Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism has compiled a Speakers Bureau to educate groups and organizations about Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan culture. Any organization or group wishing to have a speaker should contact Adrienne Chan at Sakya Monastery to discuss the best speaker, the lecture topic and speaking logistics in advance. An honorarium of is recommended.
For more information or to arrange for a speaker, contact Adrienne Chan, Co-Executive Director of Sakya Monastery via email at monastery@sakya.org
H. E. Dagmo Kusho Sakya
H. E. Dagmo Kusho Sakya, known by her friends as Dagmola, was born in eastern Tibet and is the Acting Head Lama of Sakya Monastery. She was married to our Founding Lama, H. H. Jigdal Dagchen Dorje Chang. In 1959, Dagmola and Dagchen Rinpoche were forced to flee to India and in 1960 they moved to Seattle. Dagmola is one of the few women Tibetan Buddhist Lamas in the world. Co-author of the book, Princess in the Land of Snows (http://tinyurl.com/2by4243), Dagmola regularly bestows empowerments and teaches at Sakya Monastery. She has founded the Mother Tara Center/Tara Ling in San Gabriel, California and established centers in Kona, Hawaii; Flagstaff, Arizona; and Mexico City.
Lecture Topics
- What Americans Could Learn from Tibetan Culture
- Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism
- Folk Tales of Tibet
- Customs of Tibet
- Life of a woman and mother in traditional Tibet
Ven. Khenpo Jampa Tenphel
Ven. Khenpo Jampa Tenphel comes to Sakya Monastery from Dzongsar Institute in India, where he was the library director as well as a tutor for many years. He received a Degree of Acharya (equivalent to an M.A.) in Buddhist Philosophy in 2002 and was ordained as an Abbott in 2004. He has received many teachings and initiations from all four sects of Tibetan Buddhism (Sakya, Gelug, Kagyu, Nyingma). Many of those teachings and initiations were from H.H. the Dalai Lama and H.H. Sakya Trizin. He has also received the Lamdre teaching from H.H. Dagchen Rinpoche. His root lamas are H.H. Sakya Trizin, H.H. Luding Khen Rinpoche, and H.H. Dagchen Rinpoche. At Sakya Monastery, Khenpo Jampa teaches intermediate and advanced level curriculum on Buddhist philosophy and also serve as the librarian for the growing collection of Tibetan Buddhist scriptures.
Lecture Topics
- How Tibetan Buddhist Can Help End the Cycle of Anger
- The Definition of Buddhism
- Keeping the Mind Clear in Difficult Situations
- The Selflessness of Tibetan Buddhism
Ven. Lama Kelsang
Ven. Lama Kelsang was born in 1980 in India. In his early twenties, he entered Sakya College in Dehradhun, India where he took monastic vows. There, he studied Buddhist philosophy for about five years. During these years, he also received empowerments and teachings from H.H Dalai Lama, H.H Sakya Trichen Rinpoche, H.E Luding Khen Rinpoche, H.E Thartse Khenpo, and Khenchen Kunga Wangchok. He next went to Nepal’s Tharlam Monastery and completed a Manjushri retreat for three months. He received the Lamdre from H.H. Jidgal Dachen Dorjechang Sakya in 2007. He was appointed as a Chinese language tutor to H.E Asanga Rinpoche, a position he held from 2008 until 2012. After 2012 he was on a three year retreat. He has completed five times the requisite one-hundred thousand accumulations for the preliminary practices (ngondro) and has also completed the preliminary and main practice of Luminous Great Perfection, and the ritual practices of the Longchen Nyingtik tradition.
Lecture Topics
- Calm-Abiding Meditation
Chuck Pettis
Chuck Pettis is Co-executive Director of Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism. Chuck assists in the operations and administration of Sakya Monastery as well as teaching Sakya Monastery’s Orientation class and Vajrayana meditations.
Chuck Pettis, author of TechnoBrands, is President of BrandSolutions, Inc. (www.brand-solutions.com), a leading brand consulting firm. Chuck is also founder of Earth Sanctuary (www.earthsanctuary.org), a nature reserve, sculpture garden, and retreat center on Whidbey Island, near Seattle. Earth Sanctuary is home to the Tara Meditation Center, Sakya Monastery’s retreat center. Author of Secrets of Sacred Space, Chuck has built a sculpture garden of sacred spaces at Earth Sanctuary, including the world’s tallest stone circle, a labyrinth, a Buddhist stupa, Native American Medicine Wheels and minimalistic sculptures.
Chuck Pettis has a BA in psychology from Carnegie-Mellon University and an MS in design from Southern Illinois University.
Lecture Topics
- Calm Your Mind in 60 Seconds: Learn eleven 60-second meditations you can use to relax anywhere!
- Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism
- Secrets of Sacred Space
- Earth Sanctuary’s 500-year Plan to Create an Old-growth Forest
Jeffrey Schoening
Jeffrey Schoening (Upasaka), holds a PhD in Buddhist Studies, and is a longtime member and interpreter at Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism. Jeff is the author of The Shalistamba Sutra and Its Indian Commentaries (Vienna 1995), a two-volume study of teachings on dependent arising. He served as a health care chaplain at Swedish Medical Center and Northwest Kidney Center and is currently a private practice spiritual director.
Lecture Topics
- Tibetan Buddhism
- Indo-Tibetan Buddhism
Murray Gordon
Murray Gordon has previously served Sakya Monastery as the director of Virupa Educational Institute, its educational branch. Currently he continues to teach for VEI, coordinates the Sunday Chenrezi Omzes, darshan tour guides, and translators, as well as lead monastery tours, and speak to outside organization. He was a student of H.H. Jigdal Dagchen Dorje Chang beginning in 1986. Murray is also a published poet and spoken word performer.
Lecture Topics
- Wheel of Life
- Buddhism in Daily Life
- Tour of Sakya Monastery
- Refuge
- Meditation for Beginners
- Karma and Rebirth for Beginners
Ken Hockett
Ken Hockett is one of the senior Dharma students at Sakya. After much reading and study, he took refuge before H.H. Jigdal Dagchen Sakya in 1977. His principal interest is in the Mind Training methods and has been teaching these at Sakya Monastery for over 15 years. Having received teachings and initiations from Lamas of all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, his main teachers are of the Sakya and Nyingma traditions. He has also produces many of the practice texts used at Sakya Monastery.