“Mipham Shedra promotes the preservation and practice of Tibetan Buddhism for the benefit of all sentient beings.”
TASHI DELEK! AS 2021 closes and on behalf of Lhoppon Rinpoche and the Mipham Shedra Board of Directors, we would like to graciously thank you for your support in 2021 of Mipham Shedra and our mission. Your donations have allowed us to continue with our goal to promote the preservation and practice of Tibetan Buddhism for the benefit of all sentient beings.
Our resident teacher, Lhoppön Rinpoche, has been a devoted student and practitioner since the age of five and has been fortunate to study under the guidance of many great Tibetan lamas in India. He has lovingly committed his life to bringing the teachings to his students and community. After arriving in the United States in 2000, he has continued to honor his practice through teaching appointments at several universities and Buddhist centers, including Tashi Chöling in Oregon, and for private students at the University of Virginia and the University of Colorado. Rinpoche founded Mipham Shedra in 2004 in order to preserve the profound teachings and meditation lineage that he received from his beloved masters. To this day, he has generously offered his services as a Buddhist teacher to Westerners and to the Tibetan, Sherpa, and Nepalese communities in Colorado.
This year has been a unique challenge with the COVID-19 pandemic but as a Community, we have found a way to continue our mission by offering online weekly FACEBOOK inspirational Buddhist teachings followed by meditation offered privately on ZOOM, Shedra classes, as well as our monthly Green Tara, Guru Rinpoche, and Dakini Day pujas. We were also able to celebrate the Four Great Festival Days and hosted a 6 day online Vajrakilaya Retreat.
Our community was greatly impacted by the March 22, 2021 shooting at a Boulder, CO King Soopers. In response to a need for healing, Rinpoche guided the Sangha and community in 7 weeks of prayers and practice to the victims and families affected by this tragedy. Rinpoche and Sangha also included prayers for the victims of the shootings that occurred the same month in Atlanta, GA. Because of Rinpoche’s expertise in the death and dying process, and in particular, the Tibetan practice of Bardo, he has been able to support practitioners and the community with the death of loved ones. The Bardo prayers are a beautiful practice that help to guide the deceased through the 49 days between the death and rebirth.
In May of 2020, Rinpoche was contacted by a Denver hospital to help with an elderly Tibetan patient dying of COVID-19 complications. Rinpoche was able to provide Bardo prayers remotely to comfort and benefit the Tibetan man, even though he did not know him personally.
Through our connection with the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, in March of 2020, Rinpoche spoke to the House Education Committe in Denver in support of Colorado House Bill 1336, stating Holocust and genocide studies must be included in public and charter school curriculum, detailing his own family’s personal experience with genocide as refugees of Tibet.
One of the highlights of this year is the continuation of the Shedra Program. We are thrilled and honored that Rinpoche has clarified his “Shedra Vision ” which gives us a glimpse into the profound history and nature of the intention which motivates our Mipham Shedra Program. This vision states that our Shedra program is based on the curriculum of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche’s Shedra, Ngagyur Nyingma Institute at Namdroling monastery in South India. It is based primarily on the works of Jamgön Ju Mipham (1846-1912), who was one of the greatest masters of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Lhoppön Rinpoche was uniquely trained with an emphasis on Mipham Rinpoche’s works and founded Mipham Shedra based on this incredible knowledge. To date, we have 45 people signed up for the Shedra class, with a maximum of 50 people admitted.
We are immensely grateful and fortunate for your support of these teachings through your individual donations. We are also grateful to “Cielo Gives” for providing an educational grant in support of our Shedra Program. This grant money has provided scholarships to many interested in attending.
Even without the joy of practicing in each others’ presence due to pandemic social distancing mandates, Mipham Shedra has been able to continue to provide love, support, and prayers to our members, their families and pets, our community, and all sentient beings. Even those who, for whatever reason, could not participate virtually on ZOOM or FACEBOOK, the Sangha has unfailingly held them in our hearts and prayers. No one was forgotten in our sincere dedication of merit.
The gift of your priceless time and expertise, monthly membership donation, class and monthly puja donations, and other donations have helped Mipham Shedra to continue our mission and is tremendously appreciated. With your donation and time we have been able to provide invaluable classes and events in support of our mission in addition to providing support through our zoning process and eventual construction of our Mipham Shedra temple. As we close the year 2021, we wanted to express our heartfelt gratitude for your ongoing generosity and we hope you can continue to support Mipham Shedra in the future. Yes, it has been a challenging year; but thanks to you, we have been able to continue to support our mission for the benefit of all sentient beings.
With blessings,
Lhoppon Rinpoche and the Mipham Shedra Board of Directors