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From Tsadra Foundation Advanced Contemplative Scholarships
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2
Centre Director, Montréal Shambhala Centre, 2002-2005
Teacher and meditation instructor, Montréal Shambhala Centre, 1994-present
Publicity, Montréal Shambhala Centre, 1992-present +
I was my taswe lama's driver, financial support for his first few years living in the Bay Area, and helped him obtain his first visas in the USA. 1998-2003. I helped him obtain his first apartment in San Francisco and set up most of his earliest teachings in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have continued to support my lamas in any way I am able. +
After the 3-yr, 3-mo retreat at KDOL I stayed in residence for about one year leading meditations, doing informal teaching, and doing maintenance and reception and other work.
I have also volunteered for various centers for shorter lengths of time, most recently at Gampo Abbey for two months assisting Gelong Kalsang with maintenance and caretaking. +
I worked in Samye Ling Tibetan centre for about 15 years altogether. I worked in many different capacities including the sewing room learning how to make Shamtabs and Zens under the guidance of the head monk and tailor. I learned a little bit of Thanka painting under the guidance of Sherab Palden Beru the master artist at Samye Ling as well as being involved in the renovation of the Nuns cottages. I was the Painter and Decorator for a time where myself and helpers worked in various locations in Samye Ling. I was also part of the Kitchen staff as an assistant to the main cook, and was a cook on Holy Isle for the winter retreatants during their Ngondro practice. I also helped out for two weeks in November 2021 just before the lockdown came into place. +
A
I am a medical herbalist and natural medicine doctor without western medicine license, and I have helped my Lama and sangha members with general medical advice. I hold an Honorary Doctorate in Traditional Native American Medicine from the NACTI organziation. I also founded a school for herbalism online. I Also volunteer by cooking, cleaning and purchasing groceries several times a week, I also water the local gardens and my gurus lawn. I also was the junior Chopon for the 50 day Nyungne retreat and in charge of opening the temple, performing umdze tasks and other things throughout the time here. I started an online university called divine master alchemy, and I have been traveling to many colleges and universities teaching culutral anthropology of ethnobotanical plant medicines and promoting harm reduction and beneficial practices related to dharma and mindfulness practices in the greater Enteogenic community for over 5 yrs. +
bénévolat pour l'entretien du centre quelques semaines plusieurs années de suite (quand je travaillais encore)
puis depuis que je suis en retraite professionnelle travaux de transcription d'enseignements ( sans IA ça n'existait pas et je ne l'utilise pas) et
de traduction à mon niveau de tibétain (en groupe) et
toute seule : travaux d'amélioration des textes de pratique ou actuellement du livre de Présence Ouverte Altruiste de Denys Rinpoché . Tout ceci régulièrement depuis 2019 +
I help Lama Migmar as much as I can while I'm in school -- I edited some talks of his for a book, help with publicity for his events, serve as his liaison to the Divinity School (e.g. getting tickets for his sangha for the recent visit of the Karmapa, which was quite a task, or else drafting email announcements, etc). Robert Thurman asked me to edit a book for Tibet House when I was at Columbia but he couldn't get school funding (and wouldn't accept when I implored him to let me do it for free). I help around Tsechen Kunchab Ling when HH is there, such as serving tea and food in the temple and bagging up and distributing tsok offerings. I made long life pills with Shenphen Dawa Rinpoche one weekend. I generally help when opportunities arise. +
2018, June - Sept (4 months) GP : As a general volunteer, doing what ever was needed to help the new center get ready for Rinpoche's seminar and the 3 week outer Tara retreat that would follow. Tasks included gardening, cleaning, general construction, setting up the sound and translation equipment, making breakfast etc.
2020 July/Aug few weeks, GP - The center was having issues with their internet connection, being in such a remote location the wired internet was rather slow and temperamental. I took ownership of the project, researched and meticulously looked into all the feasible options. We went with Satellite broadband I arranged for a generous member of the Sangha to donate and install the equipment and I donated the monthly upkeep until the start of my retreat. +
I have served the my Teachers, monastery, and various affiliated centers since I first was introduced in 2013. When in Nepal I serve as a liaison for new students, translator and editor for seminar and retreat materials every Fall, Teaching Assistant at RYI during the Fall 2018, Spring 2019, and Fall 2019 semesters, assistant manager at the RYI restaurant and English tutor to the Tibetan language partners during the year of 2019, amongst spontaneous requests for assistance. At Gomde California I helped in the kitchen during Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche's seminars in 2016, 2017, and 2024. At Gomde Pyrenees I worked in the Lama Kitchen cleaning linens and dishes in 2018 and 2019. In 2020 I translated at Gomde Pyrenees for a three week Green Tara Retreat led by Ani Kunga from Nagi Gompa. I have traveled with Rinpoche an assisted him on four pilgrimages to Bodh Gaya. In December 2024, I traveled with Tulku Pasang Tsering and Khenpo Tsondru Sangpo to Gomde Pyrenees and translated for them during their month long stay. From January until March 19 of 2025, I was the Center Manager, main cook, and oral interpreter at Gomde Pyrenees. I managed Rinpoche's seminar in January of 2025 and oversaw volunteers for the most recent three-month retreat. +
Volunteering and residing at KTD Monastery since November 2022. Full time residential volunteer in Facilities department from November 2022 to January 2024, and currently the shrinekeeper and chopon at KTD (January 2024-Present). Additionally, I do cooking, gardening, ride service, and do personal shopping and financial matters for some Lamas and a Khenpo here at KTD.
Prior to moving to KTD, I helped serve my Lama (Yeshe Palmo) by helping take care of her house and animals when she goes away, and helped her move house, do yard work, and many various projects she needs help with. Currently, I visit her one or two times a year to help her and assist in puja, shrine work, chopon, etc. +
- June 2020 - August 2020 : Volunteering in Rangjung Yeshe Gomde UK - Cooking and cleaning.
- September 2020 : Cook for Ayang Rinpoche during his stay and teachings in Paris
- Jully - September 2021 : Volunteering in Kagyu Samye Ling Belgium - House Manager
- Volunteer at Rangjung Yeshe Gomde Pyrénées since November 2021 (when I am not in retreat there) - Translation and interpretation from English into French, cooking, cleaning. +
-Summer 2019 : Volunteering in Rangjung Yeshe Gomde UK.
-Jully 2021-September 2021 : Volunteering at Kagyu Samye Dzong Belgium.
-November 2021-February 2022 : Volunteering at Rangjung Yeshe Gomde Pyrénées +
B
as Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche's interpreter/translator since 1983 +
From late 2001 to 2009 I was buddhist facilitator in a New York maximum security prison. My role as a facilitator was to hold buddhist classes on a weekly basis, where a group of prisoners would meditate and watch recorded teachings by different buddhist teachers. For a period of about five years I also lead intense meditation retreats in prison, where a small group of prisoners would come and meditate from morning to evening. We were allowed to do these retreats once a month for a period from one to three days at a time.
In March and April of this year I did some volunteer work in Gomde Pyrenees, and from August, 2021 I do volunteer work in Gomde Pyrenees, where I will stay until the retreat starts next year. +
Oral translation for several Lamas from time to time:
1) Two-day teaching by Khenpo Sangpo Rinpoche (Norway)
2) Five-day teaching, practice and empowerment by Lama Nyima Gyaltsen Rinpoche (Malaysia)
3) Five-day teaching plus empowerment, and a four-day teaching by Dorzin Rinpoche (Vietnam)
4) Three-day teaching by Khenpo Sherab Oser (Vietnam)
5) Three-day teaching by Karma Wangchuk Lhamo (Thrangu Tara Abbey Nunnery, Nepal).
Led and guided a study group of five people for two months in Copenhagen, Denmark. The focus of the study group was Moonbeams of Mahamudra by Dagpo Tashi Namgyal.
Textual translations in close collaboration with Khenpo Jamyang Tenzin on many occasions, which add up to about a year in total. +
One month since the day 18 from June.
Kitchen service, maintenance and cleaning and anything i can help with. +
C
Firstly, I offered my service for the realization of my sisters Ngawang ChÑkyisÐ¥ 5-years retreat in Pharping/Nepal, heeding the advice of H.E. Chogye Trichen Rinpoche. As her only retreat caretaker I organized her study visa, general shopping, the monthly food supply, and at times, cooking, took care of her health matters, and helped to control the maintenance of the water supply, electricity and fire safety at the hermitage place, and managed all other aspects of her life.
With respect to Ngawang ChÑkyisÐ¥ retreat practice, I conferred her questions and received advices regularly from H.E. Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, after His passing from H.E. Jetsunma Kunzang Tendrol and H.H. the Sakya Trizin, as well as our senior ritual masters regarding ritual questions. Furthermore, I organized all together a total of 5 weeks of Firepujas, mainly alone (like trucks full of firewood, heaps of fire puja ingredients etc.).
Additionally to this, I went back and forth to Boudanath Ð besides organizing the retreat and attend the Vajrayogini and Protector Pujas Ð to help one of Rinpoches successors, Gar Shabdrung Rinpoche and the management of Jamchen Lhakang with general office and textual work and had until moving to Pharping served as English tutor and health caretaker for monks of all ages. I also helped with textual and editorial work of the texts my sister produced.
And very blessed, I somehow got unofficially assigned by the Mustang royal kin family as the health caretaker of H.E. Jetsunma Kunzang Tendrol, who had severe lung damage, needed to visit the hospital repeatedly and whose medication needed to be supervised.
Thus my service to the Dharma took mainly place in two different locations; one in the more active monastery life in Boudanath and the other in the more secluded, contemplative life in Pharping.
Back in the West I further fulfilled H.H. Sakya Trizins and also my wish to serve as a retreat helper for my sister, which was far less demanding than in Nepal Ð no visa needed, only shopping, some maintenance of the house, phone calls and emails to His Holiness could easily be organized.
And finally, ever since I have been back in Europe and being a monastic, I somehow automatically become part, and am of service to any Buddhist center in whatever form they need me (mainly Spain and recently Germany).
All together I have offered my service to my Gurus and the Dharma community the past ten years.
April 2009 - Dec 2012:
Retreat practices and performing community tasks at Chanteloube three-year retreat.
From the conclusion of three-year retreat (Dec 2012) until present, resident retreatant at Chanteloube:
Full time engagement in the Dharma community of Chanteloube, both in and out of the retreat centers, maintaining and performing practices and activities related to Rinpoches activities, according to their direction and coordination, such as
- Taking care of maintenance of girls retreat center and its temple activities (2009-present)
- Occasionally taking care of other centers, such as La Sonnerie or La Pechardie
- Chopon duties both in the retreat center as in the Sangha's regular tsoks
- Lama service in Dordogne teachings
- Cooking for Lamas during HH Sakya Trizin teachings and Khenpo Pema Sherap's
- Building renovation works of retreat center and La Pechardie house
- Preparation of tsa-tsas and of precious pills for the 108 Stupa Project at Chanteloube
-Painting of tsa-tsas for the stupas and for Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche's La Pechardie temple renovation, specifically "opening eyes" and coordinating newcomer painters
- Printing and hanging of prayer flags
- Animal liberation
- Preparation of handcrafted ritual objects for the next retreatants, under direct guidance of Rangdrol Rinpoche
- Coordination of teams for service at HH Sakya Trizin's Portugal teachings and empowerment, 2016
- Translation or revision of ritual texts into Portuguese
- Simultaneous translation of teachings into Portuguese
Supporting Rinpoches'activities in Portugal with occasional service or translation. +
2010. FPMT London Jamyang Meditation Center (3 months)
2010 FPMT France, Nalanda Monastery (3 months) +
maintenance activities in Argentina Tashigar sur +
