— Therefore being in prison is a great, extremely positive, great advantage and joy. You can see that you have an incredible opportunity: to have happiness now, a happy death, happy future lives, happy liberation from samsara and happy great liberation, full enlightenment. —

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Our Teachers

Shyla Bauer

Shyla is the Director of FPMT project Loving Kindess Peaceful Youth (LKPY), a non-profit peace organisation for youth.


"My father got involved with Buddhism by ‘stumbling across the lamas in a hippie haze’ as he likes to put it, and became a student of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche before I was born.

Shyla"I grew up hearing stories about the Lamas and Kopan Monastery, but I didn’t become

actively interested in Buddhism until I was about 15. It was then that I would start going to teachings at Buddha House, then go home and ask my dad to explain it all to me, which was a great way to learn.

"I volunteered at Buddha House while I studied to be a registered nurse. When I completed that and had a few years of experience under my belt, I took off overseas for three years to travel, do courses and retreats and volunteer at Sera Je and Kopan Monasteries in India and Nepal and at FPMT Mongolia.

"I now nurse kids with cancer and palliative care kids - it is a beautiful daily reminder of how precious human life is. I’m almost about to complete my masters in palliative care and hope to eventually help the FPMT hospices work with kids.

"I have seen a lot in hospitals and realise that one silly mistake (drunk driving, sharing a needle, etc.) can give you a medical life sentence (like never being able to walk again or AIDS), so I don’t really see much difference between that and prisoners making one mistake to get them to where they are.

I feel privileged to be writing to future Buddhas."

AUSTRALIA

NEW ZEALAND

  • Andrew Jeffery

 

USA

EUROPE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM

MEXICO

  • Oscar Acosta
  • Susie Anstey

  • Fer Barroso

  • Marisol Benejam
  • Martha Cabral
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  • Rebeca Cuan
  • Lilia Serrano Dorantes
  • Sebastián Benitez Escobar
  • Esther Garibay
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  • Ángeles López
  • Fernando López
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  • Victor Medina López
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  • Francisco Navarro
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  • Paty Peña
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  • Mariano E. Ramirez
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  • Ven. Lobsang Tonden
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  • Victor Villaseñor

ASIA

CANADA

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA