I began studying Buddhism at the age of 14, at the prompt of an 8th-grade English teacher. He had written in the margins of a paper I wrote “your writing rings the bell of the dharma.” My life was forever changed by the deafening bells that rang within the walls of my heart when my eyes first set sight on the word “dharma.”

This is an article from a 1999 edition of Body and Soul Magazine, from a chapter in Roger Housden’s book Sacred America. Dale Borglum and Roger recognized that though I was in a ‘Blue Collar” job I utilized my job to fuel my spiritual practice. Looking back, I smile.

As a very young child I was intrigued with going to church: the stained glass windows; the smiling nuns and different language; the beatific statue of Mary; and the scary statue of Jesus.

One Christmas Eve, I woke up in the middle of the night and saw the Star of Bethlehem, just as it is in the pictures, and felt peaceful with my born tradition

I arrived to interfaith studies grounded in over three decades as a student and practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. I had deep and proven trust that my spiritual practice was, for me, a perfect fit. I felt whole, complete, and happy, and could look back on my life and see the transformation resulting from this dedication not just in myself but also in how the outer mandala of my life had constellated. The practice was doing me and I was greatly satisfied.

As stated in my bio, I have been lucky to study with some of Tibet’s greatest scholars, starting with His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14 Dalai Lama of Tibet, whom I took refuge with in 1980.  I consider him to be My Root Guru, or ‘Tsawa Lama’ as the Tibetans would say.