Western Gateway to the Buddhist Science of Mind

3902 Woodland Park Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103 USA
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Speakers

Dying Well, Sacred Rituals and Caring Communities

The speakers at the conference on Dying Well, Sacred Rituals and Caring Communities, to present at Nalanda West March 8-9, 2008 bring a wealth of experience and insight into the process of dying well and speak from a variety of viewpoints. They include:

The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche - Buddhist Perspective

The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche is acknowledged as one of the foremost scholars of his generation in the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He is known for his sharp intellect, humor, and the lucidity of his teaching style. Fluent in the English language and well-versed in Western culture, Rinpoche is also an accomplished calligrapher, visual artist and poet.

Rinpoche is a prolific teacher and author. His teachings have been widely published in Bodhi Magazine and other venues. He is author of Penetrating Wisdom (Siddhi Publications, 2001), Wild Awakening (Shambhala Publications, 2003) and Mind Beyond Death (Snow Lion Publications, 2007). Rinpoche has dedicated himself to the preservation of traditional Buddhist traditions in the East, and to the support the establishment of a genuine transmission of Buddhism to the West.

Ramona Ahto – Native American Perspective

Ramona Ahto is an enrolled member of the Fourteen Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Indian Nation. Having left her reservation to relocate in Seattle in 1985, she has served her Native American Community and the larger community of which she is a part, in diverse ways. Mona is currently serving her community as Intensive Outpatient (IOP) Counselor for United Indians of All Tribes Foundation’s I Wa Sil Program. Outside of her current work in counseling, Mona is a Training Consultant/Contractor. Through her support as a skilled facilitator conducting Healing and Talking Circles, Mona promotes reconciliation in organizations and agencies that are overwhelmed and stressed by the Community work that they engage in. She has conducted circles and workshops for Northwest AIDS Foundation, Bailey-Boushay AIDS Housing population, Madison Clinic – Harborview Hospital, Virginia Mason, Children’s Hospital and other organizations. She also was a guest workshop facilitator for the Worldwide Bereavement Gathering held in Seattle in 1996.

Rabbi Ted Falcon, Ph.D. - Jewish Perspective

Rabbi Ted Falcon, Ph.D., teaches a Kabbalistic approach to Judaism through practices of Jewish meditation and the interpretation of Torah, ritual, and Jewish tradition from a spiritual point of view. A Reform rabbi with a doctorate in clinical psychology, he is author of Journey of Awakening: Using the Kabbalistic Tree of Life in Jewish Meditation A teacher and student of Jewish meditation for over twenty-five years, Rabbi Falcon teaches Torah as a paradigm for spiritual awakening, sharing his discoveries of the rich, but relatively hidden treasures of Jewish spiritual texts. In 1978 he founded Makom Ohr Shalam, a Synagogue for Jewish Meditation in Los Angeles. In 1993 he and his wife, Ruth Neuwald Falcon, founded Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue in Seattle, Washington. He teaches and leads retreats around the country. Rabbi Ted Falcon teaches the Way of the Heart, an inner path of an Inner Path. With gentleness and humor, he offers unique insight into Jewish tradition.

Jamal Rahman - Muslim Sufi Perspective

Jamal Rahman is the co-minister at Interfaith Community Church, Seattle. Jamal is director of Sacred Psychology School and adjunct faculty at Seattle University. Jamal's passion lies in interfaith community building. He remains rooted in his Islamic tradition but cultivates a "spaciousness" by being open to the beauty and wisdom of other faiths. Through the process of an authentic and appreciative understanding of other paths, Jamal feels that he is becoming a better Muslim. This spaciousness is not about conversion, but about completion. Jamal has an abiding faith in the power of heart to heart connections to encompass differences and dissolve prejudices. Jamal participates in presentations, workshops, and retreats locally, nationally and internationally.

Sister Betty Schumacher – Catholic Perspective

Betty Schumacher, O.S.B. is presently a Pastoral Associate at St. Jude's Parish. Her main focus is pastoral outreach, especially to those who are grieving, and education. For the past twenty years she has worked in Catholic Parishes in the Seattle Area as well as in Boise, Idaho. She has facilitated educational classes and women retreats for Methodist and Presbyterian Churches. She is a Benedictine Sister from the Monastery of St. Gertrude in Cottonwood, Idaho. She received her Master's Degrees in Ministry and Counseling from Seattle University.

Dr. Andrew Holecek

Andrew Holecek has been on the spiritual path for thirty two years, twenty of those as a serious practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. He has completed the traditional three-year meditation retreat, is adjunct faculty in the Religious Studies Department at Naropa University , and also the Ngedon School of Higher Buddhist Studies. He writes a regular column for Bodhi Magazine on living and dying, and has published numerous articles in the Shambhala Sun, Bodhi Magazine, Elephant, and other periodicals. He is the founder of the Forum of Living and Dying, and teaches seminars throughout the country on the Tibetan views of life, death, and beyond. His first book, "Power and Pain -- Understanding the Hardships of the Spiritual Path" is forthcoming from Snow Lion Publications. Dr. Holecek holds degrees in classical music, degree work in physics, and a doctorate in dental surgery. He is also the co-founder of the Himalayan Dental Relief Project, which for the past ten years has served the health care needs of impoverished children in five Asian countries. He lives in Golden, Colorado.

Trudy James

Trudy James, a Union Theological Seminary graduate and a trained hospital chaplain, came to death and dying work through the AIDS epidemic in Arkansas in the late 80’s. Since that time she has worked continuously to recruit, train and support volunteer CareTeams to be with individuals who are living, or dying, with AIDS. She is currently the AIDS CareTeam Specialist for Multifaith Works, a Seattle-based nonprofit dedicated to compassionate community-building. She is also a per diem Chaplain at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and is on the Advisory Board of Compassion and Choices of Washington, the assisted dying movement. She is grateful to have witnessed transformation in many lives through her work and is an advocate for opening to death as a natural part of life.

Rosemary Bakker, MS

Rosemary Bakker, MS, is a certified interior designer and gerontologist at the Weill Cornell Medical College. She has a Masters of Science in Gerontology from Hoftstra University (1997) with distinction. For the last fifteen years, Ms. Bakker has offered lectures and workshops to health care professionals and caregivers on healing environments; her subspecialty is environments for people with dementia. As a member of the Nalandabhodi Office of Health and Well-Being, she helps organize community support systems in New York for people who are ill and dying and for their caregivers. She is the author of the upcoming book, Beautiful Living with Universal Design: Designing for Health and Wellness in the Second Half of Your Life (Lark Books). She lives in New York and has been happily married for 18 years. Two of her greatest teachers have been her mother, who recently died of Alzheimer’s disease, and her husband, Jonathan, who lives with cancer, with grace.

Rev. David Wendleton

Rev. David Wendleton was born and raised in Central Missouri. He graduated from the Central Methodist College in Fayette, Missouri with a Bachelor of Music Education. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Iliff School of Theology and has been in the hospital ministry since 1977. He has been a Certified ACPE supervisor since 1979. Rev. Wendleton just celebrated his 39^th year in ministry as a United Methodist Minister and is currently the Director of Spiritual Care and Clinical Pastoral Education at Evergreen Healthcare. He is a member of the Executive Director selection committee for the ACPE, the Pacific Region ACPE Peer Review Committee and the Formation Team “The Anamcara Project”, Sacred Art of Living Center, Bend, Oregon. He has been been married to Julie Wendleton for 33 years. They have two daughters, Katie 24 and Krista 21, who are dancers with Holland America Cruise Line.

Desiree Pardi MD., PhD.

Desiree Pardi MD., PhD. is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Director of the Palliative Care Service in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Pardi received her PhD from the City University of New York in 1998 and her MD from Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University in 2002. She then went on to complete a residency in Internal Medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and a fellowship in Pain and Palliative Care at the world renowned Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 2006, following her fellowship, Dr. Pardi joined the faculty of Weill Cornell Medical College of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital. As Director of the Palliative Care Service, Dr. Pardi has been integral to the rapid growth of the service and has been instrumental in integrating palliative care education throughout all disciplines. Given her strong commitment to spiritual health of both patients and staff, Dr. Pardi was instrumental in designing a bi-weekly program for members of the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology that includes classes on meditative yoga and exploration of various aspects of spiritual self-exploration to improve spiritual health.

Judith Gordon, PhD.
Board Member, Compassion and Choices of WA

Dr. Gordon is a licensed psychologist with a psychotherapy practice in Seattle. In addition, she is a clinical professor of psychology at the University of Washington where she does clinical research and supervises graduate students. For many years she conducted research, wrote, and trained mental health professionals in developing strategies for helping people change health risk behaviors. Her current focus is on research and policy regarding end-of-life decision-making. She chairs the Washington State Psychological Association End-of-Life Task Force and has participated in done similar work with the American Psychological Association. At its 2007 Fall Convention, the WSPA presented Judith with her second Social Issues Award, in recognition of her work on end-of-life issues. Judith has practiced Buddhist meditation for over 30 years.

Mark Power
Chaplain on Spiritual Care of the Dying

Mark Power is a Board Certified Chaplain working with Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. A student of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition for 30 years, Mark integrates the strengths of his contemplative background to inter-faith ministry and spiritual care. In healthcare he has worked in acute, critical-care, hospice and palliative care settings, and currently works as a chaplain and palliative care consultant with a dynamic transdisciplinary team at Seattle Children's. Mark's practice of spiritual care emphasizes the practice of compassionate presence, which he defines as tending the essence of our humanity. He has presented his perspectives of spiritual care at local, state and regional conferences in the Northwest Region of the U.S.

Mark has been married to his wife Marion for 25 years; they have two daughters, Cynthia and Katherine, whom Mark identifies as among his most influential teachers! Within his spiritual community of Nalandabodhi, led by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Mark serves as an administrator and teacher.

Lynne Conrad Marvet

Lynne Conrad Marvet, Performance Organizer and Performer.
Lynne is a contemplative clown and new vaudevillian. Her clowning is as
an extension of her spiritual practice in the sense that it is
creative play and challenges the viewer to wake up to simple truths about our
world and our reality. She has performed with Bread & Puppet Theatre in
Vermont and New York City. Her clown character MeeMee HeeHee was
developed in 2003 as a result of studying with Moshe Cohen of Clowns
without Borders. Lynne sings, dances, tells stories, clowns around and plays
with puppets and toys to bring sheer delight to her audiences. She
enjoys re-writing song lyrics with a Buddhist twist.

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