Kevin Tincher

I was raised in Southeastern Kentucky where I learned the skills of tracking, wild edible plants and farming from my grandfather and father.  Twenty years ago I began to study native survival skills, medicinal herbs and Earth Philosophy and Shamanism.  Since then, I have also become certified as a Holistic Health Consultant and am working on my PhD in Holistic Health.  I continue to study wilderness skills, native philosophy and earth-centered healing techniques through many teachers including Tom Brown Jr. who passes down the teachings of the Apache Elder and Shaman, Stalking Wolf, whom we call Grandfather�.

Sequoyah Trueblood

Marilyn Kane

As a pipe carrier, Sequoyah conducts healing circles and traditional ceremonies to remind us of the one Ceremony,� which is life itself, and of the sacredness of all things. The pipe, composed of a stem representing the masculine and a bowl representing the feminine, embodies the ancient teachings about the male and female principles within all of creation. The pipe reminds us that as men and women, we need to balance and harmonize these energies and principles within ourselves, moderating aggression and negativity, and learning respect for nature and life. Sequoyah talks of healing the pain and suffering that exist within human consciousness and the heart, so that humankind can remember themselves, their origins and the Creator. Humans live out of harmony with nature and consequently experience great suffering and conflict. This diminishes the quality of human life and threatens the future of society, and the larger ecology of the living earth. He believes the primary reason were on this earth is to remove the effects of the judgments of our ancestors and embrace situations that may be very painful, because thats where the most significant healing occurs.

Khentrul Lodr� Thay� Rinpoche

Khentrul Lodr� Thay� Rinpoche has taught for many years at monasteries in Tibet and India, and is the abbot of Katog Mardo Tashi Choling in Eastern Tibet, where he established a retreat center, library, shedra (higher philosophical studies institute), and is currently building a school for the monastery's children. He directs the education and spiritual practice for over three hundred monks, of whom there are 70 advanced-degree candidates, 100 children, and 20 full time retreatants.

Khentrul Rinpoche came to the United States in September of 2003, under the invitation of His Eminence Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, who requested that he start a program for studying Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and meditation in a traditional way (known as a shedra). This past fall, 2006, was the fourth successful year of the shedra program. Khentrul Rinpoche has been traveling constantly around the United States, tirelessly teaching and sharing his knowledge. Rinpoches style for presenting these profound and sacred teachings to Western minds is phenomenal.

His teachings are always very clear and comprehensible, in a way that is easily applied to one's experience. It is quite rare to have a teacher of his caliber and traditional training from Tibet here in the West, and his students feel extremely fortunate to have him here.

Rinpoche has spent over thirty years studying at Mardo Tashi Choling and Katog monasteries in eastern Tibet, Khenpo Jigme Phuntsoks Serthar Buddhist Institute in Kardze, Tibet, and Penor Rinpoches monastery Namdroling in India. Acknowledged as a scholar of the highest level, he thrice received the title of Khenpo (equivalent to a Doctor of Philosophy), making him a triple Khenpo. He has also been recognized by His Holiness Katog Moktza Rinpoche as a tulku (a reincarnate master) of Drubtop Namkha Gyamtso of Katog Monastery.

Hence, the name "Khentrul" denotes one who is both a khenpo and a tulku. In addition to having completed over three years of retreat, he has received the entire Nyingt'hig lineage (including Nyingt'hig Yabzhi, Dzod Dun, Ngalso Khorsum, Yeshe Lama, and Chetzun Nyingt'hig), as well as many empowerments, scriptural transmissions, and explanations on the pith instructions for Great Perfection (Dzogchen) practice.

Khentrul Rinpoche has also received the rarely bestowed oral transmission of Khenpo Ngakchungs Nyingt'hig lineage. From Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, Dodrubchen Rinpoche, Penor Rinpoche, and Katog Moktza Rinpoche, he received all of the empowerments and scriptural transmissions for the Kama and Terma cycles of the Nyingma school.