Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche

Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche joins us to speak about his new book, Living Fully: Finding Joy in Every Breath.

Hi, everyone. I’m recording this introduction while attending the Wisdom 2.0 conference in California. This is the second of the “W20” conferences, next month is the tenth annual International Scientific Conference, April is the inaugural International Symposia for Contemplative Studies, and then of course we’re looking forward to attending the second Buddhist Geeks conference in August. All of these are linked on the calendar on the SecularBuddhism.org website of course, but the point is our practice is growing. It’s finding new and vital ways to change people’s lives outside of traditional settings, opening the door for others who may otherwise not find the same wonder of this practice, that we do.

Buddhism is not just for Buddhists. When we use the term “Buddhism” in this context, we mean the practice, not the religion. This is sometimes a very difficult concept to convey, and sometimes a very difficult concept to accept. There are people in the monastic tradition, however, who not only understand that, but do their very best to share this with others.

Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche is the spiritual guide of Shyalpa Monastery in Kathmandu, the founder of the Tibetan Refugee Children’s Fund, and the head of Ranging Yeshe, Inc., a nonprofit that organizes teachings and retreats throughout the United States. Buddhafield, in Millerton, NY, is the future site of the Center for Enlightenment and Rinpoche’s seat in the US. He has lectured at Harvard, Yale, Wesleyan, and the Naropa Institute. He lives in Nepal and New York.

So, sit back, relax, and have a nice Lapsang Souchong tea. Special thanks to Patrick Taggart, one of our listeners who suggested this tea on FaceBook, who wrote, “I always feel that its smokiness resonates perfectly with the feeling of a rainy evening.”

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Quotes

“We should examine and question our preconceptions, and be daring enough to explore new and unfamiliar terrain.” — Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche

Books

Web Links

• Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche
• Living Fully
• Wencheng Gongzhu International Foundation

Music for This Episode

Chikuzen Shakuhachi Series

The music heard in the middle of the podcast is from the Chikuzen Shakuhachi Series, Volume 1, courtesy of Tai Hei Shakuhachi. The tracks used in this episode are:

• Track 6 :: Esashi Oiwake