Dear Friends,

Over the past eighteen months, under the compassionate leadership of our precious teacher, the Venerable Jigme Thrinley Rinpoche,  the Palmo Center for Peace and Education, under has experienced a period of remarkable growth, activity, and blessing. So much unfolded so quickly that the close of 2025 passed without our usual year-end reflection. Now, amid the continuing expansion of our Dharma activities, we would like to pause with gratitude and share some of what has been taking shape within our community.
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The Kangyur Transmission In 2025, The Venerable Jigme Thrinley Rinpoche spent more than three months at Benchen Monastery in Kathmandu receiving the rare and precious oral transmission of the Kangyur—the complete teachings of the Buddha—from His Eminence Kyabje Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche. During this time, Ven. Jigme Rinpoche made a traditional mandala offering of enlightened body, speech, and mind, and also sponsored one of the midday meals for more than 10,000 participants who had gathered for this extraordinary transmission.
Following the successful completion of the transmission, Ven. Jigme Rinpoche hosted a special luncheon at an elegant five-star hotel in Kathmandu as an expression of gratitude to His Eminence kyabje sangye nyenpa rinpoche, Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche, khenpos and the more than 200 monks of Benchen Monastery who helped make this most auspicious event possible. The beautiful setting and generous hospitality reflected the deep respect and appreciation Rinpoche wished to offer His Eminence and the entire monastic community.
Receiving this extraordinary transmission inspired Rinpoche to acquire a complete set of the Kangyur for the Palmo Center. These precious volumes, specially ordered from Tibet, will be housed in the temple in Cottage Grove, where they will remain a lasting source of blessing for our Sangha and community at large. 

​Sukhavati Retreat and Wellness Center
2025 marked the completion of the purchase of retreat land at Namo Buddha, Nepal, the future home of the Sukhavati International Retreat & Wellness Center. Initial development included roads and retaining walls, while Rinpoche continued offering practical, emotional, and spiritual support to local Nepali families and villagers.In March 2026, the project reached a joyful milestone with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by more than 600 people. His Eminence Kyabje Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche presided over the blessing ceremony on the beautifully decorated hilltop, adorned with marigold garlands and prayer flags. dignitaries, Monks, local villagers, schoolchildren and students from around the world gathered in celebration and prayer.
Construction is now underway on additional roads and retaining walls, with future plans for a temple, retreat residences, and guest accommodations. Situated in the sacred region where the Buddha, in a previous life, offered himself to a starving tigress to save her cubs, Sukhavati is envisioned as a place for deep practice, healing, and renewal. Set high on its own mountain and surrounded by the natural beauty of Nepal, the Center offers panoramic views of the Himalayas—a setting of extraordinary beauty for contemplation, retreat, and Dharma practice.

Temple and Sacred Art
​One of Rinpoche’s longstanding commitments is the preservation of Tibetan art and culture, particularly traditional forms of sacred art that are increasingly at risk of being lost. As part of this commitment, he has continued to support Nepali and Tibetan artisans through the commissioning of sacred statues, thangkas, carvings, and other artwork for the Cottage Grove temple and gallery spaces. He has sought out some of Nepal’s finest traditional artisans, helping to sustain the skills and knowledge that have been passed from generation to generation.
Several extraordinary statues are expected to arrive later in 2026, including an eight-foot Buddha, a seven-foot Machig Labdrön, a four-foot Guru Rinpoche, and a four-foot White Tara, 4 foot Buddha Maitreya.  Preparations are already underway to create the sacred spaces and shrines where these statues will be housed.
The temple continues to evolve as both a place of practice and a living expression of the Dharma. Of particular importance will be a series of intricately carved wooden panels depicting the lives and stories of the Buddha, Guru Rinpoche, Atisha Dipankara, and other great masters who played an important role in bringing and establishing Buddhism in Tibet. Additional carvings will tell the story of Tibet and the life of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, preserving these histories through the traditional artistry of the Himalayan region.
Through the hands of these master artisans, the temple itself will gradually become a visual telling of the Dharma and the history of Tibetan Buddhism. The intention is to create a sacred space that not only inspires, but also preserves and teaches—where sacred art, history, and Dharma come together for longtime practitioners and for those encountering Buddhism for the very first time.

Holidays in 2025 Celebrating Together as a Sangha
​The Sangha joined together in February 2025 to celebrate Losar, the Tibetan New Year, at the temple. Together we prepared traditional nine-ingredient Guthuk soup, complete with dumplings containing playful “fortunes” for the coming year. Each year, we look forward to discovering who has been labeled “black-hearted,” “two-faced,” “gentle,” or given one of the other traditional character descriptions hidden inside.
Our khapse and “donkey’s ears,” varieties of traditional fried dough, seem to improve a little each year, and everyone joins together to decorate the altar with countless vases of flowers and towers of beautiful offerings. Losar has become a truly joyous time for our community.
In 2026, many Sangha members were away participating in the Sacred Journey and therefore missed our traditional celebration at the temple. Instead, we had the wonderful opportunity to experience Losar in India and Nepal, surrounded by the elaborate altars, offerings, prayers, and celebrations of the monasteries we visited along the way.
Other celebrations brought us together throughout the year. we observed birthday of His Holiness Dalai Lama, Ganden Ngamchö, or Lama Tsongkhapa Day, at the temple. The glowing candles surrounding the outdoor Buddha altar brought light into the winter night—and into our hearts.
On December 25, the Sangha gathered for a Christmas celebration at Karuna House. The New Year brought us together once again at the temple for Riwo Sanchöd, followed by a community potluck—a warm and joyful way to begin another year together.

Karuna House, Metta Houses, and Upeka House Building a Dharma Community
Spring 2025 marked the completion of Karuna House, directly across from the temple. Its spacious gathering room has quickly become an important part of Sangha life, providing a welcoming home for community meals, movie nights, retreat discussions, teachings, and gatherings. Three residents now live at Karuna House in a shared environment grounded in Dharma practice and community, with two more expected to join them within the coming year.
Thanks to the generous support of Sangha members, the Palmo Center has also acquired adjoining land on Mount David. Plans for this beautiful hillside property include three cabins for individual retreat, along with a carport and an observation deck overlooking Cottage Grove. The cabins will provide practitioners with an opportunity for solitude and focused practice while remaining close to the temple and Sangha.
Meanwhile, architectural plans are being refined for the nearby Metta Houses, a small community of four homes designed as a Cottage Cluster. Together with Karuna House and the temple, these homes will further the vision of a growing Dharma community along I Street—one where practice, community, and daily life can become increasingly interconnected.
Upeka House, a historic Cottage Grove home, is also being transformed into a dedicated retreat and study space. Its renovated gallery will soon provide a beautiful setting for sacred art and statues arriving from Nepal. Moving the gallery to Upeka House will also open additional space within the temple itself for meditation, teachings, and Dharma practice.
Together, these projects represent something larger than the expansion of our physical facilities. They are gradually creating a community centered around the Dharma—a place where people can gather, study, practice, retreat, and, for some, live their daily lives in closer connection with the Sangha.

Chöd Healing CeremonyChöd Practice and the Mandala Room
The Mandala Room, formerly home to the Dharma store, will be transformed into a sacred practice space centered around a seven-foot statue of Machig Labdrön, the great Tibetan yogini and founder of the Chöd practice. This has particular significance for Rinpoche, who has been told that in a previous life he was one of Machig Labdrön’s sons.
Chöd has become an increasingly important part of practice at the Palmo Center. Those who participated in the 2024 Sacred Journey received a Chöd empowerment in Kathmandu from Rinpoche’s teacher, His Eminence Kyabje Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche. Rinpoche plans to offer further teachings and opportunities for students to deepen their understanding and practice of this profound tradition in the months and years ahead.
In May, Rinpoche offered teachings on the structure, function, and symbolism of Chöd practice and presided over a Chöd Healing Ceremony at the temple. The temple was filled with students resting peacefully on the floor as Rinpoche recited prayers and blessings and performed the healing ritual individually for each person. Within the Chöd tradition, this practice is understood as a powerful means of purification, helping to clear karmic obstacles and conditions that impede spiritual development.
Those who participated described a profound experience, leaving with the sense that what had taken place during the ceremony was not an ending, but the beginning of a healing and transformative process that would continue to unfold.

Peace Activities and Community Engagement — Boomtsok, Peace Run, International Peace DayThe Palmo Center continues to deepen its connection with the broader community through events and outreach centered on peace, compassion, and service. In June 2025, the Center hosted the annual Peace Run, bringing together runners, walkers, families, and community members of all ages in a shared expression of peace.
Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson joined the event and spoke movingly about the lasting inspiration of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s 2013 visit to Eugene and the importance of continuing to cultivate compassion and peace within our communities. Her participation reflected a growing relationship with the Palmo Center that would deepen in the year ahead.

A Journey of Peace and Friendship
In February 2026, Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson joined Venerable Jigme Thrinley Rinpoche for part of the annual Sacred Journey to India and Nepal. In Dharamsala, she had the honor of meeting His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and presenting him with a certificate from the City of Eugene recognizing his lifelong humanitarian service. Those traveling with her were deeply touched by the Mayor’s sincerity, openness, and wholehearted engagement throughout the pilgrimage.
Rinpoche and Mayor Knudson then traveled together to Kathmandu, Nepal, where they received a warm traditional welcome at the airport with ceremonial garlands. During her time in Nepal, Mayor Knudson traveled to Namo Buddha and visited the site of the future Sukhavati International Retreat & Wellness Center. The visit offered an opportunity to strengthen the bonds of friendship between Eugene and Kathmandu while introducing her to Rinpoche’s vision for Sukhavati as a place of retreat, education, healing, and well-being.
At the 2026 Peace Run, Mayor Knudson reflected on her experiences in India and Nepal and spoke about how deeply the journey had affected her. She shared her experience of meeting His Holiness, visiting Kathmandu, and encountering people and traditions that had opened her eyes to a very different way of seeing the world.
What began with the Mayor’s participation in a local event for peace had grown into a meaningful connection spanning Eugene, India, and Nepal—a beautiful example of how relationships rooted in compassion can reach far beyond our own community.

On August 6, 2025, Rinpoche was a guest speaker at the annual commemoration of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Alongside former Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and Professor Mark Unno, Rinpoche offered reflections on peace and the responsibility each of us carries in creating it. His message was simple yet profound: peace begins with each one of us—in our own minds, our actions, and in the way we relate to others.​

Later that summer, the Palmo Center partnered with the Nobel Laureate Peace Park and the NAACP for a family celebration of International Peace Day, also honoring His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in the year of his 90th birthday. Community members of all ages gathered to celebrate his lifelong message of compassion and nonviolence and to explore the values of peace and service through art, dialogue, and shared activities.
The Palmo Center hosted activities for children, bringing many smiles to young faces as they printed colorful prayer flags and folded origami peace cranes. Through these simple and joyful activities, children were introduced to the values of peace, compassion, and kindness—a wonderful way to plant the seeds of these qualities in a new generation while bringing the wider community together.

Maha Guru Boomtsok — Prayers for World Peace
Perhaps our most profound peace activity is Maha Guru Boomtsok, three full days devoted to continuous prayer and ritual for world peace, the long life of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the well-being of Tibetans living in Tibet, and peace and harmony throughout the world. Naljorma Jangchup Palmo, Rinpoche’s mother, initiated the observance of Maha Guru Boomtsok in the Western Hemisphere, where it became a cherished annual tradition. Over the years, the observance has spread to communities around the world, carrying its prayers and aspirations for peace far beyond its beginnings.
Held at the Northwest Tibetan Cultural Association in Portland, Boomtsok offers a rare opportunity for members of our Sangha to step away from everyday life and spend three days immersed in Tibetan Buddhist prayer, ritual, and practice alongside Rinpoches, monks, and members of the Tibetan community. From early morning until evening, the gathering is sustained by prayer, chanting, offerings, and the shared aspiration to benefit all beings.
In 2026, the 19th annual Maha Guru Boomtsok was held September 4–6, with Venerable Jigme Thrinley Rinpoche once again presiding, joined by Ngalo Rinpoche, geshe la and monks from Namgyal Monastery and more than 100 participants. We strongly encourage all students of the Dharma to experience this extraordinary gathering when the opportunity arises. More than an event, Boomtsok is a powerful expression of prayer in action—a community joining together with a shared aspiration for peace and the benefit of all beings.
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The Sacred Journey 2026:
India/Nepal
The Sublime and the Unexpected
The Sacred Journey always brings both the sublime and the unexpected. From the outset, flexibility and openness to opportunity became recurring themes. When we discovered that the National Museum in Delhi was unexpectedly closed, what at first seemed a disappointment soon revealed itself as a blessing. By chance, we met a man who told us about a newly opened traveling exhibition, Light of the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One.
This unexpected encounter led to an extraordinary opportunity—to stand in the presence of authentic relics of the Buddha that had only recently been made available for public viewing. Inspired by the occasion, Rinpoche offered teachings on the Bodhisattva Vow and the vast aspiration to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. Together, in the presence of these sacred relics, we renewed that commitment by formally taking the Bodhisattva Vow as a group.
From Delhi, the Sacred Journey continued to Dehradun, where we had the great blessing of visiting Her Eminence Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche. She offered teachings on karma as the basis of samsara, reminding us that karma is not fixed and that through practice it can be transformed and directed toward liberation.
We were also blessed to sit in the presence of Venerable Chewang Tulku Rinpoche, who shared teachings on karma, intention, and aspiration. When Rinpoche requested that he bestow an empowerment upon the group, Chewang Tulku Rinpoche instead encouraged Jigme Rinpoche to give the empowerment himself—a meaningful acknowledgment that deeply touched those present.
The pilgrims also made a side journey to Mussoorie, where His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, at the age of twenty-four, first settled after arriving in India in exile. Visiting a place so closely connected with the early years of His Holiness’s life in India added another dimension of history and meaning to the journey.
Among the greatest blessings of the Sacred Journey was the precious opportunity to receive an audience and blessing from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and to make pilgrimage to the sacred places associated with the life of the Buddha. We meditated beneath the Bodhi Tree, where the Buddha attained enlightenment; visited the sacred place where he first turned the Wheel of Dharma and gave his first teaching; and journeyed to the place of his Parinirvana. Along the way, we also had the extraordinary opportunity to meet and receive teachings from great lineage masters and teachers, including His Eminence Kyabje Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche, Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, and many others.
Over the course of twenty-one days, the pilgrimage became an extraordinary journey of spiritual, cultural, and educational discovery, enriched throughout by Rinpoche’s personal guidance, care, and teachings. Rather than simply visiting these sacred places, we were given the opportunity to experience them through Dharma practice, teachings, meditation, and reflection.
If circumstances allow, Rinpoche hopes to lead another Sacred Journey next year. Those who feel inspired to join this unique pilgrimage are invited to contact us to express their interest and reserve a place.

 

Sacred Journey — Dharamsala
In Dharamsala, Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson joined the pilgrimage. During our time there, we had the extraordinary opportunity to meet with the President of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, the head of the Tibetan security council, a Tibetan doctor and astrologer, and the head of the Tibetan archives. It seemed almost impossible that so many distinguished individuals would take time from their busy schedules to meet with us, share their knowledge and experiences, and deepen our understanding of the history of Tibet, Tibetan culture, and the lives of Tibetans in exile.
The greatest blessing of our time in Dharamsala, however, was the opportunity to be in the presence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. To receive his blessing was a gift beyond measure. We were told that His Holiness met with more than 1,000 people that day, and yet his warmth, presence, and composure never wavered. For those of us fortunate enough to be there, it was an experience that will remain in our hearts for a lifetime.
As we reflected on all that had unfolded, we could only wonder what karma had brought us together and allowed us to receive so many teachings, blessings, insights, and extraordinary experiences in such a short time.

Bodhgaya and Vulture Peak
Our travels then took us to Bodhgaya, the sacred place of the Buddha’s enlightenment and home of the Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, beneath the Bodhi Tree, we had the profound opportunity to meditate and practice in the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago.
From Bodhgaya, we traveled to Rajgir and Vulture Peak, the sacred place associated with the teaching of the Heart Sutra. Seated together with Rinpoche, we recited the Heart Sutra and contemplated the countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas gathered for that profound teaching, filling the sky around us. In that extraordinary setting, the distance between the ancient teachings and our own practice seemed to fall away.
There, Rinpoche gave a deeply moving and profound teaching on the Heart Sutra, bringing its meaning into the immediacy of our own lives and practice. He reminded us that the Heart Sutra contains a “most profound mantra that severs grasping, ambition, aggression, and ignorance…and takes one directly into resting in reality as it is, without any agenda.” In such a sacred place, Rinpoche’s teaching and the words of the Heart Sutra took on a depth and immediacy that were difficult to put into words.

The following day brought us to the Ganges at dawn, with funeral pyres burning along its shores and small offering lamps floating upon the river’s waters. We walked through the narrow, ancient streets of Varanasi, a city that has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years. Everywhere, the devotion of the people—and even of the land itself—felt palpable. Against the backdrop of the Ganges, the realities of life, death, devotion, and impermanence were ever present.
At Kushinagar, the place of the Buddha’s Parinirvana, we offered a saffron shroud to the great reclining Buddha. Here, Rinpoche reminded us that the path to freedom begins with questioning: Why birth? Why suffering? Why death? He encouraged us to examine the mind and its attachments, to study suffering deeply, and to understand renunciation not as turning away from life, but as renouncing the causes of suffering. “Give rise to that questioning mind,” he told us. “Step back and get a perspective on how things are.”
Our journey then brought us to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. We walked through the gardens in the rain toward the sacred place of his birth. Chanting together, the group made kora before entering the holy site. The rain itself seemed like a cleansing—as though, in coming to the place where the Buddha was born, we too were being invited to give birth to a new way of seeing and a new attitude toward our lives.

Kathmandu and Namo Buddha
From there, our journey continued to Kathmandu, where making kora around the great Boudhanath Stupa, surrounded by monks, pilgrims, prayer wheels, and the continuous movement of devotion, seemed to ground everyone even more deeply in the Dharma.
A side journey to Pharping brought us first to the sacred self-arising image of Tara. There, Rinpoche led us in Green Tara sadhana and made offerings of butter lamps. In another of those unexpected encounters that seemed to arise throughout the Sacred Journey, Rinpoche met a longtime friend, a khenpo from Benchen Shedra, who joined us in the Tara practice.
Just above this sacred site, we visited the Asura Cave of Guru Rinpoche, where pilgrims could place their hands within the impression of his handprint in the stone—a tangible connection to a place sanctified by centuries of devotion and practice. It was here, in the eighth century, that Guru Rinpoche undertook intensive retreat, combining the practices of Yangdak Heruka and Vajrakilaya, and attained the supreme realization of Mahamudra.
we hung prayer flags and practiced Riwo Sanchöd, dedicating our prayers to our loved ones, to the flourishing of the Buddhadharma, and to world peace. There, in the very place associated with Guru Rinpoche’s realization, our kind teacher, Venerable Jigme Thrinley Rinpoche, offered teachings on Guru Rinpoche—who he was, his manifestations, and his profound importance to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Receiving these teachings in the very place where Guru Rinpoche had practiced brought his life and legacy into an immediacy that could not have been experienced in quite the same way elsewhere.
We also visited Swayambhunath, the ancient “Monkey Temple” overlooking the Kathmandu Valley, where tradition playfully holds that the monkeys are descendants of lice transformed from Manjushri’s hair.
These are only glimpses of a journey filled with profound teachings, blessings, unexpected encounters, and deeply moving experiences. Fittingly, the pilgrimage culminated at Namo Buddha, where our group joined more than 600 people for the groundbreaking of the future Sukhavati International Retreat & Wellness Center, blessed and presided over by His Eminence Kyabje Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche.
After traveling through so many sacred places connected with the history and living traditions of Buddhism, it was especially meaningful to end at a place where something new was just beginning. The groundbreaking at Sukhavati brought together the blessings of the pilgrimage with Rinpoche’s vision for the future—a place where generations to come may practice, retreat, heal, and encounter the Dharma.
It was a powerful conclusion to the Sacred Journey—and, at the same time, the beginning of something new.

The Blessing of Pilgrimage
As Rinpoche often reminds us, the Buddha himself taught that those who make pilgrimage to the sacred places of his birth, enlightenment, first turning of the Wheel of Dharma, and Parinirvana will experience the blessing of meeting the Buddha himself. To journey to these holy places is therefore far more than travel—it is a profound spiritual encounter that can deepen faith, devotion, and understanding.
To undertake such a pilgrimage under Rinpoche’s guidance is an even rarer blessing. His presence, teachings, and deep knowledge of these sacred places transform the journey into a living Dharma experience, allowing each site to reveal a deeper meaning. Teachings arise not only in temples and monasteries, but beneath the Bodhi Tree, on mountaintops and in sacred caves, along the road, through unexpected encounters, and even in those moments when circumstances do not unfold as planned.
Through Rinpoche’s guidance, pilgrimage becomes more than visiting the places where the Buddha and great masters once walked and practiced. It becomes an opportunity to encounter the Dharma directly—to examine our own minds, deepen our practice, and carry something of these sacred places home within us.
Ultimately, the true pilgrimage is also an inward one: an opportunity to awaken the qualities of wisdom and compassion within our own hearts and to bring those qualities more fully into our lives for the benefit of others.

Bhutan
Bhutan — A Living Buddhist Culture
Despite travel challenges caused by flight disruptions in the Middle East, the first group of pilgrims was able to return home safely, while others were inspired to continue on to Bhutan. The journey began with breathtaking views of the Himalayas from the plane—a fitting introduction to a country where the landscape itself seems inseparable from its spiritual heritage.
Bhutan is truly a culture in which Buddhism permeates daily life. Making kora around stupas is woven naturally into the rhythm of the day, and expressions of devotion can be seen everywhere. Because of Rinpoche’s longstanding relationships with the people of Bhutan and their deep reverence for Dharma teachers, our group was welcomed in ways that few ordinary travelers experience. At different places along the journey, we were greeted in the traditional manner with songs, dances, and heartfelt hospitality.
We had the good fortune to visit two family homesteads, one for lunch and another for an overnight stay, giving us an intimate glimpse into everyday Bhutanese life. Wherever we went, people sought out Rinpoche, asking him to bless their homes, consecrate stupas, give names to babies, offer prayers, and perform traditional rituals to dispel obstacles and harmful influences. Traveling with Rinpoche, there seemed to be no end to the adventures—or to the unexpected opportunities to witness the Dharma as part of everyday life.
The aesthetic beauty of the country seems to permeate everything, just as deeply as Buddhism itself. The pristine air, organic food, ancient fortresses, monasteries, sacred places, and traditional homes together reveal a way of life that strives to hold fast to what matters most: wisdom and compassion.
To witness people for whom prostration is a natural expression of devotion was deeply inspiring. There seemed to be a purity in both the air and the spirit of the people. Everywhere, we encountered a quiet sincerity and reverence woven into the fabric of daily life.
And, of course, there was the famed Tiger’s Nest Monastery, perched almost impossibly on the face of a cliff. Its very existence seems an expression of devotion. The journey there speaks to the faith, determination, and aspiration of those who built it and of the generations of pilgrims who have continued to make their way to this sacred place. Standing before it, one cannot help but feel humbled by the depth of commitment and devotion it represents.
The 2026 Sacred Journey brought many extraordinary blessings: an audience with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, encounters and teachings with great lineage masters, pilgrimage to the sacred places associated with the life of the Buddha, and, for those who continued on, an immersion in the living Buddhist culture of Bhutan.
Yet perhaps one of the greatest gifts of the journey was simply the opportunity to spend this extended time in Rinpoche’s presence. Traveling together allowed us to experience his teachings not only through his words, but through his actions—through the wisdom, compassion, flexibility, and care with which he met people and circumstances along the way. Even while traveling thousands of miles from home, Rinpoche remained closely connected with the Sangha in the United States, continuing regular online teachings and observing important holy days with the community.
In this way, the Sacred Journey became more than a pilgrimage through India, Nepal, and Bhutan. It became an opportunity to experience how the Dharma can be lived—moment by moment, wherever the journey may lead.

Dharma Activities and Teachings 
Dharma Practice and Sangha Life
Throughout 2025 and into 2026, the Sangha continued to gather regularly, both in person and online, for Dharma teachings and practice. These included Sunday teachings, Shamatha meditation, Soor practice, Medicine Buddha practice, Ngöndro gatherings, and discussion groups. Rinpoche often joined us to offer precious teachings, and even when he was unable to be present, we were fortunate to continue learning through teachings from the recorded archives.
But Sangha life was not only about formal practice. There was always time for movies at Karuna House, lively discussions, a picnic—complete with badminton and cornhole!—visits to Hendricks Park, and other social gatherings. Sangha members also visited an exhibition of Himalayan art at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon, followed by a lively discussion afterward. These simple occasions of friendship and fellowship are also an important part of building a strong Dharma community.
Beyond formal teachings, Rinpoche continued to make himself available in countless quieter ways, offering personal counsel, performing house blessings, and responding to the needs of students and community members. He also blessed a shrine dedicated to his mother, Amala, created by Alan at Star Gate Bookstore.
Rinpoche offered numerous retreats and teachings in Cottage Grove, including teachings on Lama Tsongkhapa’s Three Principal Aspects of the Path, Chenrezig practice, Mahamudra, Vajrasattva, Chöd, and many other profound topics. Throughout these teachings, he continually emphasized that Dharma is not something separate from ordinary life, but a way of bringing wisdom and compassion into how we think, speak, act, and relate to others each day.
At the close of 2025, Rinpoche gave a public talk at Tsunami Books titled The Gift of Forgiveness. Rinpoche’s talks at the bookstore have become consistently popular, often filling the space with longtime students, newcomers, and members of the wider community. These gatherings provide an important opportunity for people who may be new to Buddhism to encounter the Dharma in an accessible and welcoming setting. Many expressed deep appreciation for the practicality, warmth, and clarity of Rinpoche’s teachings and for the ways in which the Dharma could be applied directly to the challenges of everyday life.

European Tour 2025 and 2026 
Dharma Across Borders — Europe
In 2025, Rinpoche once again embarked on his annual European teaching tour, returning to Switzerland and visiting Portugal, where he was warmly welcomed by an international group of students.
Nestled among the hills of Portugal, geodesic dome tents provided a peaceful and secluded setting for retreat. There, Rinpoche offered teachings and guidance on the union of Shamatha and Vipashyana meditation, giving participants an opportunity to step away from the distractions of daily life and deepen their practice. Many were so inspired by the retreat that they committed to beginning Ngöndro practice as a way of going more deeply into the teachings.
In the fall of 2026, Rinpoche will return to Europe for another teaching tour, once again including Portugal and Switzerland. In Portugal, he will offer teachings on Lorig, an introduction to Buddhist psychology and the study of mind, along with a Ngöndro transmission and a Chöd Healing Ceremony.
The Portuguese Dharma center, Quinta da Libélula, is also preparing for an important milestone, with its new temple expected to be ready for this year’s teachings. Rinpoche has been assisting the center in acquiring traditional statues and thangkas from Nepal, helping to create a sacred environment for practice and teachings.
What began with Rinpoche’s first visit to Portugal has already begun to take root, with new students entering more deeply into Dharma practice and a growing community preparing to welcome him back.

Switzerland — Teachings on the Bardo
The Swiss portion of Rinpoche’s teaching tour began in Flawil at a special event commemorating the arrival, sixty years earlier, of the first Tibetan refugees to this part of Switzerland. The church was filled with more than 150 people eager to hear Rinpoche offer teachings on the Bardo—the transitional states between death and rebirth that are described in teachings widely known in the West through the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
Despite jet lag and having had fewer than three hours of sleep, Rinpoche, out of his great generosity, taught for more than three hours. The audience listened with remarkable attentiveness as he spoke about the Bardo, death and dying, and the importance of how we live this life in preparing for what comes at its end.
For those gathered, it was an extraordinary opportunity to receive teachings from a teacher whose life is devoted to preserving and spreading the Dharma and guiding others along the path to awakening. Rinpoche brought the profound teachings of the Bardo back to something immediate and relevant to each of us: how we choose to live our lives here and now.
As Rinpoche taught, “To live well is to die well.”

Karuna Haus — Death, Dying, and the Bardo
Rinpoche continued more deeply into the teachings on death, dying, and the Bardo during a weekend retreat at Karuna Haus in Unterwasser, Switzerland—not to be confused with our own Karuna House in Cottage Grove.
Karuna Haus lies in the shadow of Mount Säntis, where a stupa was erected as a heartfelt tribute to the people of Switzerland, honoring the humanitarian support and refuge they have offered Tibetans over many decades. Seeing this sacred monument high among the mountains and clouds provided a particularly moving backdrop as Rinpoche opened the profound subject of the Bardo. Over the course of the retreat, he guided participants through teachings on impermanence, the process of death and dying, the intermediate states of the Bardo, dream yoga, and the importance of preparing the mind through practice during this lifetime.
The retreat created an atmosphere of deep reflection and practice, and many participants expressed that they wished it could have continued for several more days. On the final day, everyone joined together for a Riwo Sanchöd smoke offering, bringing the weekend to a beautiful and meaningful close.
Venerable Jigme Thrinley Rinpoche will return to Karuna Haus in September to offer teachings on Ngöndro, continuing the connection with the students and Dharma community there.

Ganden Chökhor — Continuing the Teachings
Rinpoche’s final retreat of the European tour was held at Ganden Chökhor in Churwalden, Switzerland. Each year, it is especially meaningful to return to this former hotel, acquired by the foundation of Lödro Rinpoche and transformed into a Dharma center that now hosts a variety of Buddhist teachings and retreats throughout the year. Surrounded by the beauty of the Swiss Alps, it provides a wonderful environment for study, contemplation, and practice.
In 2025, Rinpoche continued the teachings he had begun the previous year on The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, guiding students through this profound text on bringing the Bodhisattva path into everyday life.
In 2026, Rinpoche will return to Ganden Chökhor to complete the remaining verses of The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva and offer additional teachings on Chenrezig and Mahamudra. The return will provide students with the opportunity not only to complete a teaching begun several years earlier, but also to continue deepening the relationship with Rinpoche and the Dharma that has grown through these annual retreats.

Bringing the Dharma to a Wider Audience
Public talks are an important part of Rinpoche’s European teaching tours. They bring the Dharma not only to those already committed to a Buddhist path, but also to anyone seeking greater clarity, meaning, and a deeper perspective on the challenges of everyday life.
In 2025, Rinpoche offered public talks in Zurich, St. Gallen, and Bern on The Four Thoughts That Transform the Mind, The Power of Forgiveness, and Dealing with Depression from a Contemplative Perspective. These talks provided an opportunity to present Buddhist wisdom in ways that were accessible and relevant to people from many different backgrounds.
For the 2026 tour, the scheduled public teachings include The Three Higher Trainings, An Introduction to Vajrayana, and Finding Our True Identity Beyond Work and Recognition. Together, these talks reflect Rinpoche’s ability to address both the timeless questions at the heart of Buddhist practice and the very contemporary concerns people face in their daily lives.

Seeds of Bodhicitta
Each teaching offered pearls of insight and wisdom that will continue to grow and deepen over time. Yet perhaps the essence of all the teachings was found not only in Rinpoche’s words, but in the patience, wisdom, and compassion with which he lived them. Whether experiencing jet lag and still extending a teaching for another hour, or sitting late into the night with someone completely new to meditation, Rinpoche’s generosity and compassion seemed limitless.
Rinpoche has made these European teaching tours for many years, but in 2025 there was a sense that something particularly meaningful was taking root. Many who attended had never meditated before and were encountering the Dharma for the first time. Others had practiced for years, yet found themselves touched by the teachings in ways they had not experienced before.
Again and again, one could see seeds being planted—sometimes in hearts where the Dharma had never before taken root, and sometimes in places within longtime practitioners that needed renewed inspiration and encouragement. Perhaps this is the deepest measure of a teaching tour: not how many places were visited or how many teachings were given, but what quietly began to awaken—or reawaken—in the hearts of those who were there.
Indeed, we could feel the traditional aspiration coming to life:
May precious Bodhicitta arise where it has not yet arisen.
Where it has arisen, may it never diminish, but increase more and more.

The Sangha Expands to Include Nepal
In June, a dedicated group of Nepali students requested that Rinpoche offer them a formal Dharma teaching. For the first time, Rinpoche transmitted the Dharma in the Nepali language, making the teachings directly accessible to students in their own native language. He also offered a Refuge Ceremony, giving those who wished to do so the opportunity to formally enter the Buddhist path.
Those attending expressed how deeply they were touched by Rinpoche’s ability to present the Dharma in Nepali in a way that was both inspiring and immediately applicable to daily life. For many, the teachings opened a new way of understanding how Buddhist practice could become part of their everyday experience.
This gathering marked the beginning of something especially meaningful. We now joyfully welcome these Nepali students as part of our growing Sangha—a community that increasingly reaches across countries, cultures, and languages, united by devotion to the Dharma and by Rinpoche’s vision of cultivating wisdom and compassion for the benefit of all beings.

2026 Forecasting
Beginning Again
While the new year is already well underway, Rinpoche set the stage for 2026 with Riwo Sangchöd practice at the temple, joined by Sangha members both in person and online. This was followed by extensive teachings on purification, karma, and Vajrasattva practice, offering a meaningful way to begin the year grounded in Dharma.
Rinpoche reminded us that while the idea of a “new year” exists only on the relative level, it nevertheless offers us an opportunity to pause, reflect, and begin again with the Dharma as our guide. And we need not wait for another new year to do so.
Even now, we can begin again—and again, and again.

The New Downtown Cottage Grove Branch of the Palmo Center 
Looking Ahead with Gratitude
Most recently, the Palmo Center purchased the former Bank of America building on Main Street in downtown Cottage Grove, marking another important step in the Center’s growth. Unlike the temple and retreat spaces, this new location is envisioned as a welcoming secular, educational, and cultural presence in the heart of the community—a place for future programs, outreach, dialogue, and activities that bring the values of compassion, peace, and service to a wider audience. Fundraising efforts to support the development of this new space will begin in earnest this summer.
As we look back on all that has unfolded over these past eighteen months, our gratitude goes first and foremost to our kind and precious teacher, Venerable Jigme Thrinley Rinpoche. None of this would have been possible without Rinpoche’s compassionate leadership, extraordinary patience, kindness, and tireless dedication to the Dharma and to all those he serves. His vision continues to guide the Palmo Center, while his example continually reminds us that the true purpose of everything we undertake is to benefit others.
Our heartfelt thanks also go to the many friends, students, volunteers, and supporters whose generosity and encouragement have helped bring that vision to life. Each teaching attended, each prayer offered, each hour volunteered, and each gift of support has contributed in its own way to what the Palmo Center is becoming. What has been accomplished is truly the result of many hands and hearts working together.
We rejoice in all that has unfolded and dedicate whatever merit has arisen to the benefit of all beings. As we look toward what lies ahead, may we continue to be guided by the same aspiration that lies at the heart of Rinpoche’s teachings and the Palmo Center’s work: to cultivate wisdom and compassion within ourselves and to bring these qualities more fully into the lives of others.
May all sentient beings enjoy happiness and the causes of happiness.
May they be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May they never be separated from the great happiness devoid of suffering.
May they dwell in the great equanimity, free from attachment and aversion.
May the lives of the glorious masters be secure.
May all beings enjoy happiness and peace.
And may we all accumulate merit and wisdom, purify all negative karma, and swiftly attain enlightenment.
With prayers and appreciation,
The Palmo Center Community

Arriving in Dharamsala was literally a breath of fresh air. We anticipated our audience with His Holiness Dalai Lama the next day. From our hotel we could see his residence and employees of the hotel said that they could sometimes see him walking outside from the back of the hotel. Just looking out over the foothills thinking HH Dalai Lama was so nearby was awe inspiring. We couldn't imagine what the next day would bring. ​

The next morning we dressed in our best  and walked to the complex where His Holiness greets visitors. We passed through security and surrendered out phones and cameras so the impressions had to be in our hearts rather than in our files. Because we were with Jigme Rinpoche we were brought close to the front of the line.  This was the 10 year anniversary of His Holiness Dalai Lama's visit to Eugene so it was particularly special that we were now able to come to visit him in Dharmasala. 
After waiting, we saw His Holiness enter. At first it seemed surreal that this was really the incarnation of the Boddhisattva of compassion.  One by one we were led in front of His Holiness to pay our respect and to receive his blessing. His Holiness sat on a throne in the Tibetan style. We were told by attendants how to place our hands and even if we were bowing, we were told to look up. In front of His Holiness some asked a question, others a blessing. For that brief moment we were each transported into his presence. It was like an eternity and a nano second all at once. Perhaps we had a brief moment of feeling what emptiness truly feels like. We were back in our reality in no time but something was different. Something had changed, even if we didn't feel it or know it. ​

We walked from our hotel to the Sakya Monastery. His Holiness Sakya Trichin resides in Dehra Dun but we would not see him until Bodhgaya where he was visiting with his family. Instead, at the request of Jigme Rinpoche, we were gifted with an empowerment from Chewang Tulku Rinpoche. The precious ritual of the long life empowerment left a lasting impression on all the pilgrims. Just to be in the presence of a master who spent 27 years in retreat studying Vajrayonini takes the expression "beyond words" to yet another level.  He left retreat only at the request of his teacher, His Holiness Sakya Trichin, and he now rarely leaves his quarters at the monastery. To have him come into the shrine room for us was an extraordinary blessing. It is a testament to his kindness and generosity and to the respect that he paid to Jigme Rinpoche. Even as he walked into the shrine room, we could feel the radiance of his being. Most people said they had never been in such a joyous presence. 
Jigme Rinpoche reminded us that in seeing and hearing such a being, a seed was planted in us so that we could be inspired to emulate his life of practice. ​

We walked the grounds of the monastery complex with 300 resident monks. They included a World Peace Stupa and an inspiring statue of Guru Rinpoche. We went inside the stupa and heard teachings from Jigme Rinpoche. Each teaching immersed us yet more fully into the Sacred Journey. ​

To end the day the pilgrims made a stop at Delhi’s famous stepwell. This ancient structure from the 14th century was used, not only to store water, but as a community gathering place.  Now, hundreds of years later it still serves as a cool quiet refuge from the hustle and bustle of the streets of Delhi. ​

​Rinpoche took some time to elaborate on the meaning of Ghandi in relation to the Sacred Journey. Even though Ghandi was secular, his moral code was a model for anyone on the path to enlightenment. 
"What we can take from Ghandi is his sheer dedication and commitment to doing something...not giving up...that's what being on the path means. Mahatma Ghandi knew where his destination was—peace and not violence. Speed, aggression and  violence are very quick and expedient in solving problems but fundamentally are not long lasting or stable. Peace, the path of nonviolence, though arduous and tiring and difficult...(is  the only path that is) fundamentally strong,  stable and long lasting.

Ghandi is a world wide known figure yet he was not particularly notable until one day his first class passage  on a South African train was questioned due to the color of his skin. Rinpoche explained that such a pivotal moment often occurred in the lives of great public figures. Ghandi worked tirelessly for Indian freedom and equality for all. The memorial honors him with an eternal flame on a base of black marble which marks the spot of his cremation after his assasination in 1948. The expansive gardens included blooming dahlias of all colors and trees planted by prominent world leaders including Nelson Mandela. 

The pilgrims walked Kora around the flame and contemplated Gandhi’s last words “Hey Ram”.​

Arrival in India was in Delhi on February 7 early in the morning and wasted no time in immersing the group in the Journey. Within hours we were treated to a special opportunity to meet with Geshe Dorji Domdul, the director of Tibet House in New Delhi and a former translator for His Holiness Dalai Lama. Rinpoche had requested that he speak on the meaning of pilgrimage and the importance of merit. 

We were introduced to something that would become a theme of the Sacred Journey — humility. Geshe-la explained how he became the translator to His Holiness as if by accident, giving himself no credit for all of his learning and expertise. The teaching helped us all to see the importance of the Journey we were beginning and how it will affect our lives. Afterwards Rinpoche elaborated on the teachings. We forgot all about jet lag and were ready for our Journey. ​