Our Lineage
The Buddhist Center is guided by the Buddha’s teachings in general and by the Buddhist tradition as it was passed down through the great scholars and meditators of Tibet.
The emphasis of these teachings is the joining of compassion, the wish to relieve all beings of suffering, and wisdom, insight into the nature of mind and the world it projects.
These teachings make up the Mahayana, or “Great Vehicle,” and are uniquely applicable to householders living in the world, like us.
The view and methods of the Vajrayana, or “Diamond Vehicle,” show us how to directly access the nature of an awakened mind.
These teachings have come down through the centuries in the Kagyu and Nyingma schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The traditions followed by these schools are known as Mahamudra and Dzogchen, respectively.
Our Teachers and Guiding Influences
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The Venerable Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche is widely recognized as one of the great meditation masters of modern times.
Born in eastern Tibet in 1920, he was a highly respected meditation master of the Dzogchen and Mahamudra traditions. He had a unique ability to point out the nature of mind in a warm and direct way to all who were interested.
His four sons, Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, Chokling Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and Mingyur Rinpoche, have continued to preserve and share their father’s tradition and style.
Tulku Urgyen was Tim’s root guru and remains the inspiration behind everything we do at the Buddhist Center. He passed into parinirvana on February 13, 1996.
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Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche
Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche is the eldest son of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and the abbot of Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal.
He is a learned scholar and extraordinary teacher who has influenced thousands of Western students through his natural warmth and generosity. He is a teacher and longtime friend of the Buddhist Center.
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Mingyur Rinpoche
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is the youngest son of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. He is a much-loved and accomplished Tibetan meditation master.
His ability to present the ancient wisdom of Tibet in a fresh and engaging way, together with his profound teachings and playful sense of humor, has endeared him to students around the world.
Mingyur Rinpoche is a teacher, friend, and principal influence for us at the Buddhist Center.
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Tsoknyi Rinpoche
Tsoknyi Rinpoche is the third son of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. He was recognized by His Holiness the 16th Karmapa as the reincarnation of Drubwang Tsoknyi Rinpoche I, a master of the Drukpa Kagyu and Nyingma traditions.
For many years, Rinpoche has worked to support thousands of nuns under his care in Tibet and Nepal. He is a close friend and teacher of the Buddhist Center.
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The Venerable Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche was a master of meditation, social visionary, author, artist, and poet.
He founded Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, the first Buddhist university in North America. He also established the Shambhala Training program and Vajradhatu, an international network of meditation centers.
After extensive training in scholarly and meditative disciplines, Trungpa Rinpoche fled Tibet in 1959. He went on to become one of the most creative and dynamic Buddhist teachers in the West.
Trungpa Rinpoche was Tim’s first Buddhist teacher. He entered parinirvana on April 4, 1987.
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Pema Chödrön
Pema Chödrön is an American Buddhist nun, teacher, and best-selling author. She began studying Buddhism in the early 1970s and worked closely with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche until his death in 1987.
Her books include Start Where You Are, When Things Fall Apart, and Becoming Bodhisattvas.
Pema and Tim taught together at the Omega Institute from 2007 through 2019 and have continued to teach together through the Pema Live program.
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His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche was the direct incarnation of the great scholar and meditation master Jamgon Khyentse Wangpo.
He spent nearly 30 years in solitary retreat and later became head of the Nyingma lineage. A scholar, sage, and poet, he inspired those who encountered him through his presence, simplicity, dignity, and humor.
He passed into parinirvana on September 27, 1991.
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His Holiness the 16th Karmapa
His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Rikpe Dorje, was the leader of the Karma Kagyu lineage until his passing in 1981.
He was deeply loved for his warmth and compassion and was a teacher to many of the Kagyu lamas of his generation.
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His Holiness the 17th Karmapa
His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, is a leader of the Kagyu lineage.
In 2001, he left Tsurphu, his home monastery in Tibet, for India so that he could continue his training and fulfill his responsibilities to the lineage.
Our Wider Buddhist World
BCSS has also been influenced by and connected with many other respected teachers, centers, and organizations. Additional biographies and links can be found in the Teachers and Organizations section of the Resource Library.