About Siddhartha’s Intent

Founded in 1986 by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, Siddhartha’s Intent (SI) supports Rinpoche’s buddhadharma activities worldwide.

Our Spiritual Director

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche

Filmmaker? Photographer? Football fan? In a world where labels matter, finding just one that captures the essence of Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche might, on the face of it, seem an impossible task. But actually, it couldn’t be simpler. First and foremost, Khyentse Rinpoche is and always will be a buddhist teacher, and all his other activities are merely creative responses to this central aspiration.

What We Do

Teachings

Organize and live-stream teachings on multiple platforms to reach our worldwide sangha.

Recordings

Archive and distribute recorded teachings, with subtitles and voiceovers in a number of languages.

Publications

Transcribe, edit and translate manuscripts and practice texts, and distribute Rinpoche's free-download books.

Study

Run study programmes where to immerse oneself and explore timeless buddhist wisdom.

Practice

Host online and offline practice sessions and retreats led by Rinpoche’s appointed instructors.

Community

Build a community of practitioners engaged with each other and with the world around them.

Meet The Team

Tashi Colman

Secretary

Tsz Wai Chiu

Global Distribution

Tadi Yan

Video Editor

Toni Whittaker

Global Communications

Ma Lan

Chinese Communications

Alicja Żmigrodzka

Design

Michael Macioce

Global Archivist

Maya Solms

Transcription

Cody Scott

Webmaster

Yaozhi Pan

Webmaster

Annie Chen

Global Committee

Brinda Dalal

Global Committee

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How We Operate

Siddhartha’s Intent is an international collective of buddhist groups that began in Australia in 1986 with the formation of Siddhartha’s Intent Southern Door (now known as Siddhartha’s Intent Australia). SI has since expanded with groups in all continents. Local SIs are officially registered in their respective countries as societies or charities founded with the sole intention of preserving and fostering the Buddhadharma.

All the centres organize teachings and study programmes with the wish to create a suitable environment in which the Buddhadharma may flourish. The achievement of this aim will increase the awareness of buddhist principles, surpassing the limits of cultures and traditions. Each independent SI region strives to fulfil Rinpoche’s wishes in its own unique way.

Our Logo

The logo of Siddhartha’s Intent is one of the four monumental gateways surrounding the Great Stupa at Sanchi. The stupa is the oldest stone structure in India and was commissioned by the emperor Ashoka the Great, an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty, who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent during the 3rd century BCE. One of India’s greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests. In about 260 BCE Ashoka fought a bitterly destructive war against the state of Kalinga (modern Odisha). He embraced Buddhism after witnessing the mass deaths of the Kalinga War, which he himself had waged out of a desire for conquest. He then dedicated himself to propagating Buddhism across Asia. The illustrations on this website were inspired by reliefs from the Great Stupa at Sanchi.

Siddhartha’s Intent Helpline

If you, as a sangha member, have a complaint about a wrongdoing by a representative of Siddhartha’s Intent that you are unable to resolve directly, you are invited to contact a mediator who is appointed directly by Rinpoche and who is ready to hear you with no judgment and in complete confidentiality. Help requests may be initiated by contacting a private email address accessible only by Rinpoche’s lead mediator: [email protected] *

The purpose of the helpline is to maintain a kind and compassionate community, and to avoid disharmony in the sangha through practising what we learn and teach. As sangha members, our main aim is to take care of each other and to help each other along the path. “… if someone feels unfairly taken advantage of, we… need a group of people whom that person can reach out to and call.” ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

* Note: Currently mediation support is available only in English, but may be available in other major languages in the future.

The footprints of the Buddha (Buddhapāda) with Dharma wheels at the centre of the soles: up until the period of the building of the Great Stupa at Sanchi, the Buddha was represented by symbols rather than by images of his body. The footprint represents his footsteps after birth, after enlightenment and on his teaching journeys.

Horse with attendants and a royal umbrella: Siddhartha’s father received a prophecy that his son would be either a great king with the trappings of royalty or a wise renunciate. Siddhartha was both a great victor and a holy sage. The horse represents Siddhartha’s noble lineage and the power of his teachings to travel far.

Dharma wheel (Dharmachakra) supported by elephants: King Ashoka set up several carved pillars across northern India to announce that he was a Dharma King who worked for the peace of the land and for the welfare of the people.

The statue of the Buddha inside the Sanchi Stupa shows his calm gaze as he observes the illusion of samsara. At peace in the midst of turmoil, he offers refuge and protection.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, located in Madhya Pradesh, central India, was constructed on the orders of King Ashoka. He was a great warrior until one day he truly saw the suffering he had caused. This led him to practise non-violence and work for the benefit of all.

The Bodhi Tree at Bodhgaya, under which Prince Siddhartha became a buddha, is a reminder of the need to sit in meditation. King Ashoka built a canopy over this indestructible seat of enlightenment.

Queen Maya, the mother of Buddha, bathed by elephants: Queen Maya had a dream that an auspicious white elephant had entered her womb. This foretold the birth of Prince Siddhartha.

The Triratna or Three Jewels: this symbolizes the Buddha, the teacher; the Dharma, his teaching; and the Sangha, his radiant disciples. The light of the Triratna illuminates the world.

The vajra (Tibetan: dorje) and bell (Sanskrit: ghanta; Tibetan: drilbu) are two of the most important ritual objects of Tibetan Buddhism. The vajra represents the indestructible method of unwavering kindness to all. The bell and its sound represent the ungraspable wisdom which sees the truth.

The Mahabodhi or Great Enlightenment temple in Bodhgaya marks the precise site of Buddha Shakyamuni’s awakening. It is a central reference point for all buddhists.

Most of these illustrations were carefully modelled upon images of the reliefs from the Great Stupa at Sanchi. © Siddhartha’s Intent

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