Do not accept anything simply because it has been said by your teacher, or because it has been written in sacred books, or because it has been believed by many, or because it has been handed down by your ancestors.
Accept and live only according to what will enable you to see truth face to face
—Buddha, in the Kalama Sutra
Our Teachers
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Lama Michael Conklin (Retired)
Root Teacher & Lineage Holder
Inspiring Embodiment of Mind and Heart Dharma
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Lama Lekshe, Senior Teacher
Founding Teacher & Resident Lama
A Rare Jewel in the Teaching of Dharma
Lama Lekshe (Julia King Tamang) has been practicing Tibetan Buddhism since 1994 in the US, Nepal, and India. Her teachers are Venerable Bokar Rinpoche, Khenchen Lodro Donyo Rinpoche, and Lama Michael Conklin. In 2018, she completed a traditional three-year Shangpa Kagyu meditation retreat in Goldendale, Washington. Before long retreat, she was a university teacher and a consultant to colleges. Lekshe lives at the Dekeling vicarage in Portland, Oregon.
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Associate Teacher George Draffan
Embodied Practice & Natural Awareness
Integrating Contemplative Wisdom with Embodied Life
George Draffan began studying Buddhism with Geshe Lhundhup Sopa at the University of Wisconsin in the 1970s. Since then he’s received instruction and participated in retreats with teachers in the Tibetan, Theravadin, and Zen Buddhist traditions. He has also practiced qigong for many years. His practice of embodied awareness has been deeply influenced by physical labor, mountain hiking, and the gentle therapy of Feldenkrais.
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Peter Daishin Renner
Community Support & Pastoral Care
Bringing Zen Training and Educational Leadership to Dharma Community
Peter Renner is Dekeling’s Assisting Teacher for Sanity Sits, and a collegue-advisor. Peter is retired and lives in Victoria, BC. Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020 he’s hosted free guided meditation groups via zoom. His background includes monastic Zen training; schooling in spiritual care of the dying; hospice work; and volunteering in palliative and elder care. Learn more at his website HeartMind.ca.
The Western Transmission continues the lineage from Khenpo Lodro Donyo Rinpoche, to Lama Michael Conklin, who was a direct disciple of Kalu Rinpoche and completed a three-year Shangpa Kagyu retreat in 1989. When Kalu Rinpoche passed away, Lama Michael studied under the direction of Venerable Bokar Rinpoche and Venerable Khenpo Lodro Donyo Rinpoche.
From Lama Michael, the lineage continues to Lama Lekshe (Julia King Tamang), who is Dekeling's current Resident Lama. Her teachers are Bokar Rinpoche, Khenpo Lodro Donyo Rinpoche, and Lama Michael Conklin. In 2018, she completed a traditional three-year Shangpa Kagyu meditation retreat under the direction of Lama Michael Conklin.
It helps to get to know a community over time. So we offer many ways to engage, both virtually and in person. Beginner and advanced—all are welcome. Got questions? Up against a wall in your meditation practice? Or not even sure if meditation is for you? No pressure. No “shoulds.”
A one-on-one meeting can deepen your practice, clarify what practices are best for you, or you can explore what gets in the way of your cultivation of awareness and compassion. There is no charge for a meeting with Lama Lekshe, but one can make an offering to Lekshe or George. Scheduling is flexible for these meetings.