Fall Meetings 2026: Forging a Shared Understanding of the Institute’s Residences and our Practice

Every year, for five days, Dhagpo Kagyu Ling’s team takes a break to allow residents and the surrounding community to reflect, share, and practice together. This year, from September 28 to October 2, the fall meetings focused on two themes, agreed upon in advance with Lama Jigme Rinpoche: the Institute’s Residences and practice itself at Dhagpo.

As construction of the Residences advances, it is important to have a shared understanding of their purpose: places of communal living for practitioners committed long-term to study, practice, and support the center. Honoring the commitment towards these three aspects is essential, particularly with regard to donors. Discussion on this topic, based on a prior meeting with Jigme Rinpoche, allowed everyone to connect with the project, which is vital to Dhagpo’s development.

The second topic on which Rinpoche encouraged discussion was “the fact that we have all come here for Dhagpo.” This has implications for how we work together to support the practice as well as Dhagpo as a center of reference. During a meeting with participants in the fall meetings, Rinpoche emphasized the importance of practicing together and the need to gradually improve our practice, particularly by enabling more people to learn all aspects of the various rituals. Over time, it is also a matter of forging an ever-deeper connection between study and practice.

Ultimately, whatever the activity may be, feeling collectively involved in the Center is what matters. . The same applies to the Institute’s Residences, explains Jigme Rinpoche:

When we feel connected to their purpose—in line with the 16th Karmapa’s wishes for establishing Dharma in the West— efforts will be made to support them, with bodhichitta serving as the basis for that support.

Furthermore, during the fall meetings, Lama Jigme Rinpoche took some time to observe the worksite of the Institute’s Residences and the construction underway.

To conclude these gatherings, participants came together for a convivial pot-luck dinner. On the last day, participatory worksites were organized, giving everyone the chance to contribute to different sectors of the Center’s activity.