Justin Kelley grew up on a farm in rural Massachusetts. In 2005, after graduating from Tufts University and working a short stint in land conservation, he picked up and left for India — the fantastic land of yoga and meditation. He had high expectations before leaving, imagining levitating yogis in remote caves, but these were quickly replaced with something more profound: a way of life in which everyday activities were imbued with spirit; a world in which people embraced their religious and/or spiritual faith. This lead Justin to spend the next ten years living in India, Nepal, and southeast Asia, immersing himself in the cultures and studying Tibetan language, Buddhist philosophy, and various meditative practices. In 2015, he returned to the US and entered a doctoral program in Rice University’s Department of Religion with Dr. Anne C. Klein, professor of Religious Studies. Academia surprised him by providing applicable insights into the historical and philosophical developments within religion, which help him navigate his personal beliefs. His research interests include meditative and philosophical systems in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, phenomenology, and contemplative studies.

Throughout the years, he has taught courses on Buddhism and meditation in universities, high schools, dharma centers, and more, as well as designed pilgrimages for organizations such as Tricycle Foundation, Tergar International, and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. These journeys incorporates his three loves—indigenous Buddhist cultures, education, and personal transformation.

Myoshin Kelley attended her first meditation retreat in 1975 at the age of 20. Through the ensuing years she has received dharma instructions from several renowned Buddhist meditation masters in the Theravada, Zen, and Vajrayana traditions. She has practiced extensively with the Burmese meditation masters Chanmyay Sayadaw, Sayadaw U Pandita, and Sayadaw U Tejaniya. In the early 1990s Myoshin received meditation instruction from the Soto Zen master Hogen Yamahata. Her desire for long-term meditation practice has taken her to Burma on several occasions.

In 1994 she accompanied her husband, Edwin, to the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, MA, where she was trained as a meditation instructor by Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzburg. Since then she has been teaching meditation in a number of places throughout North America. In 2003, she was appointed the teacher in residence at the Forest Refuge, the long-term practice center at IMS.

Myoshin was introduced to Vajrayana teachings in 1993 and met Mingyur Rinpoche in 1998 when he first visited the US with his brother, Tsoknyi Rinpoche. Since then she has practiced with Mingyur Rinpoche in North America and Asia benefiting from his skillful, lucid instructions on the profound teachings of Mahamudra. She moved to Minneapolis in 2010 to help support Mingyur Rinpoche in his worldwide vision and leads programs internationally and locally.

Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara serves as Abbot of the Village Zendo. She received priest ordination from Maezumi Roshi and Dharma Transmission and Inka from Bernie Tetsugen Glassman. Roshi Enkyo’s lineage comes through Maezumi Roshi whose teaching was uncommon, bringing together Soto priest training and study of the Rinzai koan system. Moreover, Roshi Glassman’s focus on social engagement and peacemaking underlies much of her vision of Zen practice.

Roshi is a Founding Teacher of the Zen Peacemaker Family, a spiritual and social action association. Roshi’s focus is on the expression of Zen through caring, service, and creative response. Her Five Expressions of Zen form the matrix of study at the Village Zendo: Meditation, Study, Communication, Action, and Caring.

Mingyur Rinpoche teaches throughout the world, with centers on five continents. His candid, often humorous accounts of his own personal difficulties have endeared him to thousands of students around the world. His best-selling book, The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness, debuted on the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into over twenty languages. Rinpoche’s most recent books are Turning Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the Foundation Practices of Tibetan Buddhism, Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom, and an illustrated children’s book entitled Ziji: The Puppy that Learned to Meditate.

John Peacock is both an academic and a Buddhist practitioner of nearly forty years. Trained initially in the Tibetan Gelugpa tradition in India, he subsequently spent time in Sri Lanka studying Theravada. He lectured in Buddhist Studies at the University of Bristol, is Associate Director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre and teaches on the Master of Studies programme in MBCT (Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy) at Oxford University. John has been teaching meditation for more than twenty five years and is a Gaia House guiding teacher.

Deepak Anand is native to the north-Indian state of Bihar and is a leading expert in classical Buddhist history and geography. He has coordinated numerous educational programs throughout the region, teaming up with organizations such as UNESCO, local and federal governments, and more. He also directs multiple organizations in the Rajgir/Nalanda area aimed at historic preservation of Buddhist heritage cites, as well as the betterment of living conditions for local populations.

Mingma Sherpa owns and operates Aasra Travel Company, based in Kathmandu, Nepal. With over a decade of experience interfacing with visitors to Nepal, Mingma is well versed in both native cultures of this region as well as international sensibilities. He specializes in trekking programs throughout the Himalayas, as well as cultural programs that explore the cultural and religious diversity of the Kathmandu Valley.