Sogyal Rinpoche
Sogyal Rinpoche is a Tibetan Dzogchen master of the Nyingma tradition. He is the founder of Rigpa and the author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.
Born in the region of Kham, in Eastern Tibet, Sogyal Rinpoche was quite early introduced to Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, one of the most outstanding spiritual masters of the twentieth century, embodying the very essence of the Rime tradition. Jamyang Khyentse brought him like a son and was the very atmosphere in which Sogyal Rinpoche received his first education. In 1971, Rinpoche went to England where he received a Western education, studying Comparative Religion at Cambridge University. He went on to study with many other great masters like Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche and Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche, serving as their translator and aide. With a remarkable gift for condensing the essence of Tibetan Buddhism and transmitting it 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. He is also the author of the highly-acclaimed and ground breaking book, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Two million copies of this spiritual classic have been sold in 29 languages and 56 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. Rinpoche is also the founder and spiritual director of Rigpa, an international network of 82 Buddhist centres and groups in 15 countries around the world. He has been teaching in the West for over 30 years now and continues to travel widely in Europe, America, Australia, and Asia.