Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe visits Cairns regularly giving teachings from his extensive Dharma experience.
The term "Khenpo" has at least three meanings in Tibetan Buddhism:
The Khenpos have been the main channels for keeping the purity of Buddha's teachings alive from generation to generation within the Tibetan monastic tradition, acting as a kind of university tradition.
It is extremely rare for monks or Lamas to qualify as a Khenpo; there are thousands of monks, but only very few Khenpos. Monks who have studied for many years do not receive the title as a matter of course; it is bestowed in recognition of special qualities such as profound knowledge and extraordinary skill in helping to teach others.
In this way the bestowal of the term Khenpo recognises something considered rare and precious in the same way as the term Rinpoche does. This is why His Holiness the Sakya Trizin recognised Khenpo's special qualities and deep understanding of Buddhist philosophies, both sutra and tantra. For more information see his website at: www.drogmi.org
Venerable Thupten Lekshe (Ivan Milton) is a clinical psychologist with wide ranging experience in psychiatry, tertiary education and private practice.
Alongside his work as a clinical psychologist for more than thirty years Thupen Lekshe has been a student of Tibetan Buddhism. He was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 2000 by His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, and now works actively to bring a western psychological perspective to Buddhist practice and a more spiritual dimension to psychotherapy.
Thupten Lekshe specialises in the use of mindfulness practice as an adjunct to evidence based psychotherapies, and in secular approaches to Buddhism. He has trained in the delivery of Culitvation Emotional Balance (CEB) a new course for the general public designed by Dr B. Alan Wallace and Dr Paul Ekman. CEB mixes contemplative and emotional regulation skills drawn from western science and mind training practices drawn from Buddhism.
As well as Buddhist teachings and mindfulness training, Thupten Lekshe has taught CEB courses in Cairns, Melbourne and around Australia.
Zen Master Senshin (Soen Sa Nim) has been the Guiding Teacher of the Queensland Zen Centre since 1996. Her training began in 1978 in New York City when she became a student of the founding teacher of the Kwan Um School of Zen, Zen Master Seung Sahn. In 1996, she received Inka from Zen Master Seung Sahn, and after his death in 2004, Dharma Transmission from Zen Master Dae Gak, Abbot of the Furnace Mountain Zen Centre in Kentucky, USA.
Since 1999, Zen Master Senshin has continued training with Shodo Harada Roshi, Abbot of Sogen-ji Monastery in Okayama, Japan. Zen Master Senshin is the author of Essence of Mind, a book containing a selection of her Dharma Talks given during the first years of her Brisbane residency. For more information see their website: www.queenslandzencentre.com
