Since Shenphen Rinpoche focused on developing the sangha and strengthening the legacy and vision of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, he rarely accepted any of the many, many requests for him to give teachings at other centers. Rinpoche directed his attention primarily to the two New York Centers, the students in Spain, and other practitioners around the world. Here are some of the ways he taught and skillfully worked with us.

Every Moment a Teaching Moment

Not only was everyone in Rinpoche’s presence during the statue consecration and stupa projects, we as a sangha were building and strengthening our common ground together as well. On the surface, we were participating in and learning the complex requirements and procedures for consecrations, indirectly we were generating merit together as contrasted to the individual methods of mantras, candles, or prayers. Everyone who came participated in all the activities, including children of the adults. 

The Appearance and the Reality

As a dharma teacher, Rinpoche always taught from the Dzogchen perspective. He would present this view for the practice or topic of the teaching, but it was not identified as the “Dzogchen view” or the “highest” view. Students who were grasping, hankering for, or panting after Dzogchen didn’t realize until years later that they had actually been receiving Dzogchen teachings.

Similarly, at times he gave pith instructions so matter-of-factly that no grasping or special pride was evoked. Much later one might realize what had been received.

One could say this skillful means is “hiding the secret in plain sight…”

Clear and Flexible

When teaching a specific practice, he was clear and flexible about how to do it: “Traditionally, it is done like this.  But if that is too difficult, complex, or hard to remember, then do it like this.  It is the same.  However, don’t do it like this…..” 

Not About Him, but About Us

Although Rinpoche came from a noble family, his own style was humble and natural. He rarely mentioned his multiple incarnations (father, disciple, son) with Dudjom Rinpoche nor the depth of his own meditative training and realization. What he regularly reminded people about was how close we were to the Dakini’s breath of His Holiness’s teachings and termas.

From His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche → to Shenphen Rinpoche → to us, emphasizing how extremely fortunate we were. 

Planting Wisdom Seeds

His teachings were rich, with great depth, and always included many levels – without labeling the levels. Thus, the beginner student found them as educational or inspiring as the more senior student did. Upon returning to the same teachings later, it became clear how much more could still be learned from them. 

His teachings planted wisdom seeds in one’s consciousness which would grow – new layers of understanding continued to appear. He was the sun, rain, and fertilizer for the wisdom seeds he planted.

Believed in Us

He was a Rinpoche who believed in the true possibility of enlightenment of his students – seemingly having more confidence in us than we did in ourselves.  He didn’t hold back, sometimes giving more than we felt we could work with. Rarely did he “meddle”, instead letting things play out – giving us the freedom to dig a deeper hole or continue the climb out.

Clairvoyant Wisdom

Rinpoche’s ability to see the past and future informed his remarkably reliable divinations and dreams.  When a student experienced something frightening or terrible, Rinpoche could explain its significance and, thereby, alter one’s perspective – as evident in this experience of one student:

            “I had been longing to join a pilgrimage to Tibet.  When an opportunity arose, Rinpoche told me that if I went, even though he had worked to ameliorate the effect, I would incur a sickness that would affect me the rest of my life.  It was, he said, up to me to decide what to do. Following his advice, I didn’t go, but the longing remained.  Later, during a morning practice, I finally definitely decided I would not go, and the longing released.

            “Shortly after my practice ended, while in another part of the house, I suddenly heard crackling sounds.  A fire was raging on my shrine; my two plastic electric lamps had burst into flames and black smoke was everywhere.  I put out the fire, and, terrified, called Rinpoche to tell him what happened.  He explained that this was really good; this was burning up the last of the bad karma of my longed for pilgrimage to Tibet.

            “I was filled with peace, joy, and gratitude for his wisdom and kindness.”

Not Afraid of Psychological Messiness

While he tailored practices to each person’s personality and habitual patterns, he always encouraged all of us to develop our wisdom mind. He was charismatic, albeit in subtle rather than blatant ways, and available to support us when really needed.  That he wasn’t afraid of psychological messiness was reassuring. He loved all of us for who we were, not necessarily for who we thought we were.

Protective of the Lineage

He did not allow any transcripts or other media of his teachings to be placed online or available to students, even if they had attended the teachings. On the occasions when permission was granted, listening could only occur at Orgyen Chö Dzong. Some sets of teachings were compiled into books, but his permission was often required to purchase them.

In the last ten years of his life, he began to make some of his teachings available for a limited time on the center’s website.

Rinpoche was Generous in so Many Ways…

With his time: available for chats and group conversations as needed/desired

With his skills: He was a talented cook! Often, he cooked meals for the sangha and family to enjoy together. Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, Bhutanese, even French classics were all in his repertoire.

His precise ear with tunes and melodies. Often, he umzed (chant master) for our tsoks or practices.  More unusual, he spent time in the teachings refining each person’s Troma Nagmo or other sadhana tunes.

With dharma objects: he often gave sangha members religious items (phurbas, thangkas, pictures he created, or special pills/relics)

Practiced What He Taught

Rinpoche could be known as the “smoke offering” Guru, given how often he emphasized the immense value of Rio Sang Chö.  Not only did he include it in all retreat and seminar schedules, but he did it as a personal daily practice (the fire for the smoke visible outside his residence).  Eventually, the smoke offering fire was built by the stupa every morning at OCD, whether he was in residence or not.

Great Storyteller

Rinpoche was a great storyteller, always entertaining, enjoyable, or educational: sharing the “inside details” about His Holiness receiving his termas, unusual abilities of advanced practitioners that he witnessed, or humorous antidotes about his naughty or curious behavior as a child.

For example, once as a young child, curious about what the underneath side of a truck looked like, he decided to lie down on the road to see for himself when the truck drove “over” him. Before the truck reached him, his personal protector deity came and gave him a hard slap. Frightened, Rinpoche jumped up and ran off the road as an attendant watched him run through a pond, stepping on the water lilies, to reach his house.

Activities that Bonded Sangha and Guru

Many activities brought sangha members together with each other and with him:

• In 1996-97, he arranged and offered a three-month pilgrimage, split into two sections so people could attend part 1, part 2, or both. We visited important Buddhist and Dudjom Tersar sites in Nepal, Sikkim, and India.        

• During a “sudden” decision to repaint a building or rooms, he participated with us for the entire project – painting, supervising, or securing the supplies.

• On Losar, we often played a poker-style card game that was easy to learn and accommodated up to 15 players.  Rinpoche modeled various ways to win, lose or in-between.  For example, he might hide a winning hand if he just won the previous round. He would humorously kid people about their playing style, creating a joyful sangha activity that often lasted many hours into the night.

• Building on our Western cultural holidays, we had outdoor BBQs on the 4th of July and Bastille Day on July 14, and a full turkey menu on Thanksgiving for all who were present.

• In the last 10 years of his life, he regularly included 2-3 week strict group retreats as part of his summer program. Although ritual items weren’t a main emphasis in his teachings, upgrading our personal ritual implements for these retreats was greatly encouraged.