My Precious and Kind Teachers

Thich Nhat Hanh

I always admire Thich Nhat Hanh.. I had watched a few of his teaching via youtube..and it's just in 2021 during covid lockdown here in Melbourne, Australia that cause and condition came together for me and one of Thay's temple just appeared on my facebook page.. I first encounter one of Thay's audiobook, Reconciliation - Healing the Inner Child, which this is one of the most urgent practice as Thay gently described it.. at that very moment, my heart was like a river of joy. I felt truly grateful that at that time there was 3 Months winter retreat from Plum Village in France and they offered it live online.. I was overjoyed and my heart has been filled with so much deep gratitude. I somehow felt like his teachings are one of the missing puzzle which I now have found. One of Thay teaching is to come back to my body, to be aware that I have a body, to be aware that I am alive..in the here and now.. I have arrived..I am home..

At the end of 3 months retreat, I decided to take Five Mindfulness Trainings with The Plum Village Tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and I received such a beautiful name which always remind me of which I would love to attain in my life.. My Dharma name is Peaceful Breath of the Heart.

Thay passed away peacefully in the early moments in 22nd January 2022.. I joined all live streaming for days to pay respect for Thay..I felt deeply sad at that time as I lost such a precious and kind teacher.. But Thay always said to all of us like this: "I am a continuation, like the rain is a continuation of the cloud."

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh is a global spiritual leader, poet and peace activist, revered around the world for his pioneering teachings on mindfulness, global ethics and peace.

https://plumvillage.org/thich-nhat-hanh/biography/

Venerable Robina Courtin

My Spiritual Mother.. Venerable Robina Courtin..

Where should I begin..? my first encounter with Ven. Robina was through teaching via youtube..and from that moment I knew that I have got to meet her and receive teachings in person( Ven.Robina lives in usa). Out of nowhere a month later in 2019, just like "if it's meant to be..it will be.." my wish came true and I met Ven. Robina at ZNPB in Melbourne. I officially took refuge from Ven. Robina in 2019. From that point I have been receiving teachings from her via live zoom during covid lockdown.. and in 2022, I attended 10 days Mahamudra retreat with Venerable Robina at Mahamudra centre in Coromandel, New Zealand. Venerable Robina has always been given me wise advice, words of encouragement and compassionate guidance whenever I feel lost. I am forever grateful as Venerable has been showing me the correct path, step by step to enlightenment.

Venerable Robina Robina Courtin (born 20 December 1944, in Melbourne, Australia) has worked full-time for Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s organization, the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, since her ordination in the late 1970s. Over the years she has served as editorial director of Wisdom Publications, editor of Mandala Magazine, executive director of Liberation Prison Project, and as a touring teacher of Buddhism. Her life and work with prisoners have been featured in the documentary films Chasing Buddha and Key to Freedom. Venerable Robina is known for her straightforward and energetic teaching style, helping people discover the potential of their own minds with clear explanations about Tibetan Buddhism and how to apply it to their lives.

Visit her website at https://www.robinacourtin.com.

Venerable Tony Beaumont

I had such a rare opportunity to attend 10 days Lam-Rim Retreat with Venerable Tony in 2019 and 2022 at Detongling centre in Kangaroo island, SA. Then somehow during my 10 days retreat in 2022 with Venerable Robina at Mahamudra centre in New Zealand, Ven. Tony was also there for his solo retreat during that time, my heart was overjoyed as two of my precious teachers were at the same place at that time. So I took this opportunity and asked for some personal advice from Venerable and his wise advice to me is just so precious.. I keep them in my heart and I often remind myself to deepen my refuge, remember impermanence, remember death and to not deny sad things that happened to me in the past. May you live a very long life Venerable Tony.

Ven. Tony Beaumont was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1951. His first intensive contact with Buddhism was in Nepal and India in 1976-1977 during which time he attended 2 one-month long Kopan Lam-rim courses and their retreats and a three month group Vajrasattva retreat here at Tushita.

On returning to Australia he trained as a psychiatric nurse and worked for four years in psychiatric hospitals. For most of the 1980′s he lived at Chenrezig Institute where he worked at various times as cook, office worker and gardener.

In 1991 he took novice ordination with Kirti Tshenshab Rinpoche at Kopan and in 1993 took full ordination with Geshe Yeshe Topden at Lama Tsong Khapa Institute in Italy. For the first 4 – 5 years following ordination he was based at Nalanda Monastery France and since then he has been based at Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, Australia where he was director for 4 years and later director of the International Mahayana Institute (the organization for ordained Sangha of the FPMT) for 3 years.

Ven. Tony has taught Lam-rim Courses and the Discovering Buddhism Program and led various retreats as well as teaching in prisons and schools.

Gen Kelsang Dornying

I first encounter Buddhas teachings through this tradition in 2017 and I attended many many wonderful retreats at kmca in Monbulk with Gen Dornying.. the way he approached Buddha teachings are through Modern Buddhism which made it easier to understand. He had been my precious teacher since 2018-2023. unfortunately for me.. he has just moved this year to be a resident teacher in Leeds, UK

Gen Kelsang Dornying was the Resident Teacher of both Kadampa Meditation Centre Australia and Kadampa Meditation Centre Melbourne. He has been teaching Kadam Dharma in Australia for over 18 years. He is an inspiring and light-hearted teacher of modern Buddhism who makes Buddha’s teachings clear, accessible and applicable to modern life.

Venerable Amy Miller

Venerable Amy is one of my precious and kind teacher who introduces me to self-compassion practice

Amy J. Miller (Ven. Lobsang Chodren) first encountered Tibetan Buddhism in the spring of 1987 during a course at Kopan Monastery in Nepal. Since then, she has spent a great deal of time engaged in meditation retreats, study, teaching, and Buddhist center management throughout the world. Prior to meeting the Dharma, Amy was a political fundraiser in Washington, DC and also worked for Mother Jones Magazine in San Francisco, California.

Amy was ordained as a Buddhist nun in June 2000 by the great Tibetan master, Ven. Choden Rinpoche, and has been teaching extensively since 1992. Her teaching style emphasizes a practical approach to integrating Buddhist philosophy into everyday life. She is happy to help people connect with meditation and mindfulness in an effort to gain a refreshing perspective on normally stressful living. Amy’s courses and retreats focus on establishing and maintaining a meditation and mindfulness practice, death and dying, overcoming anxiety and depression, battling addiction, dealing with self-esteem issues, and cultivating compassion and loving kindness. She is also often involved in leading a variety of retreats.

Amy is the co-author of Buddhism in a Nutshell – and a contributor to Living in the Path, a series of online courses produced by FPMT.