Drupon Samten Rinpoche has requested Ari Kiev to give a Dharma teaching. Ari will share with us along with our regular Shamata meditation, mantra recitation and prayers led by Ven. Lama Norbu.
Ari-ma welcomes questions from people, regardless of their level of experience with Buddhist teachings and practice. Questions will be posted to Zoom chat for the moderator for real-time dialogue.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83758760361?pwd=UlVrdmNyQU9henVHcXlOclp0eDNUQT09
Meeting ID: 847 7598 1181
Passcode: 01062020
Brief Bio:
Ari was raised in Southern California by parents on both ends of the religious spectrum: a
Protestant/Pentecostal mother and a nihilistic father. Due to the variety of Asian influences in
her community, she was exposed to diverse Buddhist traditions from an early age, practicing
Soto Zen under Sōyū Matsuoka Rōshi in her teens and early twenties.
Her connection with the Drigung Kagyü began when a Zen priest introduced her to Khenpo
(now Khenchen) Könchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche. At his invitation, she lived, worked, studied, and
practiced for five years at Jangchub Ling, the seat of the Drigung Kagyü in North India. Her work
there concluded when she met Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche, her root guru, in 1993 on his first
travels outside of Tibet.
For the next 27 years, she served Garchen Rinpoche—first interpreting teachings,
empowerments, and interviews, later translating texts, and finally, serving as cantor, having
developed systems for English-language chant of liturgical texts with traditional melodies.
Throughout these years of attending the guru, she trained intensively in music, chant, various
rituals, accomplishment retreats, yoga, and modes of meditation.
The period of her discipleship came to completion during a series of inner signs spanning from
spring of 2018 through the end of 2020. Her current focus is on developing the sangha
community—supporting practitioners in expanding our definition of ‘Dharma’ to include all
methods that bring about physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational well-being and
resiliency. At the heart of this work is trust in the prophetic promise that in the face of peril,
division, and uncertainty, the power and fruition of mantric practice will emerge forcefully.
