Patricia Kirigin

Patricia Kirigin was born in New York City. She took refuge with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche in 1996 at the age of 19, after encountering Buddhism at Shambhala Mountain Center, where she went to participate in an internship through Antioch College.

Patricia worked in the facilities department of Shambhala Mountain center from 1996 through 1999, during which time she began to be interested in Tibetan language, learning the alphabet through a correspondence course. She attended seminary in 1999, received the Vajrayogini abhisheka in 2001, and completed a B.A. in Religious Studies from Naropa University, with a minor in Tibetan language, in 2002. After being accepted as Nalanda Translation Committee’s first apprentice in the Fall of 2002, Patricia immigrated to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and has been a proud Haligonian ever since.

In 2003, she attended Kalapa Assembly and also met and began studying with Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche. Patricia attended the Rangjung Yeshe Institute summer Tibetan language intensive in 2005 and the annual three-month Rigpe Dorje Institute study course at Pullahari monastery in 2005, 2006, and 2007 both in Kathmandu, Nepal, as well as spending several months studying with language tutors in Dharamsala, India. Patricia traveled to India  again in 2008-2009 to attended the three-month Rinchen Terdzo Empowerments bestowed on Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche by His Eminence Namkha Drimed Rinpoche in Orissa, India, where she compiled a list of the 800+ empowerment rituals. (available for free download at www.sakyongfoundation.org/projects/chandragiri/the-great-river-of-blessings/.

Patricia lives in Halifax with her partner, fellow committee-member Walker Blaine, and is currently pursuing the Scorpion Seal path. Her hobbies include reading, working out at the gym, and exploring and learning about Nova Scotia.