Vision

Photo courtesy James Hoagland


"Because of the sangha, we are not alone on the path. The sangha provides a real basis for practicing the path of virtue. Taking refuge in the sangha means that we have companions with whom to eat the meal of dharma and drink the water of truth...when we cherish the sangha as our own loved ones, our minds develop equality and true joy emerges as the nectar of life."

~from Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche's commentary on Sangha, in Arousing the Motivation for True Freedom from Samsara: The Practice of Taking Refuge


The vision for Facing East is to provide an opportunity to gather together as the third jewel-- students of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche--to practice, study, gather merit, enjoy each other, find supportive materials and groups, and explore how we might support and help strengthen the Sakyong Lineage--past, present and future. The site is just getting started, so please join and feel warmly invited to participate in making this gathering place a dynamic and collaborative space focused on: 


Hearing, Contemplating and Meditating on the instructions of our teacher.

  • What practice groups can we provide for each other? Our Shrine Room provides a shared zoom room for practices that are being hosted by students around the world. You are welcome to host or attend practices. These practice sessions can be posted and offered in any language.

  • What study and discussion opportunities can we provide for each other?   Our Study and Discussion Room provides shared zoom rooms for study groups and meetings hosted from around the world. These can be posted and offered in any language.

  • What practice tips and questions do we want to communicate with others doing the same practices? Our Community Spaces provide conversation groups for people engaged in particular practices.


Getting to know each other and offering support on the path
  • Our Student Directory lists all students who formally study with the Sakyong that are participating in Facing East, as well as their photos, email addresses, locations, practices and interests.

  • Our Community Room provides a private, online, social space for the Sakyong's sangha.

  • Our Blog allows contributors to share news and information from around the global sangha. (A Facing East Newsletter is also on the horizon)


Providing a centralized listing of practice and study resources for people formally studying with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

  • The Resources page provides links to people that support our lineage activities, materials, the Sakyong's teaching schedule and more.

  • Within each practice group, we will post the Study Resource documents connected with that practice.


At the moment, all entries are in English. We will support other language groups by providing spaces or pages for you to create content and practice and study opportunities in your own languages. Please contact  us at [email protected] with any questions you may have. 

Subscribing to the site

Facing East is provided for and by active* students of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Our application process is designed to ensure a protected space for students to share their experience. This allows us to verify active student status and keep this space secure.

After your application has been approved, you will be sent the link to subscribe.  We aspire to accommodate every active student of the Sakyong.  Money should never be the obstacle to fulfilling your aspiration  for dharma.

What does subscribing include?

Subscribing at any level includes access to everything Facing East has to offer through its Community, Shrine Room, Study and Discussion Room, Student Directory, Resources and Blog.  This site is currently evolving and some of our aspirations, like the Facing East Newsletter, are not yet up and running.  

If you would like to contribute your volunteer time and energy, or have suggestions for this site, please write to us at [email protected]


*to be considered active, you must have taken or retaken your Refuge, Bodhisattva or Samaya vow with the Sakyong since 2020. If you took your vows prior to 2020, or if you have never taken a vow with the Sakyong, please contact [email protected] for information on the next available opportunity.

Options for Subscribing

Facing East is a volunteer run website. We rely on student contributions to cover operational expenses. We believe that if everyone offers an appropriate amount based on their personal financial situation, we can cover those costs. After your application is approved, you will have the option to choose one of the following website subscription levels. All levels give access to the same content. Offering what you can enables us to pay for startup costs, meet our annual expenses, and expand our offerings and content. If you are inspired to become a volunteer, or join our board, please write to us at FacingEastNews at Gmail dot com.

  • Bodhisattva $9.00 per month USD (Recommended)

  • Patron $21.00 per month USD (Supporter)

  • Yogin $3.00 per month USD (Discounted)

  • Generosity and Annual renewal options

Application Process

A brief application process is required to receive, contribute, or participate in Facing East.

The application process is designed to swiftly and securely offer all active students of the Sakyong access to these offerings. "Active" means any student who has taken or retaken the Refuge, Bodhisattva or Samaya vow with the Sakyong since 2020 and is engaged in one of the current teaching streams. All applications will be handled in the order they are received, and we aspire to respond within 24 hours, however, please allow 3 business days. Be sure that [email protected] is added to your "safe" or "contacts" list and check your spam folder before inquiring about your application status. Please send any translation requests to [email protected] and we will do our best to accommodate.
Submit an application

FAQ

  • How can I contact Facing East?

    Email us at [email protected]

  • How long does it take to apply?

    Reading about our missions, staff, and subscription options probably takes 5-10 minutes. The application contains a few questions and takes less than 5 minutes to complete.

Statement of Inclusion

We hold the aspiration for our website and offerings to be available without barriers to all active* students of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. To further that aim, we commit to working with any active student of the Sakyong Lineage to overcome unintended physical, financial or other barriers to inclusion to our best ability within the limits that our volunteer and financial resources allow. Furthermore, conscious of a North American bias, we encourage all non-English speakers to submit posts, and offer practice sessions, discussion groups and comments in their native language. We welcome volunteer translators. If you can assist with translation and accessibility of the website, or have other comments or contributions to this project, please email us to join our team of volunteers.