Welcome to Lerab Ling – a sanctuary of calm and meditation.

Lerab Ling is a Tibetan Buddhist retreat centre set in a striking mountain landscape around an hour from Montpellier, southern France. Lerab Ling is home to a traditional Tibetan Buddhist temple that features a 7m high Buddha statue, created in the likeness of the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in the home of Buddhism—Bodhgaya in India. Lerab Ling is also home to a vibrant resident community of monastics and lay practitioners.

We welcome everyone to visit Lerab Ling; to explore meditation, take a restorative break, or glimpse the culture, art and spiritual tradition of Tibet. 

For Buddhist practitioners of all schools and traditions of Buddhist wisdom, Lerab Ling offers opportunities to explore, and deepen your practice and study through our longer programmes and retreat. (LINK here to the event page on the LL website)

Over the years, Lerab Ling has had the honour of hosting many esteemed Buddhist masters including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who graced us with his presence in 2000 and 2008.

Lerab Ling is the principal retreat centre of Rigpa, an international community of centres and groups around the world offering courses and programmes as part of a complete path of Buddhist study and practice.

Established in 1991 by Sogyal Rinpoche, Lerab Ling was recognized as a Religious Congregation by the French Ministry of Interior in 2002. We are active members of the French Buddhist Union (UBF), the European Buddhist Union (EBU), and a founding member of the Tibetan Buddhist Federation (FBT).

OUR VISION

Founded by the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Sogyal Rinpoche, Lerab Ling is a sanctuary of meditation and enlightened activity, where the Buddha’s teachings and blessings are shared with those who seek a complete path to enlightenment and a refuge from the busyness of everyday life. 

OUR MISSION

A Spiritual Community of monastics and lay practitioners who study, contemplate and apply the teachings of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism¹; they seek to understand, experience and realise the innermost essence of the nature of mind, leading to immediate benefit and lasting happiness for themselves and others.

An International Retreat Centre at the heart of the international Rigpa community² where students can be supported at every stage of their study and practice; a centre of excellence for training teachers and practitioners to bring the practical wisdom and compassion of the Buddha’s teachings to the world; a place of pilgrimage blessed by renowned masters from many Buddhist traditions³.

A public place that is an expression of Tibetan sacred culture, where anyone can make a connection with the wisdom of the Buddha’s teachings through courses, retreats, outreach, conferences and inter-faith gatherings; a place to relax, reflect and find peace. 

1 The Nyingma ‘ancient’ lineage dates back to the eighth century when Guru Padmasambhava established Buddhism in Tibet. At the heart of the Nyingma tradition are the teachings on the innermost nature of the mind of the Great Perfection, or Dzogpachenpo.

Within the Nyingma lineage, Rigpa practises the Longchen Nyingtik cycle, as well as certain terma treasures of Lerab Lingpa, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, the Dudjom Tersar and others.

2 Rigpa is a worldwide community of practitioners that was founded by Sogyal Rinpoche to uphold the Buddhist tradition of Tibet. It is an international network of centres and groups offering a complete and authentic path of Buddhist study and practice.3 Rigpa has always cultivated the unbiased spirit of Rimé, the approach that emphasises respect for all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, and indeed other spiritual traditions, whilst acknowledging the need for each tradition to embody its own unique style and methods.

OUR TEAMS

Spiritual Director

Her Eminence Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche has been the Spiritual Director of the Rigpa Lerab Ling Congregation since the retirement of Sogyal Rinpoche in 2017. Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche is one of the most renowned teachers of the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions of Tibetan Buddhism currently teaching in the West. She is an ordained nun and has a longstanding connection to Rigpa students and communities worldwide. Read more about Khandro Rinpoche.

The spiritual director is entirely dedicated to spiritual matters and doesn’t have an executive role or any legal, financial or administrative responsibilities or duties. These are carried out by the Congregation governance teams.

In practice, the spiritual director will provide spiritual guidance to the Lerab Ling Congregation of monastic and lay practitioners in order to ensure that it acts in accordance with the lineage and tradition of Tibetan Buddhism upon which it was founded. 

Chapter

The role of the Superior and Chapter is to ensure that Lerab Ling’s spiritual vision and intent is maintained. They also take responsibility for the practical and spiritual care and wellbeing of the Lerab Ling community.

Advisory Group

Lerab Ling’s Advisory Group is made up of Rigpa sangha members who bring specialized knowledge and expertise to collectively guide the operations of Lerab Ling.

Coordination Team

The Lerab Ling Coordination Team holds the overview and the responsibility for the operation of all areas of the Lerab Ling Congregation. They do this in collaboration with the coordinator of each activity team (Site, Programme, La Source, Finance etc).

It is responsible for holding the activity and the sustainability of the centre and for enacting the Chapter’s decisions for Lerab Ling. In particular it takes care of ensuring we have a balanced and sustainable programme, support for other Rigpa countries, a complete programme of spiritual practice in the temple, internal and external communication, and hospitality service.

FINANCES

Lerab Ling is a non-profit charitable organisation officially recognized as a Religious Congregation by the French Ministry of Interior in 2002.

Our activities are carried out by both religious members—monks, nuns, and lay practitioners—and salaried staff and volunteers. The community who live onsite live simply and communally in Lerab Ling, and salaried staff receive modest remuneration, to help sustain the centre’s operations.

Lerab Ling’s work is supported primarily through donations and contributions to our programmes and events. We are deeply committed to making our retreats and activities accessible to everyone, regardless of financial circumstances. We offer several options for those who may not be able to pay the standard contribution. Each contribution helps us cover our basic costs and ensure the continued running of the centre, while keeping our events as affordable as possible.

We are sincerely grateful for the generosity of all who support Lerab Ling and the wider Rigpa community. Your contributions make it possible for us to preserve the spiritual heritage of Tibetan Buddhism and offer a place of study, practice, and retreat.

Lerab Ling is committed to an ethical, prudent, and transparent approach to all financial operations. Our accounts are maintained according to French regulations, and each year a registered accountant prepares our financial statements, which are then audited and signed off  by an external auditor. These reports are publicly available here.