John Rockwell

John Rockwell came to the Dharma in 1975, having had his "heart and life blown wide open by a near death experience" when he almost drowned. At that time he read Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism and was amazed by the clearest description of confusion he had ever seen. Being desperately confused himself, he says, he dove into practice with an eight-week program at Karmê Chöling. Soon after that, he met the Vidyadhara at Karmê Chöling and became his student. John took refuge with the Vidyadhara in 1976 and moved to Boulder to be with him and to study at Naropa University.

For the next fourteen years, John's life revolved around practice, study, translation and teaching. He spent time with the Vidyadhara as a member of the Nalanda Translation Committee, working closely with him on The Rain of Wisdom, The Life of Marpa, and other texts. He studied at Naropa and received an M.A. in Buddhist Studies, then began teaching there, eventually as a core faculty member in Buddhist Studies. John also taught at the Ngedön School in Boulder for many years.

Yet, says John, there was always the draw to practice more intensively. He returned to Karmê Chöling for one year in 1982-3 as head of practice and study, and eight years later returned, this time with his wife Irini and six-year-old daughter Chandra, to be co-director for four years. It was during this last stay at Karmê Chöling that his connection to the Shambhala teachings was strongly reawakened, and he pursued in-depth practice and study of the Dorje Dradul's Shambhala terma.

Eventually, the Shambhala vision brought John and his family even further east to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where John was the Director of Shambhala International for five years. Now, John spends his time doing a bit of everything: teaching, translating, working on curriculum, and generally living the life of a Dharma bum.

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