Akong Rinpoche was a doctor of Tibetan medicine who provided the original inspiration for the development of Tara Rokpa Therapy. The interest which many therapists and physicians showed in Akong Rinpoche’s profound knowledge of Tibetan Buddhist medical and therapeutic practices [Tib: sowa rigpa] led to the development of this innovative system, now thriving as the Tara Rokpa Therapy Programme.

Akong Rinpoche received his education as a Buddhist meditation master and doctor of traditional Tibetan Medicine in Eastern Tibet. By the age of 20 he had taken full charge of the spiritual, medical and practical needs of the monks, nuns and laypeople under his care. Before leaving Tibet in 1959 he was very involved with caring for the sick and dying both as a physician and spiritual guide. In 1959  he sought refuge initially in India, before settling in the UK where he eventually co-founded the Samye Ling Tibetan Centre with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in the borders of Scotland in 1967. It was during this period that the seeds of Tara Rokpa Therapy were sown. 

He had lost everything that was familiar to him, but through applying the teachings and practices he had learned in Tibet, he was able to accept and transform adverse conditions. In this way his hardships became a source of great benefit, and gave birth to a sincere commitment to help others experiencing physical and mental suffering. From 1967 onwards, many individuals approached him with their problems, and he saw that they often suffered from a fundamental insecurity at a human level. He perceived that although many Westerners had good intellectual development, the emotional and social basis for this was often fragile. Through his compassion, understanding and great skill he was able to help them according to their needs.

For many years this help was dispensed informally, but in 1980 Rinpoche gave his first formal therapy course in Samye Ling, explaining the Tibetan approach to holistic healing. Several Western therapists attended this course and were deeply impressed with his methods, and wanted to learn more from him.

A Centre was then started in Edinburgh which Akong Rinpoche instructed was to have therapy as its primary activity.  Similar work was going on in other countries, most notably in South Africa, Belgium and Ireland. In 1986 Edinburgh Tara Trust was formed, and in 1988 a core group of therapists gathered at Samye Ling to receive therapy teachings and training from Akong Rinpoche. The members of this group were evolving a form of psychotherapy by participating in their own healing process, gently guided by Rinpoche who gave them various exercises to do. In this way a unique form of psychotherapy was born from a synthesis of the Tibetan healing system with its profound Buddhist perspective, and a complementary mix of tried and tested Western therapies.

Over time these methods have been refined and taught in many of Samye Ling’s satellite Centres. Recordings of Rinpoche’s teachings were gathered together and turned into books, notably Taming the Tiger, Tibetan Teachings for Improving Daily Life [Rider, 1994],  ‘Back to Beginnings’ and ‘Working with the Elements,’ which have been translated into several languages and have sold many thousands of copies.

Tara Therapists have also followed with great interest current advances in Neuroscience which show that methods which come under the label of mindfulness, awareness and compassion, often derived from or practised as Buddhist meditation, are truly effective in addressing symptoms of various common mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression.

In 2004 the Tara Therapy Training Programme received full accreditation by the UK Council for Psychotherapy, enabling Tara Therapy to award its own certification to its graduates. Thus Akong Tulku Rinpoche’s vision of using Western therapy rooted in Buddhist understanding has created a healing process which continues to flourish today in many countries.

Apart from his role as a spiritual leader and his contribution to psychotherapy and Tibetan Medicine, Akong Rinpoche was an outstanding humanitarian and co-founder of ROKPA INTERNATIONAL. His interests and activities included the following:

1. Restoring Environments using ecologically sound principles. 

2. Preserving Traditional Cultures in Tibet, Nepal and Southern Africa.

3. Furthering Education In Tibet through founding and supporting schools focused on education of orphans and very poor children. 

4. Preservation of Tibetan Medicine, its herbs and pharmocognosy.     

5. Feeding Hungry People through soup kitchens/greenhouse projects in Europe, Asia and Africa.

For more information on Tara Rokpa Therapy please see www.tararokpa.org

For more information on Rokpa Charity please see https://www.rokpa.org/home.html/