Dharma Teachers

Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche
Oct. 11, 1931- Oct. 22, 2003

Namgyal Rinpoche, a Canadian by birth, was ordained at Bodhgaya over thirty years ago—as Bikkhu Ananda Bodhi—by the Mon-Burmese Sayadaw U Thila Wunta. After studying and teaching in the East for eight years, he returned to England and founded a Vihara in London and a meditation centre in Scotland. On his return to Canada in the mid 60’s, he founded the Dharma Centre of Canada at Kinmount, Ontario.
In the following years Rinpoche taught in Canada as well as abroad accompanied by many of his students. During a visit to several centers of Buddha-Dharma in India and Sikkim, he met with, and was immediately recognized by His Holiness, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, who installed him as Karma Tenzin Dorge Namgyal Rinpoche.

Rinpoche continued to travel throughout the world teaching non-clinging, compassionate awareness until his passing in October 2003.

Under his guidance, his students have established centers in Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Europe, Central America, New Zealand and Australia.

In the Breath of Awakening a book of one of his many discourses,
Namgyal 's closing commentary reads as follows:

"Extraordinary beings with extraordinary qualities of consciousness could transform the future of our planet."

Namgyal Rinpoche, 1974

Lama Sonam Senge

In 1976 Lama Sonam Senge co-founded

the Open Path

a Center for Eastern and Western Studies

in Idaho

Lama Senge was given ordination by the Venerable Sayadaw Utilla Wunta of Burma, and ordained in the way of the elders in the Theravadin tradition. Lama Senge was then later to receive ordination in the Karma Kargyu tradition, from His Holiness the 16th Karmapa.

In 1981 Lama Senge gathered a group of dharma students from Boise to take a pilgrimage to India. During this travel Lama Senge met with Kyabje Sakya Trizin and His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche.

The group visited Purawala where His Eminence Sakya Trizen inaugurated a new temple and gave the Lam-Dre teachings to a large group of Tibetans and Westerners. This visit in Purawala gave Lama Senge and the group a precious opportunity to pay respects and receive teaching. His Eminence Chogye Rinpoche was very happy to see a group of the Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche’s students; and upon Lama Senge's request granted the bestowal of the Demchog initiation to the Boise group and a very small number of Tibetans.

His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche of the Sakya tradition, gave his blessings for Lama Sonam Senge to begin giving Tibetan Wongkurs and Empowerments. At this time he requested Lama Senge to bestow the Kriya, Carya and Yoga Tantra initiations.

Afterwards, and on leaving Purawala, the Boise students traveled as a group to the mountains of Ceylon where they were led in a month long retreat by Lama Senge.

From 1984 to 1987, Lama Senge led eight students in a three year Ngondro Foundation retreat in Costa Rica. After this Lama Senge became the senior instructor in Buddhist Studies at the Dharma Centre of Canada's Kinmount Academy and Seminary, founded by the Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche.

During this time Lama Senge received all of the Anuttara Yoga crown level empowerments while under the spiritual guidance of the late Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche. He was responsible for doing the mandalas and assisting Rinpoche with these Initiations.

In 1990 once again, Lama Senge led a group of Dharma students in a tour of India meeting many teachers; including an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. At that time he also met with Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche the 3rd, the Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Shamarpa Rinpoche and Kenting Tai Situpa Rinpoche.

Lama Sonam Senge is an author and artist. He lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia where he teaches and practises the Dharma.

Cecilie Kwiat

Cecilie Kwiat, a Canadian-born meditation teacher with skill in crafting traditional meditation techniques to accommodate individual needs, is a Buddhist practitioner rooted in North American culture. She considers the Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche to be her root teacher. Since the mid 1960’s Cecilie has also had the good fortune of receiving teachings from many excellent teachers from the three main schools of Sakyamuni Buddha’s lineage.

Cecilie’s work continues to focus on developing non-clinging, compassionate awareness to still the fires of suffering and ignorance. Her main practices aim at increasing love, skill and a respect for the gift of what is present.

Cecilie Kwiat is resident guide and teacher for Novayana Society, based in Edmonton, Alberta. She teaches regularly in Edmonton, Calgary, and Boise, Idaho as well as at various Dharma Centres across Canada, including the Dharma Centre of Canada, and Crystal Staff in Ottawa. She has been graced with the opportunity to teach frequently at various centres in Tasmania, Australia, New Zealand, England, France, and North America. She currently lives in Didsbury, Alberta, Canada where she provides individual meditation and retreat instruction.

Bonni Ross

Bonnie Ross began work as a meditation teacher and counsellor in 1978. She combines 40 years of study and practice in the Theravadan and Vajrayana traditions of Buddhism with motherhood, experience in holistic therapies and Western Mysteries and a 16-year career as a strategic planning consultant to business and government.

She helped to establish Kia Zan (a residential treatment program for kids with drug-related problems) in Winnipeg; served on the Board and taught at Karma Buddhist College in St. Catharines, Ontario; was a founder of Third Stream Co-op at The Toronto Waldorf School; has served as Resident Teacher at the Dharma Centre of Canada in Kinmount, Ontario; and teaches in California, Australia and New Zealand.

Bonni's classes explore both the philosophical and theoretic foundations of the teaching of awakening, as well as providing practical and pleasurable methods for increasing awareness, kindness and wisdom in daily life. She also guides individuals interested in focused meditation and leads retreats for depth unfoldment. __________________________________________________________
Geshe Jamyang Tsultrim

After coming to the USA from India, Geshe Jamyang obtained a Master's degree in Western psychology and has practiced as a mental health therapist specializing in mindfulness meditation and clinical work for the last 15 years. He has taught mindfulness meditation and Buddhist philosophy throughout the US to both health care professionals and Buddhist practictioners. He trained as a Buddhist monk for 20 years and has studied with many senior Tibetan masters in India and Nepal, and is a visiting instructor in Buddhist logic and epistomology at the International Buddhist Academy, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Tarchin Hearn

Tarchin Hearn was born in England and raised in Canada. He has more than 30 years of experience in Theravadin and Mahayana schools of Buddhism and was ordained as a monk for 12 years in the Tibetan tradition. In his early years he studied with such illuminating teachers as the Ven. Namgyal Rinpoché, Kalu Rinpoché, H.H. the XVIth Karmapa, and Ven. Sayadaw U Thila Wunta, as well as receiving teachings and transmissions from H.H. The Dalai Lama, H.H. Sakya Trizin, Chobgye Rinpoché, Ling Rinpoché, Trichang Rinpoché, Kanjur Rinpoché, Karma Thinley Rinpoché, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoché and Thich Nhat Hanh.

Since 1977 he has taught in many countries and helped establish a number of centres for study and practice. Author of several books, he has been a guiding teacher for The Wangapeka Study and Retreat Centre www.wangapeka.org

Writer, artist, poet, traveler and inspiring teacher, Tarchin sometimes describes himself as a yogi of the natural world. He has a great interest in blending the insights and understandings of science and ecology with the teachings of Buddha Dharma. Though well trained in Buddhism, Tarchin's way of teaching is thoroughly non-sectarian and universal in nature. Bringing together a wonderful balance of humour and seriousness, eclectic experimentation and classical tradition, Tarchin's teachings have inspired a vast range of people, from those who are new to the spiritual life, all the way through to people who are themselves already competent teachers of various different traditions.