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Crystal Staff was established by students of Ven.
Namgyal Rinpoche (also ordained Ananda Bodhi). Many of Namgyal
Rinpoche’s students have gone on to become teachers in their
own right. Crystal Staff continues to invite these teachers to the
Ottawa-Gatineau area to give teachings and retreats. We are constantly
amazed and delighted at the high caliber of the teaching that they
offer, and are proud to feature them here.
Terry is the visiting resident teacher at the Dharma
Centre of Canada in 2007. He has more than 30 years of experience in
Buddha Dharma, incorporating Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana
teachings.
He spent over a quarter century as the personal assistant of
the
late Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche. During this time Terry assisted the
Rinpoche as he gave teachings and empowerments in many countries around
the world.
Terry has a unique ability to integrate teachings from both eastern and
western sources, revealing the universality of the unfolding mind. He
uses his wide ranging interests, his love of nature, and above all his
continual commitment to the teaching of compassion, to create a
refreshing accessible approach to meditation.
Terry has been sharing his experience and insights with students in
North America, Europe, New Zealand, Australia and U.K.
Terry has had teachings and transmissions from many Tibetan Masters,
including H.H. Dalai Lama, H.H. Gyalwa Karmapa, H.H. Sakya Trizen, H.E
Chogye Trizen Rinpoche, among others.
He has recently been exploring Movement Meditation in Indonesia and
India with Javanese teacher Suprapto Suryodarmo 'Liberation Through the
Body' with Leander Kane in New Zealand.
email: thagan@interhop.net
Mala is a visiting resident teacher at the Dharma Centre
in 2007. She has more than 20 years experience in Buddha Dharma and
teaching Body Work. She is a meditation teacher and movement artist of
Indian Origin. Since 1991 she has run a practice inspiring people of
all backgrounds
through Healing-Shiatsu and Seiki-Soho.
Her root Gurus were Zen Master John Garrie Roshi and Venerable Namgyal
Rinpoche. In addition she has studied under the world-renowned Dr. Shen
Hongxung in Buqi, Seiki-Soho with Akinobu Kishi and shamanic healers
from Indonesia.
Over the years Mala has been invited to hold in-house seminars by a
number of schools and Universities across the world as well as being
involved with Community Arts organizations in India and UK.
She has created numerous Multicultural Arts Projects including
initiating the 'Twinning' between arts centres in Indonesia and
WalesMala studied various forms of Martial arts and dance, specializing
in Kathakali, a form of South Indian Classical dance-theatre.
Since 1989 she trained extensively in 'Amerta' movement in Java and
Europe with Master Suprapto Suryodarmo.
Now her art of non-stylized movement-meditation,
’Life-Moves’ is continually developing as she
teaches around the world. Each year she spends several months in
retreat to aid her transformation and that of others.
website http://www.malasikka.net
email: malasikka@onetel.com
Sonam is a senior student of the Ven. Namgyal
Rinpoche, his root guru, with whom he studied and traveled the planet
for 38 years. In 1961, while studying Mathematics at Cambridge, he met
the Ven.
Namgyal Rinpoche, then known as Ananda Bodhi, and subsequently received
novice ordination as Vanaratana Samanera from the Venerable Saddhatissa
Mahathera in London, England in 1963.
Following two years' intensive training in the Theravada tradition in
England, in 1965 he accompanied his teacher, Namgyal Rinpoche, to
Toronto where he became a founding member of the Dharma Centre of
Canada. Later, he made several pilgrimages to India, Burma, Sri Lanka
and other Far Eastern lands with Namgyal Rinpoche.
Having received the higher ordination as Karma Konchog Sonam Gelong,
from H.H. the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, at the Dharmachakra Monastery in
Rumtek, Sikkim, in 1972, Sonam then lived the life of a Buddhist monk
for ten years.
Returning to Canada in 1982, he received the lama couple ordination
from the Ven. Kalu Rinpoche, the Ven. Sayadow U Thila Wunta and the
Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche, and now lives, works and teaches in Toronto.
During twenty years of constant travel and meditation retreat work with
Namgyal Rinpoche, he met and studied with H.H. Gyalwa Karmapa, H.H.
Sakya Trizen, the Ven. Kalu Rinpoche and other high lamas, receiving
all the major Empowerments of the Tibetan lineages, and translating
numerous Sadhanas and Wongkur texts into English.
In 1998, after further retreat work, Sonam Gyatso was authorized by
Namgyal Rinpoche to transmit the Vajrayana Empowerments and has since
visited several Centres to give WongKur and teachings.
email: stargrid@ca.inter.net
Lama Chimé began Buddhist studies with his
central Teacher, the late Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche, in 1967 in Canada,
spending the next five years in service.
In 1974 he was the Founding Teacher of the Wangapeka Study and Retreat
Centre in New
Zealand and in 1984 founded the Origins Centre in Western Australia
where he is currently based.
Origins Centre offers its facilities for respite, retreat, healing and
activist workshops to its local region.
Coorain was built in 1992 next door to the Origins Centre, for the late
Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche as his seat in Australia; it is now a centre for
the practice of Vajrayana, under Lama Chimé’s
supervision. Karma Kagyu is the main lineage – the outlook,
however, is non-sectarian and universalist. A Khadampa Stupa has been
built at Coorain.
In 2004 Lama Chimé inaugurated Rumtek Vihara, a retreat
facility in Sikkim, India, to commemorate the recognition of Namgyal
Rinpoche by HH XVI Karmapa.
Our group of dharma friends supports Rumtek Nunnery and twice a year a
group of us travels there. There is room at the Vihara for people to do
up to six-month retreats. Lama Chimé has a life-long
involvement in community work, particularly inmental health, and with
the visual arts. He is a father with three grown sons.
email chim_shav@iprimus.com.au
Sherab (Paul Curtis) has been a practitioner
of meditation for more than 30 years. His root lama, Ven. Namgyal
Rinpoche, has given Sherab authorization to transmit all levels of
tantra.
Sherab, with the blessing of Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche, has also received
empowerment from, retreated with and studied at the feet of Ven. Khenpo
Sonam Rinpoche and Ven. Khenpo Lobsang Tsephel Rinpoche, amongst
others.
Sherab's presentation of the tantric path inspires an appreciation of
the elegant simplicity and profundity of Tibetan Tantra in those who
study with him.
Sonam Senge is a teacher of awakening in the
tradition of his principal teacher, the Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche.
Senge, a native of New York state, was recognized as a gifted painter
when still in his teens, and was invited to attend the prestigious Art Students'
League in new York City.
Senge later traveled to Toronto in the 1960s where he met and began
studying with Namgyal Rinpoche (then Bikkhu Ananda Bodhi).
Senge received ordination in the Karma Kargyu tradition from His
Holiness the 16th Karmapa. He has also been ordained in the way of the
elders (Theravadin Tradition) by Sayadaw U Thila Wanta of Burma.
Senge co-founded the Open Path Dharma Centre in Boise, Idaho, in 1980.
His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche (of the Sakya tradition) asked
Senge to begin giving Wonkurs (Tibetan meditation empowerments).
From 1984 to 1987, Senge led a three year Ngondro Foundation work
retreat in Costa Rica; after which he became the senior instructor in
Buddhist Studies at the Kinmount Academy and Seminary founded by
Namgyal Rinpoche.
In 1999, Senge led a group of Dharma students in a tour of Asia,
meeting many teachers including His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Senge is a tantric adept, a teacher of Western mysteries, and a
visionary Dharma teacher. Senge has published "ALTRUISM,
CONTEMPLATIONS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC AGE and VIRTUE AS THE PATH
." He is currently in retreat on an island off the coast of northern
British Columbia writing the second of a three book series.
Karma Chime has served the Dharma Centre as
Resident Teacher for many years and is now its Advisory Teacher. She
completed a Bachelor of Fine Art, was a head social worker at the YWCA,
and taught school in Toronto before she began studying with Namgyal
Rinpoche in 1968.
In 1975, she co-founded The Open Path in Boise, Idaho, where she began
teaching the Dharma.
In 1980 she received ordination from the H.H. the 16th Karmapa.
Upon returning to Canada after a 3-year intensive retreat in the Costa
Rican rain forest, she attended and taught at the Dharma
Centre’s Kinmount Seminary and Academy.
She has also organized and participated in several group rafting trips
and other types of explorations of discovery and growth. Karma Chime
teaches at other centres and groups in Canada and abroad.
email: bodhip@halhinet.on.ca
Mark (Karma Tenpa Lekshe Yongdu) has been
studying and teaching Buddha Dharma (the Teachings of Liberation) and
meditation for twenty-seven years.
Mark Webber has been a Resident Teacher at the
retreat property of the Dharma Centre of Canada in Kinmount, Ontario (www.dharmacentre.org),
a Resident Teacher for the Crystal Mountain Retreat Centre, Galiano
Island, B.C. (www.crystalmountain.org), is the Dean of The Nalanda
Academy, a three year retreat and study programme (re-commencing in
January 2003) and teaches at other centres in Canada and
internationally.
He is the author of the book Why Meditate? A Heart Song of
Vast Release.
Mark's style of teaching is non-sectarian and universalist in nature,
displaying for beings the wonderous unity, uniqueness and intrinsic
freedom of all life. His teaching is classically founded, but well
integrated with science, art and nature.
Mark's work with people demonstrates a profound commitment to freeing
beings from innumerable suffering states, whether through meditation,
study, art, travel or science.
email tsering@markwebber.org
website www.markwebber.org
Cecilie is a meditation teacher with skill in crafting
traditional meditation techniques to accommodate individual needs.
Cecilie considers herself to be a Buddhist practitioner rooted in North
American culture.
Since the mid 1960's when she met her first Buddhist teacher - then
known as the Venerable Ananda Bodhi, later recognised by the late
Holiness, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa and given the name Venerable Namgyal
Rinpoche - Cecilie has also had the good fortune of receiving teachings
from many excellent teachers from the three main schools of Sakyamuni
Buddha's lineage - most notably H.H. the Dalai Lama, H.H. the 16th
Karmapa, H.H. Sakya Trinzin and H.H. Penor Rinpoche.
Cecilie has also studied Soto Zen Buddhism, spending nine months in
Japan sitting in a Soto temple under the guidance of Ven. Uchiyana
Roshi.
As well, she spent 21 months in Thailand doing practice and studying
the Theravadin path. For this rare and precious gift of Dharma she is
most grateful.
A Canadian, attracted to the Buddha's teaching by the Venerable Namgyal
Rinpoche's suggestion that she stop inner wars rather than outer ones,
Cecilie has been focused 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 is a gifted writer and poet, as well
as a Dharma teacher. She shares her love of writing and Dharma by
giving writing / meditation workshops in many beautiful places on the
planet.
website novayana.org
Doug is a Dharma teacher born in Canada, and
is known for his energetic, insightful, humorous, and highly practical
approach to teaching paths of awakening. His
inquisitive nature has led him around the world exploring many
cultures, religions and mystical beliefs.
His principal teacher is Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche, the illustrious
Canadian-born lama who has been recognized as an awakened being by the
leaders of all four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, including His
Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Namgyal Rinpoche is known for his integration of traditional
Theravadin, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist teachings in an eminently
practical holistic approach that incorporates teachings of other
mystical and religious traditions together with psychology, art and
modern science.
website Clear Sky Center
email: contact@dharma-japan.org
dduncan@gol.com
Lama Lodro (Jeff Alvin Olson) is a multi-disciplinary
meditation teacher who seeks to make esoteric information
comprehensible and useful to a wide variety of people. He particularly enjoys
integrating ancient mystic philosophies with modern scientific
principles.
Lama Lodro’s teaching draws upon many years of traditional
monastic study, extensive meditation work, and fourteen years of
intensive meditation retreats.
His style of communication is seasoned by a sometimes irreverent sense
of humour, a buoyantly practical attitude, and eclectic life
experience.
Lama Lodro’s background provides him with a rare ability to
bridge East and West. His education includes many years of classical
study and meditation at Buddhist monasteries in Thailand, Burma,
Malaysia, India, and Sikkim.
Lama Lodro has received monastic ordinations as a Theravadin Buddhist
Bhikkhu and Vajrayana Tantric training as a Lama in the Kargyu and
Sakya schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
In addition to being a meditation teacher, Lama Lodro is also an
enthusiastic artist, a certified journeyman carpenter, cabinet maker,
amateur auto mechanic, and has a strong interest in nature and the
environment.
Bonni began work as a meditation teacher and counsellor
in 1978. She combines 30 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.
Bonni's contact info is:
Sunshine Coast Retreat House 2821 Lower Road,
Roberts Creek,
BC V0N 2W4
Tel: (604) 886-3871
e-mail: bonni@dccnet.com
website cyberkaya
Tarchin was born in England in 1949 and immigrated to
Canada with his family at the age of three.
Since the late 1960s he has studied and practised various expressions of
Buddha Dharma, predominately through the guidance and inspiration of
the Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche.
He was ordained as a monk by H.H. the XVI Karmapa and lived under this
discipline for 12 years. He began to teach full time in Ottawa, Canada
in 1977.
He travels extensively teaching regularly in Canada, Australia and New
Zealand as well as many other parts of the world.
Tarchin has written a number of books and has recently published a
second version of Growth and Unfolding.
Tarchin is closely associated with the Wangapeka Study and Retreat
Centre near Nelson in the South Island of New Zealand:
The address of Wangapeka Study and Retreat Centre is
RD 2 Wakefield, Nelson, New Zealand
tel/fax 03-522-4221
e-mail: wangapeka@ts.co.nz
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