LAMA CHOEDAK RINPOCHE




Lama Choedak Rinpoche is one of the finest and most prominent Tibetan Buddhist Meditation  Masters living in Australia today. Born in Tibet, he had twelve years of rigorous monastic training under the guidance of his Teacher H.E. Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, including a three-and-half year retreat sponsored by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.  Rinpoche has been teaching meditation in the West for over twenty-two years and has a deep understanding of the Western mind.  His teachings are lucid, practical, and enjoyable and profound.  Rinpoche is widely sought after as a translator, scholar and teacher throughout the world.  Lama Choedak Rinpoche is the founder and Spiritual Director of the Tibetan Buddhist Society of Canberra, Sakya Losal Choe Dzong, in addition to many other Dharma centres flourishing throughout Australia and New Zealand. For more information, please visit www.sakya.com.au .

                                                                          VENERABLE LEKSHE TSULTIM

                                                                                       

    
Lekshe Tsultim (Peter Lester)  began as a committed Buddhist practitioner in 1992. He then spent about ten years attending teachings at the Loden Buddhist Centre in Brisbane given by Ven. Loden Sherab.  He first saw Lama Choedak Rinpoche in 1996 at H.H.Dalai Lama's Kalachakra teachings in Sydney, and was very fortunate to attend Rinpoche's teachings in Brisbane the same year. Tsultim went on to attend his first annual 10 day Calm Abiding retreat in 2001, and other annual Vajrayana retreats. He completed a Calm Abiding facilitators course in 2003.In  2003 Tsultim met H.E. Chogye Trichen Rinpoche (Lama Choedak Rinpoche’s teacher) while on pilgrimage. In August 2006 he received ordination vows from H.E. Chogye Trichen Rinpoche. "My deepest thank you and gratitude to Lama Choedak Rinpoche for his extra-ordinary guidance and compassion. May all his wishes be fulfilled.

  LISA HEALY

                                                                                           

Lisa is also a Calm Abiding meditation teacher,  who regularly attends the yearly Calm Abiding retreats with Lama Choedak Rinpoche. Lisa has brought much joy, insight and skill to many people who have taken Calm Abiding meditation as their main practice. Lisa's natural and friendly style of communication brings to her students a calm & clear approach to meditation. Lisa's extensive experience as a professional counsellor for over twenty years also lends itself well to her expertise as a meditation teacher.

Robin Mathieson

Robin's interest in exploring Buddhism and meditation, which began around 2004, continued to gain momentum when she undertook an introductory Calm Abiding meditation course in April 2005.  Following this, she attended the First Annual Calm Abiding Meditation Retreat held by the Rongton Buddhist Centre in August 2005.  It was at this weekend retreat that Robin took refuge - the ceremony being conducted by Lama Choedak Rinpoche - and her life as a Buddhist practitioner began in earnest. 

She completed her first 10-day Calm Abiding retreat in 2006, as well as every annual Brisbane Calm Abiding retreat held since 2005, and has recently completed her second 10-day retreat held at SIBA in October 2009.  Following this, she participated in and completed the Training the Trainer course also held at SIBA in October 2009, and is now looking forward to teaching the introductory Calm Abiding Meditation course from the start of 2010.

Since the beginning of 2006, Robin has also enjoyed being a part of the Management Committee at the Rongton Buddhist Centre, which manages a number of different aspects of the Centre, including the organisation of retreats, teachings and public talks given by the Centre's Spiritual Director, Lama Choedak Rinpoche, as well as other visiting teachers from interstate and overseas.  Her background includes an Honours degree in Psychology from the University of Queensland, where she worked as an Administrative Officer for about 10 years following the completion of her degree.  After leaving the paid workforce to start a family in 1993 (she now has two teenage daughters), Robin worked part-time as a freelance writer for about 3 years, and then as a volunteer worker at Oxfam Australia for 2 years. 

Over the past few years, Robin has developed a deep gratitude and a profound sense of purpose in living as a result of receiving the Buddha's teachings from her precious teacher, Lama Choedak Rinpoche. She has experienced a greater degree of calmness, peace and clarity in her life through a combination of meditation, study, contemplation, writing and discussion with her wonderful Dharma friends.  It is her vision that the Rongton Buddhist Centre will bring increasing benefit to those living in Brisbane, as well as to the broader Australian community and beyond ... indeed, it is her heartfelt wish that all beings be well and happy!