Inge Siebenwurst offering a khata to Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Munich during Rinpoche’s 2018 European Tour. Photo courtesy of Aryatara Institute.

Inge Siebenwurst, passed away on October 22, 2024 in Bavaria, Germany, after a short and serious illness with cancer.

Aryatara Institute submitted a moving obituary for Inge and would like to express their gratitude and appreciation for her. “Inge was a pillar of the Aryatara Institute for many years, her dedication and tireless commitment have made a deep impression and left joyful memories for many members and visitors of the Aryatara Institute.”

A Pillar of the Center

Portrait of Inge Siebenwurst, photo courtesy of Aryatara Institute.

Inge joined the center in 2004, started the Discovering Buddhism course, and soon started volunteering. She didn’t have to be asked, she simply did what was needed. For many years, Inge was at the heart of many practical aspects of our center life. In charge of the preparations, for many years she was the first to open the doors and the last to put out the lights. For 20 years she contributed tirelessly in various capacities.

Spiritual Program Coordinator and Board Member

She proved her organizational skills especially during her time as Spiritual Program Coordinator (2011-2013) and as a core board member (2007-2011 and 2012-2014). In these positions, she played a key role in defining the central topics of the center. Time and again, she impressively demonstrated how important and beneficial personal commitment, good organization and, above all, harmonious cooperation are for spiritual growth and the community.

Major Events and Visits from Lamas

Her commitment to the planning and implementation of major events and teacher visits has been remarkable. She was involved in the Maitreya Loving Kindness Tour (2004, 2008, 2015) and the Sera Lachi and Ngari monk tours (2012, 2015, 2017), and played a key role in the visits of Tenzin Osel Hita (2017), Lama Zopa Rinpoche (2018), Jhado Rinpoche and H.E. Ling Rinpoche (2023), and most recently, in May of this year during the visit of Khandro Tseringma Rinpoche in Munich.

She took on any task that needed to be done, from creating promotional materials, organizing event equipment, driving the teachers, decorating the altar, and much more.

In addition, Inge’s warm-hearted nature and organizational skills not only created a dignified atmosphere for the visiting teachers, but also promoted team spirit and harmony among the many volunteers.

Taking Care of Teachers

Inge’s commitment to the center was evident in the early years when Ven. Fedor came to Munich in 2007 as a Resident Teacher. Wherever she could, she offered her support and was significantly involved in finding a new teacher’s apartment in 2013. She also looked after various visiting teachers such as Ven. Tharchin and Ven. Tony.

Inge (bottom left) at the100 Million Mani Retreat at ITLK, Italy, 2017. Photo courtesy of Aryatara Institute.

Aryatara Publications

Her extraordinary commitment also showed in the field of publications, where she played a crucial role in publications for over 14 years: as coordinator, layout designer, translator. and proofreader to many essential texts which help to preserve the teachings of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe and make them easily accessible to those interested. And to ensure that these publications reach as many people as possible, copies were also sent to German-speaking centers. This too was largely done by Inge, who packed the parcels, took them to the post office, and covered the postage costs without even mentioning it.

Transcription and Distance Learning

With equal dedication, Inge wrote almost 200 transcripts for the FPMT Basic Program and Discovering Buddhism over a period of 12 years—an achievement that is incredibly remarkable in itself. Not only does it require an enormous amount of time (at least 8 hours per transcript) and commitment, but the result—making the words of one’s own teachers available to others so that course participants can read them again and again—is invaluable.

In addition, the transcripts of the lectures of the study programs also form the basis for the distance learning program offered by the Aryatara Institute. For many years, Inge looked after the distance learning students, sent them the teaching materials, answered questions, etc.

Programs, Newsletters, Website

For several years, Inge was responsible for the creation of the programs, the layout of the newsletters and their distribution as well as significantly involved in the creation of the current website, which she also managed for several years.

Leading Events and Retreats

Inge was not only active behind the scenes in many areas, she also led meditations and practices such as the Tsog Guru Puja, as well as Tara and Medicine Buddha practice on a regular basis for many years. She led the Tara Easter retreat for three years, enabling participants to experience the healing practice of Tara in depth. With her empathetic nature, she created a safe space of peace and trust where people could connect and support each other in their practice.

Inge attending retreat in 2014. Photo courtesy of Aryatara Institute.

An Inspiring Practitioner

Inge was not only a tireless volunteer, she was also a long-time student and an inspiring practitioner at the center. She participated in the FPMT Basic Program for Advanced Practitioners, first with Geshe Soepa and later with Ven. Fedor. She devoted herself intensively to the study of profound Buddhist teachings including five years of lamrim study, four years of the Bodhisattvacharyavatara and in-depth study of many other topics and texts. Her interest and dedication to her studies were amazing.

Student of Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Last but not least, she was a truly devoted student of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, whose retreats she attended whenever she could: 2009 in France (6 weeks), 2014 in Italy (3 weeks), 2015 in the Netherlands (2 weeks) and 2017 in Italy (4 weeks). Rinpoche’s visit to Munich in 2018 was certainly a particularly joyful event for her, to the success of which she contributed in the aforementioned way.

Through her manifold but always humble activities for the Aryatara Institute, Inge put into practice one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s most important teachings—to understand “service” to others, and especially to Dharma centers, as a path to enlightenment as only when there are places where Dharma is taught can we develop wisdom and compassion. Inge recognized this and for over 20 years she actively supported the center and all those who benefit from it.   

A Valued Friend and Companion

Inge with her grandchild, 2022. Photo courtesy of Aryatara Institute.

Inge’s warm nature, her openness for conversation and her ability to inspire and encourage others made her a valued friend and companion to many.

Her work was marked by genuine devotion to the Dharma and a sincere desire to benefit others. Her exemplary tireless dedication, deep practice and genuine commitment will continue to inspire us and be remembered with gratitude. She was a role model for many of us and will remain so.

During the pandemic, Inge moved from Munich to the countryside with her son and daughter-in-law. Her visits to the center became less frequent, but the bond remained. In 2022, her grandson was born, a new task for Inge. As a result of her move, she no longer worked as much for the center, but she saw the support for her family as her practice. She taught her little grandson the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM and showed him how to do light offerings.

Practice for Inge

On Thursday, October 24, 2024, two days after Inge’s death, the Aryatara community performed a Medicine Buddha puja for her at the center. We individually informed people close to her about the puja and around 30 people attended. If you would have liked to be there but were not informed, please accept our apologies. In the short time available and due to our sadness about Inge’s death, we may not have thought of all the people who were also close to her.

All are welcome to offer practice for Inge from home, many resources can be found here, particularly Medicine Buddha practice: Death and Dying: Practices and Resources (fpmt.org/death/).

We would like to note that Inge was also involved in the creation of this information we share with you today. May she continue on the Bodhisattva path with the blessings of the Buddhas and always be guided by perfect Mahayana teachers!

Written by Aryatara Institute, we offer grateful thanks for this inspiring tribute.

Please pray that Inge Siebenwurst may never ever be reborn in the lower realms, may she be immediately born in a pure land where she can be enlightened or to receive a perfect human body, meet the Mahayana teachings and meet a perfectly qualified guru and by only pleasing the guru’s mind, achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible. More advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on death and dying is available, see Death and Dying: Practices and Resources (fpmt.org/death/).

To read more obituaries from the international FPMT mandala, and to find information on submission guidelines, please visit our new Obituaries page (fpmt.org/media/obituaries/).