no children even after three years of marriage. His mother had already wished to renounce the worldly life and pursue the teachings. However, things changed when she completed 100,000 prostrations and received teachings and empowerment from His Holiness Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche (1910-1991) in Kharbandi, Phuntsholing, in 1980. She soon conceived, and Tulku was born.

Before she conceived, she saw the master Polu Khenpo in three successive dreams and said to her, "I am coming to you." She replied, "But Rinpoche, my house is small and dirty," to which the Khenpo said, "Never mind, I will sit here." In these dreams, she saw her husband as a Rhinoceros and herself as a Lioness. Tulku started to walk at the age of one and speak at the age of two. At the age of three, the Tulku wrote a Zhabten for himself and received teachings and empowerments from His Holiness Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche for six months.

Polu Tulku inherits a long and precious lineage of Dzogchen practice of the Nyingma tradition transmitted through many great masters. Following twelve years of study and training in the Nyingma tradition at Deorali monastery, in 2001, Tulku went to Jomu Lhari (one of the tallest mountains in northwest Bhutan) and remained in retreat for four years in isolation in mountain caves. While in Jomo Lhari, he heard the name of His Eminence Chosnvid Rangshar Rinpoche (popularly known as Tang Rinpoche). He felt a deep longing to meet this extraordinary master at least once in his life. When he finally met Rinpoche in Thimphu, Rinpoche was extremely kind towards Tulku, for whom it was a special moment, and it sowed the seeds of thought in him. Rinpoche accepted him as his student.

His Eminence Chonyid Rangshar Rinpoche is one of the foremost disciples of the great Dzogchen Master Khenchen Jikme Phuntshok (1933-2004) of Kham Sertha, Tibet. From this master, Tulku has received the pith instructions of Dzogpachepo (Great Perfection) instructions such as Thri-yeshey Lama (Great Wisdom instructions of the Great perfection), Choying-dzod (The Treasury of the Dharma Plane), Semnyid Nyalso (Relaxing in the Reality of Mind), Sangay Later (A manual of precious instructions for enlightenment), Kunzang Lamai Zhelung, Chon jug, Bardo Duktrhi, Tsa-lung practice (training of the subtle channels of the body), and many other precious teachings.

Lopen Phurba was born in 1992. Until the age of 19, he studied at various schools and colleges in Bhutan. In 2012, at the age of 20, he joined Simtokha Shedra to pursue Buddhist studies. There, he spent four years completing studies on Madyamika. In 2018, Lopen joined the prestigious Tango Buddhist University to pursue higher Buddhist studies and received a BA in Buddhist studies. From there, Lopen joined the first batch of monks to pursue a Masters in Vajrayana Studies at Tango under the guidance of His Eminence Dorji Lopen Rinpoche and H.E Gyalsey Choktrul Rinpoche, and graduated in 2022 at the top of his class. Since January 2023, Lopen has been a professor at the Institute of Science of Mind under Central Monastic Body, teaching Buddhist courses and modules to classes sizes in excess of 240 students. Lopen is also a translator and counselor to the several of the senior-most lamas in Bhutan.

Lopen Phurba

They are intended for individuals seeking to enrich their knowledge, apply spiritual principles in everyday life, and deepen their meditation practice. Participants will embark on their journey through a blend of theoretical teaching, practical exercises, and reflective learning.