Aim and Backgroundumbrella

The «Ripa International Center» Project aims to set up an international Buddhist Center and in particular to provide a place where the humanitarian and spiritual aspects of Tibetan Buddhism can be developed and lived.
Since the early 90s Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche – and later also His Father, H.E. Namkha Drimed Rabjam Rinpoche – taught Buddhism in various countries of Europe, the Americas and Asia. A constantly growing community of students regularly attended those precious retreats, teachings and other events. In order to support and handle the activity of the Ripa lineage several national organizations were established (Padma Ling Associations and Ripa Ladrang). With every year it became increasingly difficult for our teachers to include so many venues with different organizing teams and to find enough time to provide the requested profound teachings all over the world. Therefore the idea of a “Ripa International Center” (RIC) was born: a central place in Europe will provide a worthy base in order to grant access to the unbroken transmissions (or flow of wisdom) of our lineage and bring the spiritual tradition of our Tibetan teachers to the West. The RIC will be a place to practice and bring the teachings to life. Here the precious traditions from the past will be able to merge with the authentic wisdom of the present and so preserve and secure these spiritual treasures for the future.
The RIC will become a spiritual home in the West and so allow the present and future generations to find an opportunity to meet, practice and apply authentic Buddhism.