User:Clfhaynes/Rigdzin Shikpo

Rigdzin Shikpo

Rigdzin Shikpo Rinpoche (né Michael Hookham; London, Great Britain, April 10th, 1935) is a British Buddhist teacher in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Rigdzin Shikpo has been practising Buddhism for more than 55 years. Before meeting his main teacher, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1965, he trained Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism whilst working as a physicist and mathematician.

He is a realized teacher of Dzogchen and is the Dharma director of the Longchen Foundation.

Early Years
During his early years in Britain, Trungpa Rinpoche taught Rigdzin Shikpo and Alf Vial extensively and in detail the preliminary and main practices of Dzogchen, the highest cycle of teachings of the Nyingma tradition.

After Trungpa Rinpoche returned from his visit to India and The Tigers Nest in Bhutan in 1968 the Chö group was started in London in order to teach Trungpa Rinpoche’s newly written special inspirational text, “The Embodiment of all the Siddhas”.

At the end of those years, and before departing for America, Trungpa Rinpoche empowered the two Englishmen as lineage holders, encouraging them to teach the instructions they had received. Some of these early teachings given by Trungpa Rinpoche can be found in his Collected Works, under the title “The Way of Maha Ati”, a section co-authored by both teacher (Trungpa Rinpoche) and student (Rigdzin Shikpo).

Longchen Foundation
Later on, Rigdzin Shikpo was advised by Trungpa Rinpoche to receive instructions from Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoceh. And it was during this time that Trungpa Rinpoche in consultation with Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche formally reconstituted the Chö group as the Longchen Foundation (1975), with Trungpa Rinpoche entrusting Rigdzin Shikpo to be its principal teacher and Dharma director.

The aim of the Longchen Foundation is “to preserve and disseminate the essence of the Buddha’s teaching, in accordance with the Nyingma tradition, whilst at the same time creatively adapting its teaching style and methods to the needs of modern Western students”.

This vision of the Dharma was expressed by Rigdzin Shikpo to Trungpa Rinpoche in their first meetings and Trungpa Rinpoche told Rigdzin Shikpo that this was also his own vision and that this was a life vision for all three and should never be departed from. RS continues to express this vision of the Buddhadharma and to teach it and its implications to his students.

Following further advice from Trungpa Rinpoche in the 70’s and 80’s Rigdzin Shikpo took teachings from other lamas, including Dudjom Rinpoche, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche and Khamtrul Yeshe Dorje Rinpoche.

Retreat and realization
After the deaths of Trungpa Rinpoche (1987) and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1991), Rigdzin Shikpo went on to receive further instruction from Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, who remains one of his main teachers. In fact, it was Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche who supervised Rigdzin Shikpo’s three year solitary retreat (1990-1993) in accordance with the retreat tradition of Jigme Lingpa. What was interesting about this traditional and long retreat is that it took place in a semi-detached house in Oxford. This makes Rigdzin Shikpo one of the first Western Buddhists to complete a three-year retreat in an urban setting.

At the end of those three years Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche gave Michael Hookham the title Rigdzin Shikpo, this title being given according to his realisation.

Since then Rigdzin Shikpo has continued teaching in England, Wales and Germany up to the present. In regards to his teaching style, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche “encouraged him to express himself boldly and to go beyond traditional forms”. As part of this process he has created, within the Longchen Foundation, a number of programs in order to train students in the various aspects and levels of the Buddhist path. Thus, he has been reckoned to have “an extraordinary gift for expressing it [Buddhism] in vivid and poetic ways and for creating links with many aspects of Western culture”.

Publications
Rigdzin Shikpo has published books on Buddhism: On Freeing the Heart, Openness Clarity Sensitivity and Never Turn Away. His latest book, Never Turn Away, has received very positive reviews from Buddhist teachers Reginald Ray & Larry Rosenberg and from the Buddhist magazines Trycicle and Middle Way: The Journal of the Buddhist Society in London.

His books have been translated into German, Italian and Spanish.

He has also contributed articles and teachings to various projects celebrating the life and activities of the late Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, such as the book Recalling Chögyam Trungpa or the Pansangha Tribute on the “Chronicles of Chögyam Trungpa” webpage.