Teachers

His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso

His Holiness the 14th the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, is the head of state and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was born Lhamo Dhondrub on 6 July 1935, in a small village called Taktser in northeastern Tibet. Born to a peasant family, His Holiness was recognized at the age of two, in accordance with Tibetan tradition, as the reincarnation of his predecessor the 13th Dalai Lama, and thus an incarnation Avalokitesvara, the Buddha of Compassion.

Return to top 

Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, FPMT's spiritual director, is the reincarnation of the Sherpa Nyingma yogi Kunsang Yeshe, the Lawudo Lama. Rinpoche was born in 1946 in Thami, not far from the cave Lawudo, in the Mount Everest region of Nepal, where his predecessor meditated for the last twenty years of his life.

For a complete biography as well as autobiography on Lama Zopa, click here.

Return to top 

Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche

Venerable Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche was born in Amdo, Tibet, in 1926. Rinpoche is one of the few holders of a rare lineage of The Kalachakra Tantra having first received the Kalachakra empowerment at the age of 15. He was appointed the abbot of Taktsang Lhamo (Kirti Gompa in Amdo) in 1955. In 1956 Rinpoche went to Lhasa where he remained until 1959 when he fled to India following His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

At the age of 45 he began a 15 year meditation retreat in a small stone hermitage above Dharamsala - "big enough for a bed, prostrations, and a stove". He spent seven years in meditation on Lam Rim, three years on "Seven Point Thought Transformation", and some generation and completion stage tantra. Two years were spent only on generation and completion stages. In the final 3 years, Rinpoche repeated all of the above. It was after His Holiness the Dalai Lama requested Rinpoche to come out of retreat and teach that Rinpoche put an end to his retreat.  

Venerable Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche is one of the teachers of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and of Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche. Venerable Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche is also a world renowned teacher having given teachings in Australia, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.

Rinpoche has given the Kalachakra empowerment times.

He has also given the transmission of the Stainless Light Commentary seven times.

These seven transmissions are as follows:

1)      Given to Serkong Thukse Rinpoche from Ganden Jangze Monastery. Transmission took place in Dharamsala over a 6 month period.

2)      Given to Serkong Thukse Rinpoche, in Dharamsala over a 2 month period. This second transmission was necessary since Serkong Rinpoche needed to be cleaer about the finest points before passing on the lineage to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

3)      Given to Pang Nang Rinpoche (also known as Kangyur Lama) from Loseling Monastery, Tehor Khamtsen. Transmission took place in Dharamsala.

4)      Given to Bakula Rinpoche from Ladhak. Transmission took place in ?   

5)      Given to the Abbot of Kirti Taktsang Lhamo Monastery. Transmission took place in Dharamsala.

6)      Given to Khyongla Rato Rinpoche in New York.

7)      Given to 60 participants in Dharamsala, during the summer of 2000, including Jangze Chozen Rinpoche, Jato Rinpoche (the Abbot of Namgyal Monastery) and other 12 lamas.

At the end of that last transmission, His Holiness invited all participants in the Palace and offered blessed objects such as thankas, statues and photographs to all.
    Special thanks-giving offerings were presented to Rinpoche. His Holiness requested Rinpoche for a private transmission of the Stainless Light Commentary that can be completed gradually over the period of 4-5 years due to limitations imposed by His Holiness’ very busy schedule. 
    It was at the end of this transmission that His Holiness praised Rinpoche for his humble character and commented on how many sentient beings were being benefited by Rinpoche’s travels and teachings all over the world. His Holiness recognizes Rinpoche as one of His lineage lamas. 

Return to top 

Kyabje Ribur Rinpoche  

(Taken from the book “How to Generate Bodhicitta” by Ribur Rinpoche, published by Amitabha Buddhist Center, Singapore)

Ribur Rinpoche was born in Kham, eastern Tibet, in 1923.  He was recognized at the age of five as the sixth reincarnation of Lama Kunga Osel, a great scholar and teacher who spent the last twelve years of his life in strict solitary retreat.  All five of the previous incarnations were principal teachers at Ribur Monastery in Kham.

When Ribur Rinpoche was fourteen he entered Sera Monastery, one of the great Gelug monastic-universities in Lhasa, to begin intensive studies in Buddhist philosophy, which culminated in his receiving the Geshe degree at the age of 25.  During his stay in Sera Monastery Rinpoche also attended many teachings and initiations given by his root guru, Pabongka Rinpoche, the greatest Gelug lama of the time.   After receiving his Geshe degree, Rinpoche returned to Kham where he spent many years doing retreat in a small hut he had built in the forest.   But after the Chinese Communist invasion in 1950, the situation in Kham became increasingly dangerous and in 1955 he was advised by one of his gurus, Trijang Rinpoche, to return to Lhasa, where he continued to take teachings and do retreats. 

But Lhasa itself soon became unsafe.  From 1959 (the year of the Tibetan people’s uprising) to 1976, Rinpoche experienced numerous hardships and difficulties such as imprisonment and physical abuse, and being a helpless observer of the terrible destruction of the Cultural Revolution.  However, during this time he was able to keep his mind peaceful and even happy by practicing the teachings he had learned.  As Rinpoche described his experiences, “I didn’t really experience the slightest difficulty during those adverse conditions.  This was due to the kindness of Lama Dorje Chang (Pabongka Rinpoche).  From him I had somehow learned some mental training, and in those difficult times, my mind was immediately able to recognize the nature of cyclic existence, the nature of afflictive emotions, and the nature of karma and so forth.  So my mind was really at ease.”

Following the Cultural Revolution Rinpoche worked with the Panchen Lama to restore as many of the lost spiritual treasures of Tibet as they could.  His main accomplishment was recovering the two most precious statues of Shakyamuni Buddha: the Jowo Chenpo and the Ramo Chenpo.  These two statues, originally brought to Tibet by the Chinese and Nepalese wives of King Songtsen Gampo (ca 617-698 C.E.), were taken to Beijing during the Cultural Revolution and kept in various warehouses along with thousands of other statues for 17 years, until Rinpoche found them and returned them to their respective temples in Lhasa.

Return to top 

Venerable Choden Rinpoche

     When the Communist Chinese invaded Tibet in 1959, Choden Rinpoche was arrested and jailed for several months.  After his release, Rinpoche went into solitary retreat for 19 years. He never left his tiny, dark room in Lhasa for twenty years. In 1985 he was allowed to leave Tibet for India. Since then he has taught thousands of students at Sera Je monastery in South India, and in Dharma centers around the world.

The Qualities of Choden Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Those students who have received teachings from Choden Rinpoche in the past, starting from the first time we invited Rinpoche to Vajrapani will have some idea and recognition of some of Rinpoche’s qualities. Of course it is only when we become enlightened that can we see every single quality that Rinpoche possesses—the vast and inconceivable secret qualities of the Buddha are the object of knowledge of only Buddhas themselves, even arhats and tenth level bodhisattvas cannot perceive them. However, those who have taken teachings before will be able to see that Rinpoche has vast knowledge and experience—not only having vast intellectual understanding but also his holy mind enriched with oceans of realizations as vast as space, being soft-minded, having completed the mind training in good heart, being pure and possessing all the qualities of the learned ones. This much we are able to see and feel.

            Actually, all the qualities of the Guru that Rinpoche mentioned over the past few days of Lam Rim teachings are qualities that he himself possesses. Rinpoche himself has the ten qualities mentioned in Maitreya Buddha’s teaching, the Ornament of the Sutras. He is a virtuous friend who has pacified his mind by living in the training of moral conduct, who has pacified his mind by the training in concentration, and who is extremely pacified due to the training in great insight. Then, Rinpoche has greater qualities than the disciples, has perseverance—you can see there is not even the slightest stain of laziness—and is enriched with all the lineages of the three baskets of teachings including tantra. Also he has the highest realization of emptiness according to the Prasangika school, not just a lower school view of emptiness such as svatantrika or mind only, which could be implied by the quality of “great insight”. Then, Rinpoche is extremely skilful in the way he teaches—able to make the teachings very effective, has compassion and no upsetness in guiding the disciples, in revealing the teachings.

            Rinpoche also has all the qualities mentioned in the Guru Puja. He has the ten qualities, has well-disciplined the three doors of body, speech and mind, has great wisdom, patience, a sincere heart, and is free of pretence or cunning—not hiding his own mistakes. And Rinpoche has complete understanding of the four classes of tantra, including the highest, mahaanuttaratantra. He not only has intellectual understanding but also the actual realization of the real meaning of mantra or ngag—the clear light, the transcendental wisdom of non-dual bliss and voidness of mahaanuttaratantra. Rinpoche has the ten outer qualities of the lower tantras and the ten inner qualities of highest tantra.

            Then, in the Fifty Verses of Guru Devotion there are five qualities mentioned: having unshakeable devotion to the Mahayana teachings, being learned in all the Mahayana teachings—the common sutra teachings and in particular the tantric teachings, the whole path to enlightenment—having great compassion, being expert in guiding disciples, and being well disciplined in body, speech and mind. Rinpoche is qualified in all of these.

            So I thought to mention all these qualities for the new people who are coming, who have some interest in the spiritual path, but no idea at all about the Guru and how everything depends upon searching for, finding, examining and then devoting oneself to a perfect Guru. This is the most important thing for spiritual practice and Choden Rinpoche is the real Tibetan Lama, the real Guru to whom they can devote themselves if they really want to practice a spiritual path. Of course no question this is the same of all my other Gurus, except myself, I am Mickey Mouse. I mention this so you know that this is not blind faith or getting into something that could later cheat you, some big hallucination.

            The other thing I want to say is that my feeling is that each word Rinpoche says is coming from his own realization and that is why each word is very, very effective—like an atomic bomb to pacify delusion. More specifically, because of the very pure samaya that Rinpoche has with his own Gurus every single word of the teachings can benefit because it carries so much blessing. This is the most important thing. How quickly the disciple gets realization and achieves enlightenment depends on the good relationship, samaya, with the Gurus. When the samaya is good the disciple can achieve realization very quickly and get enlightened, otherwise not, again they become obscured and there are obstacles.

            Because every single word is coming from his realizations and pure samaya with his Gurus, if you meditate continuously as Rinpoche gives teachings and continue to meditate on that basis I would think that definitely you will achieve realization. For example, Rinpoche is just about to finish the section on Guru Devotion, so if you continue to meditate on what Rinpoche has taught every day definitely you will achieve realization. It is the same with the other topics that Rinpoche teaches, as Rinpoche starts to teach, if you continue to meditate at the same time I would think that because of Rinpoche’s blessings coming from realizations as well as pure samaya with the Gurus it will definitely change the mind. If one puts effort to meditate at the same time as Rinpoche is teaching, definitely you will have realizations. This is my general comment that I want to emphasize for new students, old students, everyone. There are many people who achieve realizations during teachings—while the Lama is teaching their mind gets moved and they get realizations.

            Therefore, of course at home there are many engagements and for those who live far away it may not be easy to come everyday, also I understand that there have been many great Lamas and other gurus teaching in the area but one should not think that there will be this opportunity all the time. This opportunity can be stopped anytime. So I would like to emphasize for the old students to attend the Lam Rim teachings as much as possible. Originally it was Ribur Rinpoche’s advice to invite a very powerful lama to give the Lam Rim Chen Mo teachings at LMB, so this happened due to Rinpoche’s kindness. So even though there are many engagements at home, in the family, but if one is able to make the time I would suggest to try as much as possible to attend Choden Rinpoche’s Lam Rim teachings. For sure the result is that there will be no regret in the future at all. No regret in the future—the future is enlightenment, the realizations of the path to enlightenment. If you continue to meditate on the Lam Rim as Rinpoche gives teachings—of course it depends on each individual’s karma—but I would definitely think there can be realization. And Rinpoche is someone whose mind is always in the practice, in the pure Dharma, without even one second’s break. This is the comment I always make about Choden Rinpoche. So if one really meditates as Rinpoche gives teaching on the Lam Rim and really puts effort, there can be some change, one can really have some experience, development in the heart due to Rinpoche’s blessing—his realizations and his pure samaya with his Gurus.

            I thought to say this, because even though I received many Lam Rim teachings myself, but of course the mind is still totally empty, so because my mind is empty I need to receive more teachings to subdue the mind. I received teaching so many times, even from His Holiness the Dalai Lama but my mind is still empty, so I feel good to receive more Lam Rim teachings, it is really unbelievable, incredible. There is nothing better to do in life than this. There is no happier life than this. Also, in Rinpoche’s teachings there are many special clarifications that you do not normally hear.

Rinpoche is not only a great scholar knowing many words but at the same time very humble, no ego, extremely soft-minded inside—having great knowledge but at the same time extremely subdued, soft-hearted. That is how the practice is and that is how we should become also. We should become like Rinpoche.

            So it is very important at this time to attend these Lam Rim teachings. We are unbelievably fortunate to be able to meet Rinpoche and hear teachings, unbelievably fortunate. What else is there to have realizations on? The rest of the world is suffering so much from the turmoil of ignorance, anger, attachment and there is more and more killing and bombing. This shows us how unbelievably fortunate we are. The world situation inspires us to practice so we can bring more peace to the world and to all sentient beings. Last time I thought to have more Sangha attend the teachings. I think particularly Sangha really need to learn the way Rinpoche understands and to become like Rinpoche. That is our goal. Thank you very much!

Talk given at Land of Medicine Buddha, Oct 13, 2002. Transcribed by Ven Tsomo and edited by Venerable Sarah.  

Return to top 

Khensur Denma Locho Rinpoche

Locho Rinpoche is one of the few living high reincarnate lamas who was educated in Tibet. He is an expert on Manjushri's fierce form, Yamataka, and many other teachings and practices. Born in Kham, Tibet in 1928 and recognized at age six as the reincarnation of a famous scholar/teacher from the local Selkar monastery, at age eleven Locho Rinpoche entered Drepung Loseling Monastic College outside Lhasa, obtained his Geshe degree at age 25, and then attended Gyume Tantric College.

In 1959 he fled to India, living in Sarnath for two years and then two years on a research fellowship at Calcutta University before becoming principal of the Buddhist School of Dialectics in Ladahk for six years. In 1967 he become abbot of a small monastery in Manali before moving to Dharamsala, where he now resides. He served as Abbot of the Dalai Lama's Namgyal Monastery from 1986 to 1991, and has visited the U.S. on several previous occasions, including one year teaching at the University of Virginia.

Return to top 

Sera Je Khensur Rinpoche Jampa Tegchog

Sera Je Khensur Rinpoche Jampa Tegchog  was born in 1930 and became a monk at the age of eight. He studied the major Buddhist treatises at Sera Je Monastic University in Tibet for fourteen years before fleeing his homeland in 1959 following the Chinese invasion. Geshe Tekchok continued his studies at Varanasi University in India where he obtained his Acharya (Master) degree and taught for seven years. He then came to Europe, teaching in England for three years and at Nalanda Monastery in France for ten years. In 1993 His Holiness the Dalai Lama appointed him Abbot of Sera Je Monastic University in South India. He has now retired to concentrate on teaching and writing.
Sera Je Khensur Rinpoche Jampa Tegchog has a wonderful ability to communicate the teachings of the Buddha and a lifetime of experience in doing so. He is the author of 'Transforming the Heart, The Buddhist Way to Joy and Courage' edited by Thubten Chodron and published by Snow Lion in 1999.

Return to top 

Yangsi Rinpoche

Yangsi Rinpoche is the reincarnation of one of Lama Yeshe's teachers.  After finishing his studies at Sera Je and Gyume Tantric College, he  joined Geshe Sopa in Deer Park Monastery, Wisconsin in 1998 and since then, started teaching Western students.  One of Yangsi Rinpoche's major teachings was at Tushita Meditation Centre, Dharamsala, 2000, where he taught Lam.rim Chen.mo during a two-month lam.rim retreat.  These excellent teachings has been published as a book by Wisdom Publications, entitled "Practising the Path".

Yangsi Rinpoche is starting The Advanced Buddhist Studies Program at Maitripa Insitute. For more information visit www.maitripa.org 

Return to top 

Venerable George Churinoff

Venerable George Churinoff, a senior and experienced American monk, will teach the Basic Program subjects. A physics graduate from MIT, George also has a Masters degree in Buddhist studies from Delhi University, India. He took ordination in 1975 and after more than four years at Kopan Monastery in Nepal he then studied the Geshe Study Program at Manjushri Institute in England where he was also served as Spiritual Program Co-ordinator (SPC).  Venerable George was instrumental in founding the Master's Program at Istituto Lama Tsong Khapa in Italy where he was also SPC, studying and teaching for 8 years with an additional three year tenure at Tushita Delhi during that period. Then followed 3 years of working with Lama Osel Rinpoche, as his English curriculum tutor at Sera-Jhe Monastery in South India. George has done many retreats in the Sutra and Tantra traditions and taught extensively in America, Europe, India and Nepal, Russia, Mongolia, Singapore, Australia and, most recently, New Zealand. Following advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, he comes to Land of Medicine Buddha to begin teaching the Basic Program.  

Return to top 

Venerable René Feusi

Venerable René was born in Switzerland in 1959. He first encountered Buddhism at the age of 20, when he attended the annual November course at Kopan Monastery in Nepal. When he was 26 he took getsul (novice) ordination in Dharamsala, India and took (gelong) full ordination the following year.

In 1988, René entered Nalanda Monastery in France and studied with Geshe Tegchok for four years during which time he also completed the traditional 900,000 preliminary practices (including 100,000 Vajrasattva recitations, 100,000 prostrations etc). Between 1993 to 1995 he completed a 2 1/2 year solitary retreat in Spain. Since then Venerable René has continued to study, teach and guide students in meditation and retreats worldwide.

Return to top 

Venerable Steve Carlier

Venerable Steve Carlier was born in the UK, and has been studying Buddhism since 1977. He first met Lama Yeshe, the founder of the FPMT, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, its current head, in 1978. He was ordained as a Buddhist monk by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in 1979 and received full ordination from Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche the following year. He studied for eleven years at Nalanda Monastery in France, and from 1993 to 2004 was one of only a handful of Westerners who have followed what His Holiness Dalai Lama refers to as the 'Nalanda Tradition' of studies at Sera Monastery in India. Since 1979 he has been a student of the revered abbot emeritus of Sera Je monastery, Khensur Jampa Tegchog. More recently he has served as this great master's interpreter. He is currently at Land of Medicine Buddha, teaching the Basic Program.

Return to top 

Reverend Heng Sure

Reverend Heng Sure was ordained as a Buddhist monk at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Talmage , California , in 1976. After receiving full ordination he commenced a "three steps, one bow" pilgrimage from South Pasadena to Ukiah, a distance of more than eight hundred miles, over two years and nine months.   With a Ph.D. at the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley and a Masters from the University of California at Berkeley in Oriental Languages, Rev. Heng Sure currently serves as Director of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery.   He also lectures on the Buddhist Sutras and holds regular meditation classes.  Rev. Heng Sure is also actively involved in interfaith dialogue and is a Director of the United Religions Initiative.

Return to top 

Venerable Robina Courtin

"Venerable Robina Courtin was ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun at Kopan Monastery in 1978. She has worked full time since then for Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche's Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, first as editorial director of Wisdom Publications And then as editor of the FPMT magazine, Mandala. She is now director of Liberation Prison Project, which supports the Buddhist practice and Studies of thousands of prisoners in the USA and Australia. Since 1987 she has taught Buddhist courses and retreats at FPMT centers worldwide.  

Born in Australia, she studied classical singing in Melbourne until her early twenties. In London she was involved with the radical left and feminism and then, in her quest for a spiritual path, studied martial arts.

An award-winning film, Chasing Buddha, made by her nephew Amiel Courtin-Wilson, documents her life and includes her work at Kentucky State Prison. She is one of the subjects of Vicki Mackenzie's Why Buddhism?, And a film by Christine Lundberg, On the Road Home".

Return to top 

Venerable Sarah Thresher (Tenzin Yiwong)

Venerable Sarah Tenzin Yiwong was the resident teacher at Land of Medicine Buddha from 2000 - 2003.  Born in London, she earned her bachelor's degree in 1982 and shortly afterwards met the Buddha's teachings at Kopan Monastery, Nepal. Since then she has studied with many great masters and was ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1986. She has taught in many countries around the world.

Return to top 

Venerable Rita Riniker (Lobsang Palmo)

Venerable Rita Riniker (Lobsang Palmo) Born in 1950, Venerable Rita grew up in Switzerland. She ran her own restaurant business for many years then decided to go traveling where she met Buddhism at Kopan Monastery, Nepal in 1990. It was there that she met Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, her main teacher. She was one of the volunteers who helped start Land of Medicine Buddha with Chui Nan Lai as the Director. She returned to Kopan in 1991, took ordination from Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche and has been living at Tushita Meditation Centre, Dharamsala since then, initially studying at the Tibetan Library of Works and Archives for 6 years, and in recent years has been one of the main teachers of Tushita's famous "Introduction to Buddhism" courses. Ven Rita has also led and guided many retreats, including five 3-month Vajrasattva retreats, a few Green Tara retreats, and also a 2-month Lam Rim Chen Mo retreat with teachings by Yangsi Rinpoche, in 2000. She is especially well known for leading Nyung Nay.   In 1998, she took six months off and completed more than 80 consecutive Nyung Nays. Rita has also been teaching in Europe for many years and has made several teaching tours to Israel and more recently, taught in Australia and New Zealand. Her direct, down-to-earth teachings, with much emphasis on link between theory and practice and how to integrate it in daily life attracted many students worldwide. 

" THE REACHES OF VENERABLE RITA" From Dorje Chang Institute’s (DCI) Newsletter, Auckland, New Zealand. 

    "Venerable Rita is a most unique nun - a pragmatist - a sort of modern day crusader... who is entirely at ease with ‘street dharma’. She was recently in Auckland and DCI was gracious enough to share her with Waiheke Islanders, therapists and in the rooms of suburban houses...those who had never met a Buddhist teacher before experienced her vivacious love of life. Here is an account from one person, out of the many, that she skillfully touched: "My ears and heart (and I am sure those of all who gathered together) resonated (and still do!) with the warmth and sound of Rita’s voice as she hammered home in her strident Swiss style, practical words of wisdom. ‘Just let it go’ she screeched and smacked her hands together as a pair of cymbals.” 

    The occasion was the lounge of a guest lodge on Waiheke Island where locals gathered to listen to the pragmatic, hard hitting but gentle words from Rita whose background experience of living life as an alcoholic prior to becoming a Buddhist Nun gave us all a living example of our own potential. The potential to transform our minds. 

    Venerable Rita talks on how to travel: "The advantage with journeys to the inner world is, that you don't need ticket, visa, passport or whatever, you can go whenever you want, you only need some courage. Now I don't know about your inner world, but mine is definitely full of crap but fascinating. If you are not afraid of the crap, and you have some humor, the inner world certainly becomes the perfect travel ground."

Many people were touched by her raw and real reach. 

Return to top 

Venerable Sangye Khadro

Originally from California, Venerable Sangye Khadro took her first course in Buddhism in Dharamsala, India in 1973 and became ordained in 1974. After ordination, she spent several years of doing retreat in Asia and also studied the Geshe and Masters Program at Manjushri Institute, England, and Institute Lama Tsong Khapa, Italy.   She also started a Nunnery in France and was Director for a couple of years.  Venerable  Sangye Khadro later became resident teacher of Buddha House, Australia and also Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore. Now she travels around the world, where she continues to teach, study and engage in retreat. Her 1984 book, “How to Meditate” continues to be a Buddhist best-seller.

Return to top 

Venerable Drimay

Venerable Losang Drimay  
Venerable Drimay was born in California in 1960.   She has a BA in Asian Studies. While still a student, she took leave of absence from her graduate program and met the Tibetan lamas.  She lived at a Milarepa Center, a Buddhist retreat center in Vermont, and never quite got back to finish the graduate program. 
    

She then worked in California, at the Central Office of a worldwide Buddhist organization (FPMT) from 1989 – 92, which was then located in Soquel, California. In 1991 she became ordained in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, following the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.  In 1992-92, Drimay spent a year in India, studying mainly in Dharamsala.  Upon her return to America, she began working at Vajrapani Institute, in Boulder Creek, California, where she held several different roles until moving to Land of Calm Abiding, an isolated retreat center, in January 1998, in order to carrying out some of the meditation assignments given to her by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
    

Since 2001, Venerable Drimay has been resident teacher of Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center in San Jose, combining this with teaching at a number of other Buddhist Centers and venues in the Bay Area.

Return to top 

Venerable Tenzin Chogkyi 

Tenzin Chogkyi (formerly Petra McWilliams) became interested in meditation after reading Be Here Now and Autobiography of a Yogi in the early '70's. For the next 30 years, her spiritual path was meandering and haphazard, and included several dead ends, until she bought a one-way ticket to India in early 1991 with the intention of meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She became a student not only of His Holiness, but also of Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche and Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the year she spent studying at Tushita Retreat Center in Dharamsala and Kopan Monastery. In late 1991, she was asked by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to come back to the US to become the co-director of Vajrapani Institute in California. In 1995, she began working at FPMT International Office, first as co-director and then later as center services coordinator. In early 2000, she began a long, solitary retreat that lasted 6 ½ years. Since emerging from retreat in the summer of 2006, she has been living at Land of Medicine Buddha, assisting with various aspects of the spiritual program, and readjusting to the world. Tenzin Chogkyi decided to become ordained in the third year of her long retreat, and then left retreat for a quick trip to India in 2004 for novice ordination with His Holiness.

Return to top 

Jon Landaw  

Jon Landaw AUTHOR OF "BUDDHISM FOR DUMMIES" was born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1944. He received his A.B. degree in English Literature from Dartmouth College in 1965 and spent three years teaching English as a Second Language with the Peace Corps in Iran (1966-69). He worked as English editor for the Translation Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (1972-77) producing numerous texts under the guidance of Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey. As a student of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche since the mid-1970's, he has edited numerous works for Wisdom Publications, including "Wisdom Energy" and "Introduction to Tantra." He is also the author of "Prince Siddhartha," a biography of Buddha for children, and "Images of Enlightenment," published by Snow Lion in 1993. As an instructor of Buddhist meditation, he has taught in numerous Dharma centers throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere.  He currently lives in Capitola, California with his wife and three children.

Return to top 

Karuna Cayton

Karuna Cayton (LMFT, 1992) has been a student of Buddhist psychology and philosophy for over 25 years.  A long time student of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, he worked for the lamas at Kopan Monastery from 1975-1988.  During that time he created and taught the secular studies program for the resident Tibetan and Nepali monks. He also assisted in running the Buddhist programs for foreign visitors and was the co-founder and director of the city center in Kathmandu, Himalayan Yogic Institute. He has been on the FPMT Board of Directors since 1988.

            After returning to the US in 1988 he received his MA in Clinical Psychology from JFK University in 1992.  He has worked at the Children’s Health Council at Stanford University and trained interns in Narrative Therapy at Mental Research Institute (MRI) in Palo Alto. 

            Presently, he is the director of The Karuna Group (www.thekarunagroup.com) a coaching and counseling project.  The Karuna Group works with individuals, couples and families as well as assists business leaders in transforming their organizations into preeminent enterprises based upon the Buddhist principles of Wisdom, Compassion, and Ethics.

Return to top 

Richard Prinz

Richard Prinz is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. In private practice and in schools, he has worked with children of all ages. He has taken teachings, studied and meditated in the Tibetan Mahayana Buddhist tradition for 30 years. He has taught meditation and given Buddhist teachings to both adults and teens. Richard currently works as a school therapist at a high school and twice a year offers an 8 session Parenting Class. He lives with his wife, Bev, at Vajrapani Institute where he once served as director.

Return to top