On page 44 of the July-September 2010 print issue of Mandala, we featured a Teacher Trivia question and answer section. How well did you do?

1. Which FPMT teacher said this: “Without the moisture of devotion, our enthusiasm for practice dries up and our heart becomes hard. The wellspring of our devotion needs to be constantly renewed. It’s especially important once we have taken empowerments into the practices of highest yoga tantra, as all success in this path comes from correct devotion to the Spiritual Master.” (Answer: E; Ven. Thubten Dondrub, Resident Teacher, Hayagriva Buddhist Centre, Kensington, WA, Australia)

2. About which FPMT teacher did one student remark: “In addition to being a great teacher, I also consider her a friend. She visited me at the hospital after my cancer surgery and stayed with me the night I got home to make sure nothing bad happened. She also presided at my sister-in-law’s memorial service. She encouraged me to sit with the dying. Although I was reluctant to do this, I found it very rewarding in the end. She seems to know how to stretch people beyond where they might normally consider their boundaries. She’s compassionate, witty, and wise as well as exhibiting a surprising geekiness when it comes to technology.” (Answer: I; Ven. Losang Drimay, Resident Teacher, Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center, Campbell, California, USA)

3. Which FPMT teacher replied to a student who proclaimed: Samsara is crap: “Yes, indeed, samsara is crap, but while we are here, we should maintain it as clean as possible.” (Answer: S; Basili Llorca, FPMT Touring Teacher)

4. About which FPMT teacher did one student remark: “She has this amazing energy, incredible sense of humor and a way of teaching Dharma that is both personal and practical. No matter how busy she is, she always takes time to talk, is interested in others and inquires about one’s welfare, really listening, caring and sharing.” (Answer: E; Ven. Amy Miller, FPMT Touring Teacher)

5. About which FPMT teacher did one student remark: “I love the way his teachings have no mention of a single ‘don’t do this or that.’ He does not impose or preach.” (Answer: P;  Glen Svensson, FPMT Touring Teacher)

6. Which FPMT teacher said this, “The advantage with journeys to the inner world is that you don’t need ticket, visa, passport or whatever. You can go whenever you want, you only need some courage. Now I don’t know about your inner world, but mine is definitely full of crap but fascinating. If you are not afraid of the crap, and you have some humor, the inner world certainly becomes the perfect travel ground.” (Answer: L; Ven. Rita Riniker, FPMT Touring Teacher)

7. Which FPMT teacher and early FPMT student has been Spiritual Program Coordinator of six centers and the resident teacher at four centers, and founded two FPMT centers? (Answer: !; Dieter Kratzer, teaches at Tara Mandala Center, Landau, Germany)

8. Which FPMT teacher compiled the popular Lam-Rim Outlines: Beginners’ Meditation Guide published by Wisdom Publications which covers in detail all three scopes of meditation from the Lam-rim? (Answer: O; Ven. Karin Valham, Resident Teacher, Kopan Monastery, Nepal)

9. Which Masters Program graduate is resident teacher at one FPMT center, resident teacher of an FPMT study group, and serves as a teacher with the Liberation Prison Project, guiding inmates in prison with their spiritual practice? (Answer: H; Don Handrick, Resident Teacher, Thubten Norbu Ling, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA)

10. Which FPMT teacher said this, “Buddha says basically, the extent to which we are not in touch with the truth, the extent to which we are not in touch with how things exist, at many levels, is the extent to which we suffer. So the getting of wisdom, as far as Buddha is concerned, isn’t so you can end up being a smarty pants and getting full marks in your philosophy exam. The reason to get wisdom is to get happy and to benefit others. So there is a really practical basis for it. It’s not just being clever. And this, across the board, is how the Buddha talks.” (Answer: R; Ven. Robina Courtin, Resident Teacher, Tushita Meditation Centre, Dharamsala, India)

11. About which FPMT teacher did one student remark: “I find him humble, humane, funny, friendly, warm, honest, open, approachable and know ledgeable, his teaching very practical, his instruction and explanation very simple and effortless to follow, his analogies so down to earth and easy to relate to as they often come from his own experiences and observations, and his responses to my questions profound.” (Answer: N; Wai Cheong Kok, Resident Teacher, Vajrayana Institute, Ashfield, NSW, Australia)

12. About which FPMT teacher did a student share, “To be in the presence of him is to feel loved, understood and deeply cared about. His great intellectual understanding, monastic experience, language and translating skills are vast and complemented by a teaching style that is warm, gentle and filled with an extraordinary depth of wisdom and compassion … He is affectionately referred to as ‘Grandpa Love’ by my children.” (Answer: R; Jampa Gendun, FPMT Touring Teacher)

13. Which FPMT teacher is currently a lecturer and supervisor for the Australian Association of Buddhist Counselors and Psychotherapists, is an honorary lecturer in Psychological Medicine at Sydney University, recently gave a keynote address at the biannual conference of the Royal Australian and New Zealand Congress of Psychiatry, and is known by one of her students as, “Venerable Funky Nun.” (Answer: L; Ven. Tenzin Chonyi, FPMT Touring Teacher)

14. Which FPMT teacher trained as a psychiatric nurse and worked for four years in psychiatric hospitals, served as cook, office worker and gardener in one of FPMT’s largest centers, served as director of Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery and the International Mahayana Institute and has led various retreats as well as teaching in prisons and schools? (Answer: R; Ven. Tony Beaumont, FPMT Touring Teacher)

15. About which FPMT teacher did one student remark: “As a teacher he is warm, dedicated and always down to earth on a very honest and personal level. He is an inspiring and warmhearted person, very easy to get along with and humble too. What I admire most is his compassion, honesty and sincerity.” (Answer: S; Stephan Pende, Resident Teacher, Tong-nyi Nying-je Ling, Denmark)

16. About which FPMT teacher did one student remark: “Not only was she perennially kind, supportive and adaptable, but rare was the day that did not start with the greeting, “Good morning, beautiful people!” nor involve crossing paths with at least one ‘happy little Vegemite.’ In awe, I once asked her how she managed to be so irrepressibly positive. She answered, “I’ve always had this sense that I could deal with whatever happened.’” (Answer: N; Ven. Jampa Dekyi, former Resident Teacher, Tushita Meditation Centre, Dharamsala, India)

17. Which FPMT teacher has completed six-and-a-half years of solitary meditation retreat, is a regular teacher in Northern California and New Zealand, serves as a visiting teacher for Liberation Prison Project, guiding students in prison with their spiritual practice, is active in several efforts for the benefit of animals, people with chronic illness, those who are dying and the environment and is known for her straight forward, engaging, inspiring, sincere and fun teaching style? (Answer: O; Ven. Tenzin Chogkyi, FPMT Touring Teacher)

18. Which FPMT teacher said this, “Suffering (the unsatisfactory nature of our human existence) has to be realized, understood. The cause of suffering (craving desire) has to be abandoned. Contentment has to be experienced. And restraining the senses has to be cultivated. By restraining the senses, craving desire is cooled. By cooling craving desire, one is more content. And by being content, one stops dissatisfaction.” (Answer: A; Ven. Fedor Stracke, Resident Teacher, Munich, Aryatara Institut, Germany)

19. Which FPMT teacher said this, “One obstacle is to push ourselves beyond our ability and impose on our practice an idea of how much we should meditate rather than looking at how much we are actually able to meditate. We can build up so much resentment that we end up feeling nauseous and tired just thinking of the meditation cushion.” (Answer: U; Ven. Antonio Satta, FPMT Touring Teacher)

20. Which FPMT teacher is a Physics graduate from MIT? (Answer: S; Ven. George Churinoff, Basic Program at Home Teacher)

21. Which FPMT teacher said this, “We need an incredibly amount of energy to be able to leave this cycle of habits and tendencies and be able to do something different … Aiming to develop our best qualities and opening our hearts to others is something we need to practice every day.” (Answer: H; Ven. Lobsang Namgyel, FPMT Touring Teacher)

22. About which FPMT teacher did one student remark, “Meeting him was a revelation and a breath of fresh air. Here was this very relaxed, kind, and spacious monk who had obviously achieved some experience in his practice. But he was so relaxed and full of humor! And the retreat advice he gave me was spectacular… and very practical.” (Answer: G; former Resident Teacher, Vajrapani Institute, Boulder Creek, California, USA)

23. Which FPMT teacher worked for seven years as a financial journalist based in New York and Hong Kong, received her Masters degree in Languages and Cultures of Asia specializing in Sanskrit and Tibetan, is now completing her Ph.D. in Buddhist studies, and founded a program, made up of forty volunteers, who prepare and offer food to over 200 homeless individuals every Sunday since 2005. (Answer: H; Ven. Lhundrup Damcho, FPMT Touring Teacher)

24. Which FPMT teacher said this, “If we don’t extend our hand, the holy ones who wish to help us have nothing to grab onto in order to lift us up.” (Answer: O; Kendall Magnussen, Discovering Buddhism at Home Teacher)

25. Which FPMT teacher was the first Western male student of Lama Yeshe’s to be ordained and received the following praise from a student: “One of the things I admire most is his open and flexible mind, his humility, his ability to treat all people with the same respect without distinction, whether Buddhist, Catholic, rich, poor, kind, unkind, etc.” (Answer: C; Jhampa Shaneman, Resident Teacher, Rinchen Zangpo Center, Torreón, Mexico)

26. Which FPMT teacher worked as an English editor for the Translation Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India, and has authored and edited numerous works including Buddhism for Dummies, Wisdom Energy, Introduction to Tantra, Prince Siddhartha and Images of Enlightenment? (Answer: I; Jon Landaw, Discovering Buddhism at Home Teacher)

27. Which FPMT teacher is a hands-on director of two dynamic Buddhist centers, guides the construction of a large stupa, oversees major facility upgrades at one center, makes overseas trips to raise funds for various projects, teaches top-notch classes on Buddhism, maintains a vegan lifestyle, serves as the history “fact-checker” and institutional memory of the entire organization, and still has the energy and charm to spew Aussie humor at his friends, employees and center volunteers? (Answer: A; Dr. Nicholas Ribush (pictured here in 1969), FPMT Discovering Buddhism at Home Teacher)

28. Which FPMT teacher served as the coordinator of Lama Yeshe’s ground breaking Geshe Studies Program at Manjushri Institute, England; spiritual program coordinator, director, and later resident teacher at Nalanda Monastery, France; and FPMT International Office Education Services program developer of the Masters Program at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy? (Answer: H; Tubten Pende, Discovering Buddhism at Home Teacher)

29. Which FPMT teacher and author of How to Meditate starts her morning by making two pieces of toast, smearing Marmite on them, cutting them to little pieces and feeding them to her two cats Tongpanyi and Jamyang? (Answer: S; Ven. Sangye Khadro, FPMT Touring Teacher)

30. About which FPMT teacher did one student remark, “She has provided me with invaluable guidance with her reviews of my Discovering Buddhism at Home module assessments. She led me and five others on our two-week lam-rim retreat at Milarepa Center in beautiful Vermont, assuredly a turning point in my life. Without her continued wisdom and guidance, my life would not be so rich – I am sure of that.” (Answer: T; T.Y., Discovering Buddhism at Home Teacher)

31. Which FPMT teacher, because of her down-to-earth qualities and dependable shoes, was once described as “the red Buddhist angel wearing boots”? (Answer: H; Ven. Tenzin Tsapel, Discovering Buddhism at Home Teacher)

32. Which FPMT teacher studied for eleven years at Nalanda Monastery in France, and from 1993 to 2004 was one of only a handful of Westerners who have followed what His Holiness Dalai Lama refers to as the ‘Nalanda Tradition’ of studies at Sera Monastery in India which has led one student to comment the following, “His depth of experience and understanding of the Tibetan Buddhist path is exceptional, and his unassuming, friendly manner and clear teaching style make him an especially popular teacher.” (Answer: T; Ven. Steve Carlier, FPMT Touring Teacher)

33. About which FPMT teacher did one student say the following, “Her understanding and clear, joyful teaching of the dialectics of Tibetan Buddhism are inspiring, and her deep devotion to Lama Yeshe and Essential Education continue as an example to me in my own practice of guru devotion. Also, her daily effort to bring adversity to the path, through chronic illness and financial challenge, has been a shining example of faith in the heart, a strong commitment to practice, and how practice is not separate from our daily, ordinary lives.” (Answer: E; Ven. Connie Miller, Discovering Buddhism at Home Teacher)

34. Which FPMT teacher said this, “Two and a half thousand years ago the Buddha developed a model of personal perfection and happiness that was more radical than any subsequent attempted social engineering… In a sense we can say that the Buddha pioneered psychology, and that he developed an enlightened form that was the result of systematic and scientific exploration.” (Answer: E; Renate Ogilvie, Discovering Buddhism at Home Teacher)

35. Which FPMT teacher used to wear a pink shantung silk suit, pearls and high heels to her job as a computer services manager in the nineties? (Answer: F; Ven. Kaye Miner, Resident Teacher, Amsterdam, Netherlands)

36. Which FPMT teacher said this, “It is said that if you can remember the sixties, you weren’t there. Well, what I can remember about the sixties is that nobody trusted the establishment. It was easy to blame society for everything, and I took pride in living spontaneously and making decisions that followed my heart rather than my head. For a while I was lucky, then life hit me like a ton of bricks and I lost faith in my heart. Buddhism helped me to put things together again by pointing out that, as long as we remain ignorant of our true nature, we cannot trust either our heads or our hearts to lead us to happiness and away from suffering.” (Answer: I; Ven. Thubten Gyatso (Dr. Adrian Feldmann), currently teaches in Australia)

37. A student said this about which FPMT teacher, “Instead of passing a message to us intellectually, he helps us to reach the core of these teachings in order to transform our minds. He is present at every moment to support us and encourage us despite our egotistical rantings.” (Answer: P; Sixte Vinçotte, Basic Program teacher’s assistant, Marzens, France)

38. After meeting Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche in 1974, this FPMT teacher eventually become a monk and helped to found Nalanda Monastery in France. Not what he had in mind in the sixties when he was enrolled at University studying, according to him, “acting, music and revolution.” (Answer: C; Jimi Neal, FPMT Touring Teacher)

39. About which FPMT teacher did one student remark: “She never hangs on to anything too long, so I am constantly brought into the present moment. When I’m with her, I can’t hang on to the past at all and if I do, then in some playful way, she will snap me out of it. I never know what to expect and she is really fun to be around.” (Answer: S; Ven. Sarah Thresher, FPMT Touring Teacher)

40. About which FPMT teacher did one student remark: “I always marvel at her skill in answering questions. She never rushes and combines her incredible breadth of knowledge and skillful speech to compose her answer. She is both a great resource and a kind counselor.” (Answer: E; Emily Hsu, Bay Area FPMT Centers Teacher, USA)

ANSWER TO PUZZLE

Cherishing others is the source of all happiness! — Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Tags: fpmt-registered teachers