Sakyong Mipham
Born on December 1, 1962, in Bodh Gaya, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche came into the world at a site of deep significance within the Buddhist tradition. An Indian citizen, he has built a life that spans religious leadership, literary production, and athletic practice — a range of pursuits that together define his public presence.
He holds the roles of Lama and guru, and the FACTS identify him as a founder of a religion, placing him among figures who have not merely received a tradition but given it new institutional form. Alongside this religious vocation, he has worked as a writer and poet, bringing a contemplative sensibility to literary work. He is also recognized as an athlete, a dimension of his life that runs parallel to his spiritual and creative pursuits rather than separate from them. The Library of Congress records him under the authorized form Sakyong Mipham, Rinpoche, 1962-, a designation that reflects both his religious title and the year of his birth.
No date or place of death appears in the available record. He continues to be identified by the overlapping roles that have shaped his public presence: religious teacher, founder, poet, writer, and athlete. The authorized name under which libraries catalog his work — Sakyong Mipham, Rinpoche — remains the form by which his written and institutional contributions are formally recognized.
Quotes by Sakyong Mipham
For me, language and how I use it are very important. I held back on doing a poetry book, walking the fine line between trying to be helpful and just putting more junk out there.
Poetry is a language for when you can’t quite write prose about something, you can’t quite say it, but if you do a poem, it kind of gets to the point.
In looking for my mind, I discovered that it seems to be in many different places. Sometimes it is drinking a glass of water, remembering swimming in the summer, feeling the breeze. In this contemplation I observed that the self is more elusive than I thought.
What is my great wish and intention, is to make a base of compassion and to encourage people to work to shift the energy.
You need to eat well, sleep well, and have a roof over your head, but don’t go much further than that before extending yourself to others.
Meditation practice is relevant because in meditation our conceptual mind relaxes and we can feel who we are at heart.
We humans have come to a crossroads in our history: we can either destroy the world or create a good future.
Sometimes it seems like most people are being pulled into a negative energy, but then you meet strong individuals or strong leaders and they are free from it.
In a speedy and aggressive culture, we need different principles to live by-bravery and insight. The first moment of bravery is building trust in the mind, which we do in meditation. When we know how to create peace in our own mind, we can transform the world.