Property:Introbuddhism
From Tsadra Foundation Advanced Contemplative Scholarships
This is a property of type Text.
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1993, with GenduÌn Rinpoche +
I started my Buddhist studies in 2005 at Naropa University with Dr. Reggie Ray, in the Shambhala Tradition. I attended 5 dathuns. 1 at Shambhala Mountain Center, and the rest in Crestone Colorado. I took sutrayana of Hinayana and Mahayana at Naropa University. In 2016 I formally have left Dharma Ocean and have now been connected to Vajra Vidya, the Khenpos and ven. Thrangu Rinpoche. +
2000 Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh +
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1967 with Shunryu Suzuki Roshi +
2006, with Lama Lakha Rinpoche, Copenhagen, Denmark +
I grew up in a spiritual community and was exposed to Buddhism via my parents' involvement from the time that I was a child (primarily through Lama Karma Dorje at Kalu Rinpoche's Kagyu Shenpen Kunchab Center in Santa Fe, N.M. and, later, Lama Karma Chodrak at the Kagyu Mila Guru Sangha in Questa, N.M.). My more active involvement in studying Buddhism began in 1995 with Lama Karma Chodrak. +
1999, Tse Chen Ling, San Francisco, California, and Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center, San Jose, California: Ven. Robina Courtin, FPMT staff
2000, Kagyu Droden Kunkhyab, San Francisco, California: Lama Lodu Rinpoche, Lama Jinpa Tharchin +
My first main teacher is Lama Namse Rinpoche from Karma Sonam Dargye Ling monastery which I started to attend in 2003 until now. +
I've first started to study buddhism by myself through books and internet articles at around 11 years old, soon after when I was 12 I started to do regular Zazen practices at a Sōtō Zen-shu center near my house in Porto Alegre, Brasil, called 'Via Zen' under the guidence of resident Nun Shoden. Soon after that I attended short retreats at the center's rural location, 'Vila Zen' one under the guidance of Coen Roshi, the national supervisor of this specific tradition when I was 14 and later another retreat with 'Via Zen' main teacher, Monk Dengaku at 18 years old. It was only when arriving at Kathmandu though at 19 years old that I took formal refuge and started to devote myself basically full time to pratice and study, starting this process under Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche's guidance. +
July 1993 with Geshe Michael Roach and Khen Rinpoche Lobsang Tharchin +
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My studies of Buddha Dharma began about 6 years ago through various teachers online.
A few years later (2022) I met Wangchen Rinpoche +
I started in 1987 at Montreal Dharmadhatu. I studied with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche until 2010. +
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I first began reading books on Buddhism and learning to meditate around six years ago. I started with texts like the Dhammapada and some Theravadan sutras, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Robert Thurman's Essential Tibetan Buddhism and a bit later a couple of books by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Around five and a half years ago, I went to a couple of meditation classes at a New Kadampa centre and then attended a meditation course at a local yoga centre. These classes were helpful both in further developing the routine of a daily meditation practice and in meeting other spiritual seekers. In 2022, I had the good luck to attend a few months of a shamatha class at the Toronto Karma Kagyu centre, taught by a couple of senior western students. This class had a big effect on me, as although I had been drawn to the the Buddhadharma for some time, there was something uniquely powerful about way meditation was taught there; it just felt different. Along with methods for shamatha, we were taught compassion practices like tonglen, which really blew me away and seemed to open things up in a new way. A few years ago, I began to frequent the Palyul Pema Mani Centre here in Toronto. Our resident teacher is Tulku Dawa Rinpoche and, in my time, we have also been very fortunate to have had visits from from highly regarded teachers like Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso, Khenpo Kunzang Dechen and Terton Namkha Drimed Rabjam Rinpoche. Tulku Dawa regularly gives both formal teachings and personal guidance, grants empowerments, leads us in regular group practice (tsog, guru yoga, green tara etc) and leads yearly retreats for phowa and nyugne. For the past three summers, I've attended month-long retreats at the Palyul retreat centre in upstate NY under the tutelage of Gyang Khang Tulku Rinpoche (empowerments, heart teachings and vows), Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso (heart teachings and vows), Luphug Tulku (ngondro) and Khenpo Tenzin Norgay (tsa lung and khorde rushen) with the indispensable guidance of beloved class lamas, Lama Pasang (ngondro), Lopbon Rabjee (tsa lung) and Lama Tsultrim (khorde rushen.) All of these wonderful teachers were trained at Namdroling monastery under the guidance of renowned Dzogchen master Kyabje Pema Norbu Rinpoche.
