Chogyal Rinpoche

Chogyal Rinpoche is leading seven days of Phowa at Repa Retreat for those who died in the Nepal floods. This morning, Rinpoche bestowed the Amitābha empowerment, followed by Phowa practice.

May those who have died find peace. May their families find comfort, and may all sentient beings be free from suffering.

In May 2011, on a small island in Brazil, a 71-year-old fisherman named João found an injured penguin trapped among the rocks, barely alive. He gently freed it, took it home, and cared for it for two weeks. Then he brought it to a nearby island and released it back into the wild.

To his surprise, the penguin returned to him that very evening. Overjoyed, João named it Dindim. From then on, they walked together and kept each other company.

A year later, Dindim suddenly disappeared. João searched everywhere, but months passed with no sign of him. Just as he was beginning to lose hope, Dindim returned on his own. After that, he would leave for a time between February and June each year, then come back to João.

Biologists later discovered that Dindim traveled to distant Patagonia to join other penguins and breed. Then he made a journey of about 8,000 kilometers to return to João.

João cared for Dindim for just two weeks, yet Dindim came back year after year. He could not speak or say thank you, but each long journey back seemed to carry the memory of João’s kindness. To Dindim, that little island was more than a place to rest. It was a home where someone waited for him.

Perhaps our relationships are much the same. At difficult moments in our lives, someone may have comforted us with a few words, reached out a hand, or simply stayed by our side. Then life grew busy. We kept our affection to ourselves, put off the things we wanted to say, and never quite made that simple phone call.

We assume there will always be more time. Yet some people cannot wait forever. They may need no gift at all. In a lonely moment, they may simply hope to hear your voice and know that you still think of them. Do not let “I’m busy” slowly create distance between you and someone you love. Do not wait until you can no longer reach them to wish you had said, “I still remember you. I miss you.”

-Chogyal Rinpoche

This morning, I met with my friend, Nepal’s Foreign Minister, Hon. Shisir Khanal, to discuss raising funds to rebuild more than 7,500 homes, schools, hospitals, and essential infrastructure damaged by the disaster.

BIA Foundation is already supporting relief efforts. But today I personally contributed NPR 1 million to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.

I also offered to conduct meditation courses in cooperation with Nepal’s embassies across 30 countries, with 100% of the funds raised dedicated to Nepal’s reconstruction.

This is my sincere proposal—to transform meditation and compassion into meaningful action for the people of Nepal.

The Sacred Himalayan Wellness Retreat, led by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, will take place in Nepal from January 24–31, 2027.

It combines meditation, spiritual guidance, holistic health consultations, nature walks, mindful golf, five-star accommodation, and visits to Buddhist heritage sites.

The retreat supports Kunzang Foundation Nepal, and spaces are limited.

My dear son,

Today I am forty,
and you are only
two years and five months old.

You are too young
to understand these words now.

But perhaps one day,
many years from now,
when you have your own life,
your own dreams,
your own joys
and your own wounds,
you will find this letter again.

And when you do,
I hope you will not only read
the words of your father.

I hope you will feel
how deeply I loved you,
and how much I wished
for you to live this life
freely,
clearly,
and truly.

For more than twenty years,
I have been running.

Chasing achievement.
Recognition.
Success.
More.

Building.
Owning.
Becoming.
Proving.

I once believed
that the more I had,
the more complete
my life would become.

At forty,
I finally understand:

More
does not always mean abundance.

Sometimes,
the more we possess,
the more we fear losing.

And the more we fear losing,
the less free
we become.

Sometimes, my son,
less is more.

Less desire.
Less chasing.
Less proving.

And in that space,
you may discover something greater:

Freedom.
Silence.
Peace.

There are some things
I cannot teach you.

Because true wisdom
cannot simply be given.

It must be lived.

So go, my son.

Dream.

Try.

Travel.

Love.

Fail.

Begin again.

Do not become so afraid
of making mistakes
that arew you become afraid
to live.

But remember one thing:

Never build your happiness
on someone else’s pain.

Work hard,
but never trade
your inner peace
for success.

Dream boldly,
but do not become
a prisoner of your dreams.

Have the courage to gain,
but an even greater courage
to let go.

And if one day
the things you own
begin to own you,

walk away.

Do not spend your life
trying to prove
that you are important.

You do not need to prove yourself.

Do not mistake applause
for love.

Do not mistake wealth
for security.

Do not mistake busyness
for meaning.

And just because
many people know your name,
do not assume
that you know yourself.

Looking back now,
so many things
I once chased desperately
feel like a dream.

A name.
Reputation.
Status.
Success.

They once seemed
so important.

Now I understand:

Life is not about
becoming a great man.

It is about
becoming a real one.

I do not know
who you will become.

I do not know
where you will go,
whom you will love,
what work you will do,
or which road
you will choose.

And I do not want
to choose it for you.

Your life
belongs to you.

I ask only this:

Live freely.

Live awake.

If one day
you have everything
the world calls success,
but you have lost
your inner peace,

have the courage
to let something go.

If one day
the whole world
is applauding you,
but you can no longer
hear your own heart,

leave the crowd
for a while.

And if one day
you feel poor
because someone else
has more,

remember:

True wealth
is not having the most.

It is having enough
and still being at peace.

Today,
you still run toward me
on your tiny feet.

You know nothing
of what I have achieved.

Nothing of my position.

Nothing of what I built,
what I owned,
where I succeeded,
or where I failed.

You know only one thing:

I am your father.

And perhaps you do not know
what you have taught me.

Because of you,
I slowly discovered
one of the deepest truths
of my life:

Love does not need achievement.

Love does not need proof.

Love needs presence.

One day,
I may no longer
be beside you.

And perhaps you will read
these words alone.

If that day comes,
remember this:

I never wanted you
to be greater
than anyone else.

I only hoped
you would become—

Kind.

Awake.

Courageous.

Compassionate.

Free.

Live deeply, my son.

Love deeply.

Experience bravely.

Try not to harm
another living being.

And while you are
chasing the world,

please—

do not lose yourself.

One day,
when you too reach
the middle of your life,

when you look back
at all the roads you walked,
all the people you loved,
all that you gained
and all that you lost,

I hope you can smile
and quietly say:

I was not merely alive.

I truly lived.

Forever loving you,

Dad
Chogyal Rinpoche

Written when I was forty,
and you were
two years and five months old.

August 17, 2026