Welcome to our foundational course series:
The Heart of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
Rigpa US is pleased to offer an exciting series of online courses exploring The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, the groundbreaking classic by Sogyal Rinpoche, which has helped millions of people throughout the world to find wellbeing in their lives. These courses rely on the Buddhist tradition of wisdom and compassion and open the way to deeper understanding and freedom from suffering.
The series of courses provides an overview of the Tibetan Buddhist teachings as presented in this acclaimed book. Suitable for everyone, each course is designed to stand alone, so you can attend any or all in the series.
Fall 2025 : (Course 1)
The Heart of the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: The Hidden Treasure of Impermanence
(The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying - Chapters 1–3)
A 9-session course combining meditation, reflection, and practical tools for navigating change
What if uncertainty didn't have to feel so overwhelming?
Life keeps changing. People we love get sick. Jobs end. Relationships shift. Plans fall apart. And somewhere in the middle of it all, we find ourselves asking: How do we find solid ground when everything feels so unstable?
This course offers a different way of looking at life's constant changes—not as something to fear or resist, but as a doorway to deeper peace and understanding. Drawing from the profound wisdom of the Tibetan Buddhist teachings as shared in the acclaimed book The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche, we'll explore how accepting uncertainty can actually become a source of strength.
What You'll Discover
Together we'll explore some of life's biggest questions. You don't need any background in Buddhism or meditation—just curiosity and a willingness to look at things from a fresh perspective.
We'll start with the foundations: You'll learn a simple but powerful meditation practice called "calm abiding" that helps quiet the mental chatter and creates space for clarity. We'll also explore three time-tested methods that engage both your analytical mind and your intuitive wisdom, known as The Three Wisdom Tools. These aren't just intellectual concepts—they're practical tools designed to create real shifts in how you understand yourself and navigate daily life.
Then we'll go deeper: We'll look honestly at change and loss—not to become morbid, but to discover how accepting life's impermanent nature can actually free us from constant anxiety about the future. You'll explore how everything in life is interconnected, and how this understanding can shift your relationship with both joy and difficulty. Together we’ll learn how honest investigation of change and mortality can lead to a greater feeling of aliveness.
By the end: You'll have practical tools for finding peace in the midst of life's inevitable changes, and a deeper appreciation for the remarkable capacity of your own mind to remain steady and compassionate, even when circumstances feel chaotic. Our investigations of death and change will give you a richer understanding of interdependence. Understanding one of life's most profound realities—that everything is constantly shifting and interconnected then leads us to the ultimate view of what is changeless within us, “something boundless and infinitely spacious, something in which the dance of change and impermanence takes place”.
Note: These three courses cover the first ten chapters of the book. Last year’s program covered chapters 1–12 in shorter modules; this year, we are offering fewer but longer courses, allowing more time for integration and practice. Students who joined only at the end of last year may enjoy beginning again from the start, but if you attended most of last year’s course, we recommend exploring a different class.
This Course Is For You If:
You feel anxious about the future or overwhelmed by life's unpredictability
You're dealing with loss, transition, or major life changes
You're curious about meditation but don't know where to start
You want practical wisdom for everyday challenges, not just theory
You're open to exploring how ancient teachings might speak to modern struggles
The teachings we'll explore have helped people find peace for over a thousand years. They're not about escaping life's difficulties, but about discovering a different way to be with them—one that brings more ease, compassion, and genuine confidence in your ability to handle whatever comes your way.
Wednesdays, October 15 - December 17, 2025 (9 sessions)
4pm PT/ 7pm ET
Duration: 2h
(Note: there will be no course on November 5, 2025)
Welcome to register and join still!
FUTURE COURSES IN SERIES
Winter 2026 : (Course 2)
The Heart of the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: Exploring Mind's Nature & the Art of Meditation
(The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying - Chapters 4–5)
Do you ever feel caught in cycles of worry, stress, or emotional overwhelm?
Many of us find ourselves trapped in patterns of thinking that seem to create more suffering than peace. We get lost in endless mental chatter, reactive emotions, and stories that keep us feeling stuck or disconnected from our deeper sense of well-being.
What if there was a way to step back from this mental noise and discover a part of yourself that remains calm, clear, and unshaken—no matter what's happening around you?
A Different Way of Understanding Your Mind
In this 10-week exploration, we'll discover something profound: your mind is not just the source of your struggles—it's also the key to lasting peace and happiness. Together, we'll learn to work with two distinct aspects of your inner experience:
The surface level - those busy thoughts, shifting emotions, and the countless stories your mind creates throughout the day
The deeper level - a spacious, aware presence that's always there beneath the mental activity—clear, knowing, and naturally at peace
Think of it like the difference between the waves on the ocean's surface and the vast, calm depths below. Both are part of the same ocean, but offer completely different experiences.
What You'll Experience
Through gentle guidance and practical meditation techniques, you'll learn to:
Step back from overwhelming thoughts and emotions without fighting them
Access a sense of inner spaciousness that feels both grounding and freeing
Develop tools to transform difficult moods naturally
Connect with a part of yourself that feels unchanging and peaceful
Experience meditation not as another task, but as a return home to yourself
We'll explore various meditation approaches, always with the understanding that the ultimate goal isn't to become a "good meditator"—it's to recognize the open, aware nature that you already are.
This Course Is For You If:
You feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, or emotional ups and downs
You're curious about meditation but find traditional approaches intimidating or unclear
You sense there's more to life than just managing problems and checking boxes
You're ready to explore a deeper understanding of your own mind and potential
You want practical tools that work in real life, not just on the meditation cushion
You're open to discovering aspects of yourself you may not have known existed
A Personal Invitation
This isn't about adopting new beliefs or learning complex philosophies. It's about discovering what's already present within you—a natural awareness that's spacious, peaceful, and free. Like rediscovering a room in your house you'd forgotten was there.
Over these 10 weeks, you'll be gently guided to recognize this "sky-like" quality of your own awareness—vast, open, and naturally at ease. This recognition can transform not just how you meditate, but how you meet every moment of your life.
No previous meditation experience is necessary. All you need is curiosity and a willingness to explore your own inner landscape with kindness and patience.
Join us for this journey of coming home to yourself.
Wednesday January 7th - March 11th (10 sessions)
4pm PT/ 7pm ET
Duration: 2h
Wednesday January 7th - March 11th (10 sessions)
4pm PT/ 7pm ET
Duration: 2h
REGISTRATION COMING SOON!
Spring 2026 : (Course 3)
The Heart of the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: Rebirth, Karma and Our Life on the Spiritual Path
(The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying - Chapters 6–10)
Course description coming soon
Wednesday March 25th - June 10th (12 sessions)
4pm PT/ 7pm ET
Duration: 2h
In each session we will provide space to connect with the profound teachings in the book through:
Brief video clippings from renouned Tibetan and Western Buddhist teachers
Step-by-step meditation guidance
Time for contemplation
Ample space for Group discussions and Q&A, offering you the opportunity to explore the teachings and practices in an open supportive environment.
Audience
This course series, and each course, is suitable for everyone. Each class is 1:45 minutes in length. Classes are offered via Zoom.
“In this book, I endeavored to share something of the wisdom of the tradition I grew up in. I sought to show the practical nature of its ancient teachings and how they can help us at every stage of living and dying. Many people, over the years, had urged me to write this book. They said that it would help relieve some of the intense sufferings that so many of us go through in the modern world.”
-Sogyal Rinpoche
In each course, we will examine:
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
Reflective exercises that help you apply these insights to your own circumstances.
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
How compassion can be nurtured in our hearts in a way that profoundly changes our own minds and our relationships.
Course Instructors
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Pat Best
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Linda Forrester
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Jeff Middelton
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Hanne Riegg-Luedge
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Cam Tran
THE INSTRUCTORS TEAM
Pat Best: A deep longing developed in Pat’s heart to ease the suffering of beings after a young daughter of a co-worker was diagnosed with an incurable illness. She found The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying showed the causes of all suffering and gave practical ways to deal with suffering. Decades later, she continues to use these techniques and finds these teachings are more relevant than ever and wishes to share them with the world.
Linda Forrester first read and fell in love with the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying in 2001 and started going to weekly meditation sessions. Retired now, Linda Forrester taught ESL at the City University of New York for over 25 years. Her work with immigrant and international students was constantly inspired by Sogyal Rinpoche’s teachings, and she feels deep gratitude to him.
Jeff Middelton initially connected through the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying while traveling in India. He has found that the brilliant clarity in the teachings and the practice have provided an accessible refuge so essential in today’s modern world. He particularly enjoys interacting with students who are drawn to the Buddhist path.
Hanne Riegg-Luedge has been an instructor since the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying was published in 1992. After living in Santa Cruz for over 30 years, she moved to Southern Oregon in 2020 with her husband to live close to her daughter, son-in-law, and grandson. Hanne is a retired psychologist.
Cam Tran was at a very low point in her life when she first met Sogyal Rinpoche in the Bay Area in 1994. Consumed by suffering, she read the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying and fell in love with the book, especially the chapters on Loving Kindness, The Spiritual Path and the Innermost Essence. Rinpoche’s teaching and compassion helped her to heal, and learn to let go and forgive. By continuing to study and follow the spiritual path, she gained a newfound sense of purpose and aspires to benefit others.