'Rokpa' is the Tibetan word for 'to help' or 'to serve'. Rokpa Trust
Kagyu Samye Dzong Aberdeen is a branch of Rokpa Trust, a charity founded by Dr Akong Tulku Rinpoche. He is the Supreme Abbot of Dolma Lhakang monastery in Tibet and the cofounder of Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery. The Trust is under the direct guidance of Akong Tulku Rinpoche and the present Chairman of Rokpa Trust and Abbot of Samye Ling monastery the Ven. Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche.
Their lives and activity are an endless source of inspiration for the thousands of people who come into contact with them every year. They are known for their tireless efforts in preserving the purity of the Buddha's teachings, and the Kagyu lineage in particular.
The initial aim of the Trust was to promote healthcare and education, to provide vocational training, and to provide material and spiritual nourishment for those who needed and requested it, as well as to preserve Tibetan traditions. These three areas of activity - humanitarian, spiritual, and the healing arts - continue to be the main focus of the Trust's work.
The Trust has now grown and is established in many countries throughout the world, from its original base at Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery in Eskdalemuir, Scotland.
KSD Aberdeen
Kagyu Samye Dzong Aberdeen was founded in 2000 by the Ven Gelong Karma Jiga at the request of interested students in the North East. Karma Jiga is a fully ordained monk from Samye Ling monastery and a student of Dr Akong Tulku Rinpoche and the Ven Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche. A meditation and study group was established and weekly sessions were held.
Our main aim is to promote healthy living and provide suitable and beneficial ways to manage issues related to stress and tension, and to introduce the teachers of the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism to those interested in North East Scotland.
We are now actively fundraising to create the first residential Healthy Living & Life Management Centre in Aberdeen to serve the needs of communities throughout the North East. It will be the base for outreach work throughout the Grampian Region and we are committed to seeking ways which involve all groups within the community. We are also working towards expanding our programme to include a range of holistic therapies.