Dr. Akong Rinpoche founded ROPKA back in the 1990s in response to the poor conditions of the masses in both Tibet and Nepal as well as across Europe. Dr. Rinpoche (born in 1939) was discovered by a search party seeking the first Akong who had been the Abbott of the Dolma Lhakang monastery in Kham. The search party had been given precise instructions as to where to find the boy by the 16th Gyalma Karmapa. Gyarma Karmapa is the title of the top leader of the Kamstang tradition in Buddhism.
By the time he was four young Akong Rinpoche was taken to the monastery to receive a formal education and training to become the new Abbot upon completion of his studies. He was also taught all of the traditional Tibetan medical knowledge at the time. In 1959 at the age of twenty Rinpoche fled Tibet after the Chinese takeover and the resulting purge of traditional Tibetan religious orders. Of the three hundred in his party that fled for India only thirteen arrived. There are many anecdotal tales of the hardships of the journey including eating soup made from boiled shoe leather to stay alive.
He was sponsored by Mrs. Freda Bedi to come to Oxford to learn English in 1963. He spent the next twenty five years introducing the Western World to ancient Tibetan traditions and medicinal treatments. He established the Kagyu Samye Ling Tibetan Centre in Scotland and made it a place of solitude and reflection for people of all faiths. Since the establishment of this place of meditation and solitude Dr. Rinpoche has worked to create soup kitchens for the hungry in major cities across Europe and now into both Tibet (mostly the eastern portion) and Nepal. He has brought over 100 projects to completion including schools, medical facilities and the soup kitchens.
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