Longchen teachers have been working with Rigdzin Shikpo for a number of years. Teachers have received authorisation to teach on the Path of Freedom and The Lion’s Roar.
Sally Sheldrake
Sally, a student of Buddhism since the mid-70s, met Rigdzin Shikpo in 1981 at a Buddhist Society summer school retreat. At the end of this retreat Rigdzin Shikpo invited her to join a school of Buddhist studies that he would launch in 1982, founded under the auspices of the Longchen Foundation. Sally has practised with Rigdzin Shikpo from that time, doing long retreats under his guidance. Also receiving teachings from Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche and others of the Nyingma lineages.
As a mature science student going on to train as a teacher at Cambridge University, she lived in Nepal teaching English, Geography and Maths doing retreat whenever possible. On her return to Oxford in 1989, she began working more closely with Rigdzin Shikpo as his personal assistant. She took vows with Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, committing her life to working with the lineage of teachings expounded by Rigdzin Shikpo and the Longchen Dharma. As Rigdzin Shikpo’s private secretary she currently works with him developing the Longchen Mandala.
Authorised as a teacher and meditation instructor within the Longchen mandala, Sally has taught at the local Longchen Oxford Group since the mid 1990’s on the Path of Freedom and The Lion’s Roar programmes.
Francesca Fremantle
Francesca received a BA in Sanskrit and a PhD for a study of the Guhyasamaja Tantra from SOAS. She also trained in the classical dance form of Bharatanatyam, and took part in performances in the UK.
In 1969 she met Chogyam Trungpa, who had recently founded the first Tibetan Dharma centre in Britain at Samye Ling in Scotland, and became his student. The following year he moved to the USA, and subsequently she spent several years there studying with him in Boulder, Colorado. They collaborated on a new translation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which was published in 1975. After Trungpa Rinpoche passed away she became a student of Rigdzin Shikpo, whom she regards as being inseparably united in mind with him.
Her latest book is Luminous Emptiness, published by Shambhala Publications. She contributed a chapter to Recalling Chogyam Trungpa, by Fabrice Midal, and a foreword to Rigdzin Shikpo’s latest book, Never Turn Away. She translates Sanskrit and Tibetan texts and writes on Buddhism. Her articles and reviews have been published in Buddhism Now, The Middle Way, Tricycle, Buddhadharma and Shambhala Sun.
Authorised as a teacher and meditation instructor within the Longchen mandala, Francesca has taught on the Path of Freedom events and The Lion’s Roar programme.
Caroline Seymour
Caroline met Rigdzin Shikpo in 1993 and became his student; studying and practicing under his guidance since then.
Caroline teaches communication skills to medical students and an art class to primary school children. She has an enduring interest in art and literature, in particular how the best of it expresses the profound insights of the dharma. She is also a photographer whose work has been exhibited.
Authorised as a teacher and meditation instructor within the Longchen mandala she teaches in the local Longchen Oxford group, on the Path of Freedom and The Lion’s Roar programmes.
Mary Mackay-James
Mary became a student of Rigdzin Shikpo’s in 1994 and has studied and practised under his guidance since then.
Mary is a Mathematician and Chemist. She’s worked in a research environment and teaches Maths up to Sixth Form. Mary has 3 young children and is interested in the challenges and benefits of practice within a family environment.
Authorised as a teacher and meditation instructor within the Longchen mandala. She has taught in at the Oxford Local Group on the Path of Freedom and The Lion’s Roar programmes.
Caroline Cupitt
Caroline came to Longchen in 1991 whilst Rigdzin Shikpo was in three year retreat. Having met Rigdzin Shikpo in London in 1993 after his retreat, she became his student and has been so ever since.
Caroline works in the NHS as a clinical psychologist.
Authorised as a teacher and meditation instructor within the Longchen mandala. She teaches in the Longchen South London group on the Path of Freedom and The Lion’s Roar programmes.
David Hutchens
David has been involved with Longchen Foundation and a student of Rigdzin Shikpo’s since 1978.
He is the editor of Never Turn Away, the Buddhist Path Beyond Hope and Fear by Rigdzin Shikpo.
Authorised as a teacher and meditation instructor within the Longchen mandala. He teaches in the Longchen South London group on the Path of Freedom, run courses and led retreats and The Lion’s Roar programme.
Stephen Hinde
Stephen has been a student of Rigdzin Shikpo since 1994. Prior to this he received instruction from Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso.
Stephen studied Physics at the University of Sheffield. He is now completing a Master’s degree in Buddhist Studies at the University of Bristol. His dissertation looks into the death stories of great Tibetan yogins. He divides his time between his studies, teaching Buddhism, and consultancy facilitating discussions between people involved with Technology, Media and the Arts.
Authorised as a teacher and meditation instructor within the Longchen mandala. He teaches in the Longchen Bristol group on the Path of Freedom programme as well as The Lion’s Roar. He has also run courses and led retreats within Longchen on the Avatamsaka Sutra.
Tim Malnick
Tim has been a student of Rigdzin Shikpo since 1996.
With a young family Tim is very interested in exploring practice amidst the chaos and energy of family life. He finds the directness and immediacy of the Longchen approach tremendously helpful in this sense. Tim has had a longstanding interest in the ideal of enlightened society, a phrase used often by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to describe a society centred not on confusion, profit or material development but on basic goodness and a search for and path toward awakening.
Tim works with businesses and organisations as an educator and facilitator helping them develop more sustainable and socially just approaches. Through his work he runs occasional workshops linking the subtle and profound views of Rigdzin Shikpo’s teachings with contemporary social, political and economic questions of the 21st century.
Authorised as a teacher and meditation instructor within the Longchen mandala. He teaches in the Longchen Bristol group, teaching the Path of Freedom and The Lion’s Roar programmes.
Silvia Stadelmann
Silvia met Rigdzin Shikpo in 1997 and has been his student ever since.
Silvia works in a day clinic teaching relaxation and mindfulness based relapse prevention, stress reduction and cognitive therapy.
Authorised as a teacher and meditation instructor within the Longchen mandala. She runs a local Longchen group in south-west Germany teaching topics in The Path of Freedom and teaches on The Lion’s Roar programme in both Britain and in Germany.