In March 2009, the Tibetan Buddhist monk and teacher Khen Rinpoche Lobzang Tsetan visited Colorado Springs and taught in a variety of settings. The turnout for and response to his talks, on the Colorado College campus and elsewhere, was so positive that Khen Rinpoche suggested to Natalie Morris and David Gardiner, who organized his visit, that they consider establishing a new, non-sectarian Buddhist center in Colorado Springs. A few months later, they founded BodhiMind Center. |
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Khen Rinpoche Lobzang Tsetan was born in Ladakh, a region of northern India dominated by Tibetan culture. He was educated both in monasteries in Tibet and in India, and holds the Geshe (or Doctorate) degree in Buddhist philosophy. He is Abbot of the important Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in southern India and founder of a children’s school in Ladakh. Khen Rinpoche is a deeply learned Tibetan master who spends about half of each year in the U.S. teaching Buddhism and raising funds for his two precious institutions in India. His life and teaching are the driving inspirations behind BodhiMind Center. |
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David Gardiner is co-founder of BodhiMind Center and teaches Buddhism and other subjects in the Colorado College Religion Department, where he is currently Chair. He came to Colorado College in 1998, after receiving his Ph.D. from Stanford University in Religious Studies. Having first studied Buddhism with Robert Thurman at Amherst College, David was deeply influenced by meetings with the Dalai Lama and other fine Tibetan teachers, and by spending 8 months in India and Nepal in the ‘80’s studying Buddhism. He’s maintained a steady Buddhist practice for the past few decades. |
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Natalie Morris is co-founder of BodhiMind Center. For many years she worked as an engineer for a large contracting company, but shifted careers to devote herself to mind/body practices. The dramatic career shift might be related to the abundant energy of her five children. She is a professional massage therapist, yoga teacher/practitioner, and long-time meditator. Natalie has participated in retreats with several revered Tibetan masters from different lineages, including a recent one-month retreat at Kopan Monastery in Nepal. |