Re-imagine the world and a human being’s place in it through the perspective of twenty-five hundred years of Buddhism. Join Pema Khandro and esteemed scholars to reconsider earth, the elements, nature and environment within a sense of interdependence, impermanence and an ethic of profound care.
Lama Willa, PhD
Willa Blythe Baker, Ph.D. is the Founder of Natural Dharma Fellowship in Boston, MA and it’s retreat center Wonderwell Mountain Refuge in Springfield, NH.
She was authorized as a dharma teacher and lineage holder in the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism after twelve years of monastic training and two consecutive three-year retreats. She also has trained in the Nyingma and Shangpa lineages. In 2013, Willa completed a doctorate at Harvard University, and was Visiting Lecturer in Buddhist Ministry from 2013 to 2017.
She is a contemplative faculty member with the Mind and Life Institute, Sangha Live, One Earth Sangha, Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, the Omega Institute, and Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. She is a member of Clark University’s Council of the Uncertain Human Future, and sits on the advisory board for One Earth Sangha.
At present, Willa writes, teaches, guides meditation retreats, and develops curriculum for people interested in cultivating a deep meditation practice in daily life. Her teaching interests include the wisdom of the body, eco-dharma, non-dual awareness and compassion.
Pema Khandro, PhD
Pema Khandro is an internationally renowned teacher and scholar of Buddhist philosophy. She is the founder of Ngakpa International and its three projects, The Buddhist Studies Institute, Dakini Mountain and the Yogic Medicine Institute. In her work as a Buddhist teacher she is an authorized Lama and lineage holder of the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions and was enthroned to carry on the lineage of her predecessor, the first Pema Khandro, an early twentieth century yogini from Eastern Tibet. She has led a vibrant world-wide community since 1999. Through the Buddhist Studies Institute, she also offers a complete curriculum of training in Tibetan meditation and Buddhist Philosophy. She has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, a Master’s degree specializing in Tibetan studies, and a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from the University of Virginia. Her scholarly research focuses on the history of Dzogchen and on Women in Tibetan Buddhism.
Debbie Kasper, PhD
Debbie Kasper is a sociologist specializing in sociological theory, culture, and social change. She is Professor of Environmental Studies and the Howard S. Bissell Chair of Liberal Arts at Hiram College in northeast Ohio. There she teaches a wide variety of interdisciplinary courses (such as Community, Human Settlements, Food, Permaculture Basics, Creating Resilience, and more) exploring the social and cultural dimensions of environmental issues in which students explore and apply what they’re learning through hands-on experiences.
She is the author of the 2021 book, Beyond the Knowledge Crisis: A Synthesis Framework for Socio-Environmental Studies and Guide to Social Change. Her current projects explore the roles of spirituality and well-being in our responses to socio-environmental crises.
Kasper has a PhD in Sociology and a Doctoral Minor in Social Thought from the Pennsylvania State University. Her eclectic education also includes rigorous studies in herbalism, Tibetan Buddhism, soil biology, and holistic nutrition therapy, as well as certifications in Permaculture Design and Meditation Instruction.
Devin Zuckerman, PhD candidate
Devin Zuckerman is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Her dissertation project looks at the development of pre-scientific theories of matter in 12th through 14th century Tibetan Buddhism. In particular, she studies the ways that the theory of the "primary elements" of earth, water, fire, wind and space functions within forms of discourse on the body, the natural environment, and as a theme within meditation practice.
April 5-7, 2024
Prerequisites
This course is open to the public. No pre-requisites required to attend.
Tuition
Early Enrollment Tuition & Date: Until March 5th $199
General Tuition & Date: After March 5th $277
50% Discount for Snow Lion Members, Free with All Access Pass
*Apply Member Codes at checkout for Membership Discounts
Financial Aid – The course costs are set at a minimum fee already, with financial aid built into all tuition rates. Because we are a non-profit organization, the costs of all activities and overhead of our organization must be covered by the participants of the courses or donations and all courses are offered at below cost. For those who are experiencing genuine financial hardship and wish to enroll in the course, Financial Aid applications are available. Financial Aid Scholarships are 50% discount off of the course
Applications must be received in advance: Financial Aid Application (link)
