Inspiring a Revolution in Your Heart and Mind: Impermanence, Reflection and Change | Sydney | Friday morning Class
2026-05-08 10:00 - 11:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, 2042, Australia
Join us on an experiential journey through The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Discover a deep and universal wisdom explored in the major themes of the book, and learn about their practical implications for living well. Suitable for people of any religion or of none, this course encourages you to reflect on the Buddhist teachings, to see what makes sense to you and to experiment with applying these teachings in your daily life.
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying is widely regarded as one of the most complete and authoritative presentations of Tibetan Buddhism. A manual for life and death and a source of sacred inspiration from the heart of the Tibetan tradition, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying provides a lucid and inspiring introduction to the practice of meditation, to the nature of mind, to karma and rebirth, and to the trials and rewards of the spiritual path. The teachings, meditation and contemplations from this authentic tradition reveal how each of us can live a more meaningful, connected and fulfilling life.
Participants in this course will learn:

How to meditate
How an acceptance of impermanence can help us understand death and change our attitude towards life
How meditation can transform our perception, increase our confidence and fully connect us to the world around us
That mind is much more than just thoughts and emotions
How understanding the interdependency of all things and the principle of karma (that every action has an effect) gives us a logical basis for ethics and personal responsibility

Led by Western meditation instructors with many years of experience, each session consists of:

Video teachings from Tibetan and Western Buddhist masters including Sogyal Rinpoche, Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, Pema Chödrön and Sharon Salzberg.
Meditation practice
Time for contemplation
Group discussions and Q&A, offering you the opportunity to explore the teachings and practices in an open supportive environment.

This is module two of a year-long course that students can join at any stage. Each module focuses on a different topic.
Details
Module Two – Impermanence, Reflection and Change
All of us are touched by death in one way or another. The Buddha said, “If you want to know the truth of life and death, you must reflect continuously on this: there is only one law in the universe that never changes—that all things change, and that all things are impermanent.”
In the Buddhist approach, life and death are seen as one whole. Death is a mirror in which the entire meaning of life is reflected. And we do not have to wait for the death of someone close to us to force us into looking at our lives. We can begin, here and now, to find meaning in our lives.
Come with us on a journey investigating death and impermanence, through deep reflection on change and interconnectedness, to arrive at an appreciation of the vast potential of our own mind that is revealed when we let go of grasping at surface appearances.
When: Friday mornings, in person at 158 Australia St, Newtown, starting 8th May.
Time: 10am – 11.30am
Who: All welcome
Cost: 10 session module: Full $100, Concession $50
FREE for Rigpa members/subscribers who may email newcastle@rigpa.org.au to request the discount code.
If you are experiencing financial hardship please email us at newcastle@rigpa.org.au to request a further concession.

Know your mind, transform your life
2026-05-27 19:00 - 20:45 (Australia/Brisbane) | Rigpa Brisbane, Unit 2/19 Enoggera Terrace, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Know your mind, transform your life
Rigpa Brisbane is pleased to announce we are offering this new and exciting 8 week course starting Wednesday 27 May to 22 July 2026 (no class on 10 June). Plus practice based classes on Sunday 14 June and Sunday 12 July 2026.
The course is open for in-person attendance for all.
For more information and to register please click here.
Enquiries: brisbane@rigpa.org.au

The Wisdom of Compassion
2026-06-02 18:30 - 20:30 (Australia/Adelaide) | Rigpa Adelaide, 310 South Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
The Wisdom of Compassion

This 5 week course runs on Tuesdays from 2 June to 30 June 2026.

Presenting key Buddhist teachings on the powerful logic of compassion and practical methods for developing a kinder relationship with ourselves, those around us and ultimately all beings.

Our innate capacity for empathy is the source of the very best of human qualities: love, kindness, generosity, warm-heartedness, courage, compassion. Although we are born with a vast capacity to love, we may not know how to do so unconditionally, or how to express that love in practice.
When our heart and mind are filled with love, we find the greatest inner healing, tranquillity and well-being. Modern research shows that with empathy and compassion we can be more fully ourselves, connect more easily with others, improve self-worth and reduce self-criticism, and lead healthier lives.

Registration: https://registration.rigpa.org.au/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=1379

The Power of Your Mind: Kindness, Clarity & Insight
2026-06-06 08:00 - 2026-06-10 15:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, 2042, Australia
This five-day retreat will present the Mahayana Seven Points of Mind Training, to lay out a path of formal meditation practice, accompanied by guidelines for extending that practice into everyday life.
These teachings are precious and unique in presenting the entire depth and breadth of the Buddha’s Mahayana teachings succinctly and practically. Mahayana mind training offers an approach to life that is straightforward, grounded in sanity, kindness, and compassion. Yet it also offers a vision that completely transcends our ordinary way of viewing ourselves and others, with an all-encompassing vision of enlightenment.
At the heart of this vision of enlightenment is the view that our innate, fundamental identity is vast, luminous and utterly awake. The Mahayana teachings refer to this as our enlightened heart, or bodhicitta. Enlightenment is nothing other than who we really are. But for most of us, our true nature is like a hidden treasure, concealed behind layers of mental activity and preoccupation.
Mahayana mind training helps us give expression to our enlightened heart in everything we think, say and do. The training particularly focuses on our relationships, which are like a mirror that shows us exactly where we are at. Our relationships also provide us with a way to dissolve the limitations that prevent the vastness of our true nature from fully manifesting.
Founded on a practice lineage that has been actively and continually practised for hundreds of years, these teachings are completely relevant to the challenges posed by our modern, globalised life.
Topics covered in the retreat will include:

finding meaning in our lives, and connectedness with our world
overcoming loneliness and isolation
how to thrive in the face of difficulties
how to contribute to creating a more sustainable, kind, and compassionate world

We strongly encourage you to join us in person to get the most out of your retreat time. For those unable to travel to Sydney this retreat will be streamed to Rigpa’s centres in Adelaide and Melbourne. For those unable to attend a Rigpa centre, a direct online option is also available.
This retreat will be led by Senior Teacher, Jan van der Breggen, along with a team of Rigpa Australia teachers and instructors.
About Jan van der Breggen

Jan is a teacher in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and a scholar of Buddhist philosophy. He began the path of meditation at 17 years old, touched by the tenderness of the human experience and filled with questions about what reality was all about. He soon encountered the writings of great masters from various traditions such as J Krishnamurti, Suzuki Roshi, Thich Nhat Hang and Sogyal Rinpoche. Thirty years later, Jan continues to be moved by the vast profundity of the Buddhist path and its vision of the inherent wisdom, loving kindness and strength that lies in the minds of each and everyone of us.
Jan was honoured to be entrusted by Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche and Mindroling Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche as one of the twenty-five worldwide Rigpa Senior teachers. In 2017, he was selected to be a participant in the Milinda program, a 10-year, international Buddhist teacher training program under the guidance of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.
Jan grew up in the Netherlands where he earned a Masters Degree in Historical Anthropology. He is fluent in English and Dutch. He lives in Brisbane where he works as a data analytics professional. Jan was instrumental in founding Rigpa Brisbane in 1999, where he has served as a Dharma instructor for over 20 years.

Meditation and Wisdom to Transform Everyday Life
2026-06-06 15:00 - 17:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, 2042, Australia
The Tibetan Buddhist tradition’s meditative insights and timeless wisdom offer many practical methods to help us thrive and be at ease as we face the everyday challenges of anxiety, depression, anger, loneliness and physical pain.
These Saturday afternoon sessions offer an introduction to meditation and practical advice from some of the foremost Tibetan Buddhist teachers of our age.
This Buddhist wisdom can help us:

meet the challenges of daily life in these difficult times,
heal ourselves,
connect with the heart of who we really are, and
unleash our capacity for peace, compassion and wisdom.

Each session includes:

Video teachings from Tibetan and Western Buddhist masters including Sogyal Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Dungse Jampal Norbu, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel and Sharon Salzberg.
Meditation practice
Time for contemplation
Group discussions and Q&A, offering you the opportunity to explore the teachings and practices in an open supportive environment and to connect with a community of practitioners.

Sydney and Online
🗓️ Saturday afternoons, first Saturday of the month
⏰ 3:00-5:30pm AEST (6:00am CET,1:00am US East)
📍 Online via Zoom, Rigpa Sydney 158 Australia St, Newtown
💰 $20, concession $10, free for Rigpa subscribers
7 Feb, 7 Mar, 2 May, 4 Jul, 1 Aug, 5 Sep, 7 Nov, 5 Dec
(we’ll be holding other retreats in April and June)
Book now
Adelaide
🗓️ Saturday mornings, first Saturday of the month
⏰ 9:30am-12:00noon Australian Central Time
📍 Rigpa Adelaide, 310 South Terrace, Adelaide
💰 $15, concession $10, free for Rigpa subscribers
Email adelaide@rigpa.org.au for details

Inspiring a Revolution in your Heart and Mind: the Deathless Unending Nature of Mind / Newcastle / Day Class
2026-06-09 10:00 - 12:00 (Australia/Melbourne) | Rigpa Newcastle, 2/2 Smith Street, Charlestown, nsw, 2290, Australia
Join us on an experiential journey through The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Discover a deep and universal wisdom explored in the major themes of the book, and learn about their practical implications for living well. Suitable for people of any religion or of none, this course encourages you to reflect on the Buddhist teachings, to see what makes sense to you and to experiment with applying these teachings in your daily life.
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying is widely regarded as one of the most complete and authoritative presentations of Tibetan Buddhism. A manual for life and death and a source of sacred inspiration from the heart of the Tibetan tradition, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying provides a lucid and inspiring introduction to the practice of meditation, to the nature of mind, to karma and rebirth, and to the trials and rewards of the spiritual path. The teachings, meditation and contemplations from this authentic tradition reveal how each of us can live a more meaningful, connected and fulfilling life.
Participants in this course will learn:

How to meditate
How an acceptance of impermanence can help us understand death and change our attitude towards life
How meditation can transform our perception, increase our confidence and fully connect us to the world around us
That mind is much more than just thoughts and emotions
How understanding the interdependency of all things and the principle of karma (that every action has an effect) gives us a logical basis for ethics and personal responsibility

Led by Western meditation instructors with many years of experience, each session consists of:

Video teachings from Tibetan and Western Buddhist masters including Sogyal Rinpoche, Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, Pema Chödrön and Sharon Salzberg.
Meditation practice
Time for contemplation
Group discussions and Q&A, offering you the opportunity to explore the teachings and practices in an open supportive environment.

This is module three of a year-long course that students can join at any stage. Each module focuses on a different topic.
Details
Module Three: The Deathless Unending Nature of Mind
We have been taught to spend our lives chasing our thoughts and projections. Even when “mind” is talked about, what is referred to is thoughts and emotions alone… We rarely look into the mind itself, the ground from which all these expressions arise.
In this module, we explore our thoughts, emotions and mind to yield understandings that make meditation truly meaningful. The highest goal of meditation is to awaken in us the vast, wise and compassionate, sky-like nature of our mind and introduce to us who we really are: unchanging pure awareness. Instead of meditation being merely a way of bringing temporary relaxation, it can become a powerful cause for your long-lasting happiness and the benefit of others.
Rigpa Newcastle, 2/2 Smith St, Charlestown.
Tuesday mornings, this module runs for 5 weeks from 9 June to 7 July 2026
10.00am – 12.00pm

Who: All welcome
Cost: 5 session module: Full $100, Concession $50
FREE for Rigpa members/subscribers who may email newcastle@rigpa.org.au to request the discount code.
If you are experiencing financial hardship please email us at newcastle@rigpa.org.au to request a further concession.

Inspiring a Revolution in Your Heart and Mind - Bringing the Mind Home - Sydney & Online June 2026
2026-06-10 18:30 - 20:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, 2042, Australia
Bringing the Mind Home
Take a deep dive into a rich variety of meditation techniques to transform your moods and emotions. And discover how the whole purpose of meditation is to transcend our ordinary mind, to discover our vast, wise and compassionate fundamental nature, which we have lost touch with. The highest goal of meditation is to awake in us the sky-like nature of mind and introduce to us who we really are: our unchanging pure awareness.

Inspiring a Revolution in your Heart and Mind/ The Deathless Unending Nature of Mind / Newcastle / Evening Class
2026-06-11 18:30 - 20:15 (Australia/Melbourne) | Rigpa Newcastle, 2/2 Smith Street, Charlestown, nsw, 2290, Australia
Join us on an experiential journey through The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Discover a deep and universal wisdom explored in the major themes of the book, and learn about their practical implications for living well. Suitable for people of any religion or of none, this course encourages you to reflect on the Buddhist teachings, to see what makes sense to you and to experiment with applying these teachings in your daily life.
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying is widely regarded as one of the most complete and authoritative presentations of Tibetan Buddhism. A manual for life and death and a source of sacred inspiration from the heart of the Tibetan tradition, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying provides a lucid and inspiring introduction to the practice of meditation, to the nature of mind, to karma and rebirth, and to the trials and rewards of the spiritual path. The teachings, meditation and contemplations from this authentic tradition reveal how each of us can live a more meaningful, connected and fulfilling life.
Participants in this course will learn:

How to meditate
How an acceptance of impermanence can help us understand death and change our attitude towards life
How meditation can transform our perception, increase our confidence and fully connect us to the world around us
That mind is much more than just thoughts and emotions
How understanding the interdependency of all things and the principle of karma (that every action has an effect) gives us a logical basis for ethics and personal responsibility

Led by Western meditation instructors with many years of experience, each session consists of:

Video teachings from Tibetan and Western Buddhist masters including Sogyal Rinpoche, Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, Pema Chödrön and Sharon Salzberg.
Meditation practice
Time for contemplation
Group discussions and Q&A, offering you the opportunity to explore the teachings and practices in an open supportive environment.

This is module three of a year-long course that students can join at any stage. Each module focuses on a different topic.
Details
Module Three: The Deathless Unending Nature of Mind
We have been taught to spend our lives chasing our thoughts and projections. Even when “mind” is talked about, what is referred to is thoughts and emotions alone… We rarely look into the mind itself, the ground from which all these expressions arise.
In this module, we explore our thoughts, emotions and mind to yield understandings that make meditation truly meaningful. The highest goal of meditation is to awaken in us the vast, wise and compassionate, sky-like nature of our mind and introduce to us who we really are: unchanging pure awareness. Instead of meditation being merely a way of bringing temporary relaxation, it can become a powerful cause for your long-lasting happiness and the benefit of others.
Rigpa Newcastle, 2/2 Smith St, Charlestown.
Thursday evenings, this module runs for 5 weeks from 11 June to 9 July 2026
6.30pm – 8.15pm

Who: All welcome
Cost: 5 session module: Full $100, Concession $50
FREE for Rigpa members/subscribers who may email newcastle@rigpa.org.au to request the discount code.
If you are experiencing financial hardship please email us at newcastle@rigpa.org.au to request a further concession.

Calming the Mind & Overcoming Anxiety | Meditation and Wisdom to Transform Everyday Life
2026-06-13 14:00 - 16:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Rigpa Melbourne, 803 Nicholson St, Carlton North, Melbourne, Victoria, 3054, Australia
Fear and anxiety disempower us. In this session we’ll present a short teaching by Sogyal Rinpoche that will help us look into the underlying source of our fears so that we can find a firm basis for confidence and contentment.

A session in the Meditation and Wisdom to Transform Every Day Life series.

Spend time with your best self on a journey from sadness and anger, to peace and joy. The timeless wisdom and meditative insights of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition offer many practical methods to help us heal and thrive as we face the everyday challenges of anxiety, depression, anger, physical pain, loneliness and burnout.
This series of Saturday afternoon sessions offer an introduction to meditation and practical advice from some of the foremost Tibetan Buddhist teachers of our age. Applying these teachings can help us meet the challenges of these difficult times, to heal ourselves, and to bring us to the core of our own peace, compassion and wisdom.
Led by Western meditation instructors with many years of experience, each session consists of:

Video teachings from Tibetan Buddhist masters including Sogyal Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Dungse Jampal Norbu and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
Meditation practice
Time for contemplation
Group discussions and Q&A, offering you the opportunity to explore the teachings and practices in an open supportive environment and to connect with a community of practitioners

Details of future sessions are:

26 September – Where Can We Find Lasting Happiness?
21 November – Everything is Workable
12 December – Overcoming Depression

Details
🗓️ Saturday 13 June
⏰ 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
📍 Rigpa Melbourne, 803 Nicholson St, Carlton North
💰 Full $20 | Concession (seniors/under 35s/concession) $10

If you are experiencing financial hardship please email us at melbourne@rigpa.org.au to request a further concession.
Free for Rigpa Sangha members. Please email melbourne@rigpa.org.au to request the discount code.

Self-Forgiveness in the Light of Compassion
2026-06-20 18:00 - 20:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Online via Zoom, Australia
Discover how to live with a lighter, kinder heart. Many of us carry beliefs that we’re unworthy of love or beyond forgiveness, leaving us trapped in guilt and self-blame. But punishing ourselves only deepens our suffering and prevents us from realizing our natural state. Through insight, compassion, and guided meditations, you’ll learn to soften your “inner critic,” release false beliefs, and understand why you can let yourself off the hook—all of which frees your heart. As you cultivate forgiveness and compassion for yourself, you’ll naturally feel a genuine compassion and understanding for others—and the world.
Seminar topics:

The spiritual dimension of self-forgiveness
Dismantling the barriers to forgiving oneself
Understanding your life with compassion and insight
Transforming your ‘inner critic’
Really good reasons you can let yourself off the hook
Meditations that deepen compassion and forgiveness for yourself and others

Feedback from past participants
“It was helpful to be constantly reminded that no matter what, we are fundamentally good and our mistakes do not define us. They are only a very small part and we can always shift towards the centre of ourselves with love.”
“Forgiveness – of ourselves and others, frees us. The seminar is a rich and deep dive into self-forgiveness using experiential learning in a supportive, engaging and accessible format, and is inclusive to people of all and no faith traditions. The content and guided meditations draw on different sources and this, along with the kindness, clarity and skill of Christine act as an invitation to a more profound connection with our own basic goodness.”
“The seminar has brought profound understanding and healing. It was both liberating and extremely challenging with the emergence of once unacknowledged emotions. A moving and heartfelt experience.”
“The seminar was timely as I’ve had a few new challenges, while already living in a shut-down state. I’ve been able to offer my younger self love, compassion and forgiveness which in turn has softened my heart to others I’d been closed off to. Now, I feel more open and spacious.”

3 sessions:
20 June 6:00pm-8:30pm AEST
27 June 6:00pm-8:30pm AEST
4 July 6:00pm-8:30pm AEST
(6:00pm AEST = 4:00pm Hong Kong Time, 9:00am GMT, and 10:00am Central European Time)
Time and date converter
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html?iso=20260620T080000&p1=31&p2=240&p3=196&p4=102&p5=136&p6=103&p7=176
If you need to miss one of these sessions, you’ll be able to catch up by viewing a recording.

About Christine
Christine Longaker is a pioneer of the hospice movement and author of Facing Death and Finding Hope , translated into 9 languages. She’s co-author of Are You Ready and of published research on the benefits of Spiritual Care Training. She founded Rigpa in the USA in 1981, the Spiritual Care Education Program in 1993, and co-produced an in-depth accredited Contemplative Palliative Care training at Naropa University. Christine has produced an album of meditations: “Joy, Ease and Self-Forgiveness”, guides self-compassion meditations online every Sunday and leads a yearly retreat in Sri Lanka. Christine infuses her seminars with heartfelt presence, humor, and clarity. Read more at www.christinelongaker.com.

Meditation and Wisdom to Transform Everyday Life
2026-07-04 09:30 - 12:00 (Australia/Adelaide) | Rigpa Adelaide, 310 South Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
Where can we find lasting happiness?
Saturday 4 July | 9.30am – 12.00 noon
These Saturday morning sessions offer an introduction to meditation and practical advice from some of the foremost Tibetan Buddhist teachers of our age.
Many of us experience dissatisfaction or feeling that something is missing in our lives, even when on the surface things seem quite good. This session presents teachings by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and Sogyal Rinpoche that show us how turning our mind inwards, through reflection and meditation, offers us a path out of endless dissatisfaction to finding true, lasting happiness.
Feel free to come along to any session that suits you. No need to register, just drop in.
Fee: Standard $15, Concession/Student $10
We do not have credit card facilities, please bring cash.
Cost negotiable depending on your financial circumstances.

Where Can We Find Lasting Happiness? | Meditation and Wisdom for Every Day
2026-07-04 15:00 - 17:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, 2042, Australia
Many of us experience dissatisfaction or feeling that something is missing in our lives, even when on the surface things seem quite good. This session presents teachings by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and Sogyal Rinpoche that show us how turning our mind inwards, through reflection and meditation, offers us a path out of endless dissatisfaction to finding true, lasting happiness.

A session in the Meditation and Wisdom to Transform Every Day Life series.

Spend time with your best self on a journey from sadness and anger to peace and joy. The timeless wisdom and meditative insights of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition offer many practical methods to help us heal and thrive as we face the everyday challenges of anxiety, depression, anger, physical pain, loneliness, and burnout.
This series of Saturday afternoon sessions offer an introduction to meditation and practical advice from some of the foremost Tibetan Buddhist teachers of our age. Applying these teachings can help us meet the challenges of these difficult times, to heal ourselves, and to bring us to the core of our own peace, compassion and wisdom.
Led by Western meditation instructors with many years of experience, each session consists of:

Video teachings from Tibetan Buddhist masters including Sogyal Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Dungse Jampal Norbu and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
Meditation practice
Time for contemplation
Group discussions and Q&A, offering you the opportunity to explore the teachings and practices in an open supportive environment and to connect with a community of practitioners

Dates and Topics for 2026
4 July Where Can We Find Lasting Happiness?
1 August Everything is Workable
5 September Overcoming Depression
3 October Accentuate the Positive: How to Work with Negative Emotions
7 November Beating Burnout and Stress
5 December How to Remain Unshaken By Life’s Ups and Downs
📍 Online and Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown.

Inspiring a Revolution in Your Heart and Mind - Rebirth, Karma and This Life
2026-07-22 18:30 - 20:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, 2042, Australia
Explore the Buddhist reasoning for the acceptance of rebirth and reincarnation. We’ll use the Buddha’s Four Noble Truths as a framework to help us take stock of our lives, inspire a shift in the way we see ourselves and the way we relate to the world around us. And we’ll examine karma, which is often misunderstood as fate or pre-destination. If investigated more deeply, karma inspires us with an appreciation of the power and agency of our own actions.
A module of Inspiring a Revolution in Your Heart and Mind
Join us on an experiential journey through The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Discover a deep and universal wisdom explored in the major themes of the book, and learn about their practical implications for living well. Suitable for people of any religion or of none, this course encourages you to reflect on the Buddhist teachings, to see what makes sense to you and to experiment with applying these teachings in your daily life.
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying is widely regarded as one of the most complete and authoritative presentations of Tibetan Buddhism. A manual for life and death and a source of sacred inspiration from the heart of the Tibetan tradition, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying provides a lucid and inspiring introduction to the practice of meditation, to the nature of mind, to karma and rebirth, and to the trials and rewards of the spiritual path. The teachings, meditation and contemplations from this authentic tradition reveal how each of us can live a more meaningful, connected and fulfilling life.
Participants in this course will learn:

How to meditate
How an acceptance of impermanence can help us understand death and change our attitude towards life
How meditation can transform our perception, increase our confidence and fully connect us to the world around us
That mind is much more than just thoughts and emotions
How understanding the interdependency of all things and the principle of karma (that every action has an effect) gives us a logical basis for ethics and personal responsibility

Led by Western meditation instructors with many years of experience, each session consists of:

Video teachings from Tibetan and Western Buddhist masters including Sogyal Rinpoche, Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, Pema Chödrön and Sharon Salzberg.
Meditation practice
Time for contemplation
Group discussions and Q&A, offering you the opportunity to explore the teachings and practices in an open supportive environment.

Enlightened Courage: the Secret to Training and Transforming your Mind with Wisdom and Compassion. Term Seven, 2026.
2026-07-24 09:30 - 11:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Online via Zoom, Australia
Enlightened Courage: the secret to training and transforming your mind with wisdom and compassion.
Term 7, 8 Sessions, 24 July – 25 September, including a 2 week break from 14 August – 21 August.
Online via Zoom and In Person, 2/2 Smith Street, Charlestown, 2290
Fridays, 9.30am – 11.30am.
/MAHAYANA/
This class is a continuing course made up of terms. The class features teachings from Sogyal Rinpoche, Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche and Patrick Gaffney, this weekly course presents the Mahayana Seven Points of Mind Training. These points lay out a path of formal meditation practice, along with guidelines for extending that practice into everyday life.
These teachings are precious and unique in presenting the entire depth and breadth of the Buddha’s Mahayana teachings succinctly and practically. Mahayana mind training offers an approach to life that is straightforward, grounded in sanity, kindness, and compassion. Yet it also offers a vision that completely transcends our ordinary way of viewing ourselves and others, with an all-encompassing vision of enlightenment.
At the heart of this vision of enlightenment is the view that our innate, fundamental identity is vast, luminous and utterly awake. The Mahayana teachings refer to this as our enlightened heart, or bodhicitta. Enlightenment is nothing other than who we really are. But for most of us, our true nature is like a hidden treasure, concealed behind layers of mental activity and preoccupation. Mahayana mind training helps us give expression to our enlightened heart in everything we think, say and do.
Founded on a practice lineage that has been actively practised for hundreds of years, these teachings are completely relevant to the challenges posed by our modern, globalised life.
8 weekly classes: Term 7, Friday Mornings, Term 7, 8 Sessions, 24 July – 24 September, including a 2 week break from 14 August – 21 August.
9.30am – 11.30am Australian Eastern Standard Time
Online via Zoom and In Person at 2/2 Smith Street, Charlestown. 2290
full $160, concession $80
Free for Rigpa subscribers/ members ( please email newcastle@rigpa.org.au to request the subscriber discount code ).
This is the seventh term of a continuing course. If you wish to join after the first two weeks of a term then please register and pay a pro rata amount by sending an email enquiry to newcastle@rigpa.org.au. If you are a newer student and would like to study this text please email Rigpa Newcastle at newcastle@rigpa.org.au.

Meditation and Wisdom to Transform Everyday Life
2026-08-01 09:30 - 12:00 (Australia/Adelaide) | Rigpa Adelaide, 310 South Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
Everything is workable

Saturday 1 August | 9.30am – 12.00 noon

These Saturday morning sessions offer an introduction to meditation and practical advice from some of the foremost Tibetan Buddhist teachers of our age.
The Buddha compared the universe to a vast interdependent net woven of a countless variety of brilliant jewels. Each jewel reflects every other jewel in the net. If we are interdependent with everything and everyone else, even the smallest thought can have long-lasting consequences. This session presents a short teaching by Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel on how taking interdependence to heart can change the way we relate to trauma in our life and how we care for the people around us.
Feel free to come along to any session that suits you. No need to register, just drop in.
Fee: Standard $15, Concession/Student $10
We do not have credit card facilities, please bring cash.
Cost negotiable depending on your financial circumstances.

Everything Is Workable | Meditation and Wisdom for Every Day
2026-08-01 15:00 - 17:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, 2042, Australia
The Buddha compared the universe to a vast interdependent net woven of a countless variety of brilliant jewels. Each jewel reflects every other jewel in the net. If we are interdependent with everything and everyone else, even the smallest thought can have long-lasting consequences. This session presents a short teaching by Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel on how taking interdependence to heart can change the way we relate to trauma in our life and how we care for the people around us.

A session in the Meditation and Wisdom to Transform Every Day Life series.

Spend time with your best self on a journey from sadness and anger to peace and joy. The timeless wisdom and meditative insights of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition offer many practical methods to help us heal and thrive as we face the everyday challenges of anxiety, depression, anger, physical pain, loneliness, and burnout.
This series of Saturday afternoon sessions offer an introduction to meditation and practical advice from some of the foremost Tibetan Buddhist teachers of our age. Applying these teachings can help us meet the challenges of these difficult times, to heal ourselves, and to bring us to the core of our own peace, compassion and wisdom.
Led by Western meditation instructors with many years of experience, each session consists of:

Video teachings from Tibetan Buddhist masters including Sogyal Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Dungse Jampal Norbu and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
Meditation practice
Time for contemplation
Group discussions and Q&A, offering you the opportunity to explore the teachings and practices in an open supportive environment and to connect with a community of practitioners

Dates and Topics for 2026
1 August Everything is Workable
5 September Overcoming Depression
3 October Accentuate the Positive: How to Work with Negative Emotions
7 November Beating Burnout and Stress
5 December How to Remain Unshaken By Life’s Ups and Downs
📍 Online and Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown.

Overcoming Depression | Meditation and Wisdom for Every Day
2026-09-05 15:00 - 17:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, 2042, Australia
The Buddhist path offers many tools for turning our mind away from depression and inspiring ourselves to take on a more positive, uplifting frame of mind. In this session we’ll work with some simple practical techniques taught by Sogyal Rinpoche that can lift your mood quickly and reliably.

A session in the Meditation and Wisdom to Transform Every Day Life series.

Spend time with your best self on a journey from sadness and anger to peace and joy. The timeless wisdom and meditative insights of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition offer many practical methods to help us heal and thrive as we face the everyday challenges of anxiety, depression, anger, physical pain, loneliness, and burnout.
This series of Saturday afternoon sessions offer an introduction to meditation and practical advice from some of the foremost Tibetan Buddhist teachers of our age. Applying these teachings can help us meet the challenges of these difficult times, to heal ourselves, and to bring us to the core of our own peace, compassion and wisdom.
Led by Western meditation instructors with many years of experience, each session consists of:

Video teachings from Tibetan Buddhist masters including Sogyal Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Dungse Jampal Norbu and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
Meditation practice
Time for contemplation
Group discussions and Q&A, offering you the opportunity to explore the teachings and practices in an open supportive environment and to connect with a community of practitioners

Dates and Topics for 2026
5 September Overcoming Depression
3 October Accentuate the Positive: How to Work with Negative Emotions
7 November Beating Burnout and Stress
5 December How to Remain Unshaken By Life’s Ups and Downs
📍 Online and Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown.

Accentuate the Positive : How to Work with Negative Emotions | Meditation and Wisdom for Every Day
2026-10-03 15:00 - 17:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, 2042, Australia
Negative emotions such as anger cause us and others so much unnecessary suffering. In this session, supported by teachings by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and Sharon Salzberg, we’ll investigate how, through meditation and reflection on some simple open questions, we can ground ourselves in the face of negative emotions.

A session in the Meditation and Wisdom to Transform Every Day Life series.

Spend time with your best self on a journey from sadness and anger to peace and joy. The timeless wisdom and meditative insights of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition offer many practical methods to help us heal and thrive as we face the everyday challenges of anxiety, depression, anger, physical pain, loneliness, and burnout.
This series of Saturday afternoon sessions offer an introduction to meditation and practical advice from some of the foremost Tibetan Buddhist teachers of our age. Applying these teachings can help us meet the challenges of these difficult times, to heal ourselves, and to bring us to the core of our own peace, compassion and wisdom.
Led by Western meditation instructors with many years of experience, each session consists of:

Video teachings from Tibetan Buddhist masters including Sogyal Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Dungse Jampal Norbu and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
Meditation practice
Time for contemplation
Group discussions and Q&A, offering you the opportunity to explore the teachings and practices in an open supportive environment and to connect with a community of practitioners

Dates and Topics for 2026
3 October Accentuate the Positive: How to Work with Negative Emotions
7 November Beating Burnout and Stress
5 December How to Remain Unshaken By Life’s Ups and Downs
📍 Online and Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown.

Beating Burnout and Stress | Meditation and Wisdom for Every Day
2026-11-07 15:00 - 17:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, 2042, Australia
These days many of us feel overstretched and stressed. This session presents some short teachings by Sogyal Rinpoche offering simple ways that we can bring meditation and the compassionate Buddhist view into our daily life to help ease and cut through our stress and worry.

A session in the Meditation and Wisdom to Transform Every Day Life series.

Spend time with your best self on a journey from sadness and anger to peace and joy. The timeless wisdom and meditative insights of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition offer many practical methods to help us heal and thrive as we face the everyday challenges of anxiety, depression, anger, physical pain, loneliness, and burnout.
This series of Saturday afternoon sessions offer an introduction to meditation and practical advice from some of the foremost Tibetan Buddhist teachers of our age. Applying these teachings can help us meet the challenges of these difficult times, to heal ourselves, and to bring us to the core of our own peace, compassion and wisdom.
Led by Western meditation instructors with many years of experience, each session consists of:

Video teachings from Tibetan Buddhist masters including Sogyal Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Dungse Jampal Norbu and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
Meditation practice
Time for contemplation
Group discussions and Q&A, offering you the opportunity to explore the teachings and practices in an open supportive environment and to connect with a community of practitioners

Dates and Topics for 2026
7 November Beating Burnout and Stress
5 December How to Remain Unshaken By Life’s Ups and Downs
📍 Online and Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown.

How to Remain Unshakeable | Meditation and Wisdom for Every Day
2026-12-05 15:00 - 17:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, 2042, Australia
This session presents a teaching by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche. Drawing on his experience as a refugee, he offers advice on how to live a meaningful life, the power of kindness and compassion, and how by setting aside worry we all can find strength to face the ups and downs of modern living.

A session in the Meditation and Wisdom to Transform Every Day Life series.

Spend time with your best self on a journey from sadness and anger to peace and joy. The timeless wisdom and meditative insights of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition offer many practical methods to help us heal and thrive as we face the everyday challenges of anxiety, depression, anger, physical pain, loneliness, and burnout.
This series of Saturday afternoon sessions offer an introduction to meditation and practical advice from some of the foremost Tibetan Buddhist teachers of our age. Applying these teachings can help us meet the challenges of these difficult times, to heal ourselves, and to bring us to the core of our own peace, compassion and wisdom.
Led by Western meditation instructors with many years of experience, each session consists of:

Video teachings from Tibetan Buddhist masters including Sogyal Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Dungse Jampal Norbu and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
Meditation practice
Time for contemplation
Group discussions and Q&A, offering you the opportunity to explore the teachings and practices in an open supportive environment and to connect with a community of practitioners

Dates and Topics for 2026
5 December How to Remain Unshaken By Life’s Ups and Downs
📍 Online and Rigpa Sydney, 158 Australia St, Newtown.
