Teachers
Ravi Verma
Ravi Verma comes from Bihar in India. His birthplace is close the birthplace of Shakyamuni Buddha and Shrigyan Dipankar "Atisha", the scholar who was key to reviving Buddhism in Tibet. Shrigyan grew up in a culture that is steeped in Buddhism where people follow the path of renunciation without being aware of the philosophy behind it. Ravi;s exposure to the west happened at his alma mater the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur in India. IIT, Kanpur was built as collaboration between the US and India. Shrigyan was born in a Hindu family and he adopted Buddhism while living in the US.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama categorizes interest in Buddhism in three areas, the Philosophy, the Science and the Religion. Ravi's primary interest in teaching Buddhism is as a Philosophy and Science as it applies to day to day and minute to minute living of all sentient beings. His teachings have strong emphasis on alleviation of suffering of all sentient beings. He exhorts his students to balance their meditative practice with Engaged Buddhism devoting time to social work and helping other sentient beings.
Ravi has initiated several projects in Bihar that includes a college for computer science, a software development center and a not-for-profit organization Jyotirgamaya that is dedicated to primary education of underprivileged children.
Ven Dr. Ravindra Panth, Director, Nava Naland Mahavihara
Dr. Ravindra Panth is presently working as Director, Nava Nalanda Mahavira. He is a scholar of Pali and Buddhist studies and has edited several pali texts and research volumes. He has presented and published several research papers in national and international seminars, conferences and journals. Dr Panth had delivered lectures in India and abroad on various themes related with buddhism, specially on Buddhist psycology. He has authored several books on Buddhist Psychology entitled Abhidhama Matrix is under print.Ven Acharya Vidya Nath Mishra, Pradhan Adhyapak, Sanskrit Uccha Vidyalaya, Katihar
Vidya Nath Mishra is a recipient of the President's award for his achievements in teaching Sanskrit. He is the Principal of Nidhi Nath Sanskrit High School, Katihar. This school was established in 1940 and dedicated to Sanskrit education since then. He joined this school in 1977 and has been devoted his time since then to educate and promote Sanskrit. For his passion to Sanskrit and for his remarkable service record, Government of India has awarded him National Award in 2007. He holds Sanskrit Sahityacharya (M.A. in Sanskrit Literature) and Dharmashastracharya (M.A. in Hindu mythology) and several other specializations in Sanskrit. He also holds vast knowledge of Indian Astrology, Vedas, Karmakanda (Hindu rituals) and ancient Indian Tantra. He has also been acknowledged for writing books and articles on Indian Astrology and on Kalidas, the great poet of Sanskrit.Adviser
Alan Wallace
Please visit the website of Dr. Alan Wallace at http://www.alanwallace.org
Dynamic lecturer, progressive scholar, and one of the most prolific writers and translators of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, B. Alan Wallace, Ph.D., continually seeks innovative ways to integrate Buddhist contemplative practices with Western science to advance the study of the mind.
Dr. Wallace, a scholar and practitioner of Buddhism since 1970, has taught Buddhist theory and meditation worldwide since 1976. Having devoted fourteen years to training as a Tibetan Buddhist monk, ordained by H. H. the Dalai Lama, he went on to earn an undergraduate degree in physics and the philosophy of science at Amherst College and a doctorate in religious studies at Stanford.
With his unique background, Alan brings deep experience and applied skills to the challenge of integrating traditional Indo-Tibetan Buddhism with the modern world.