I began practicing Buddhism in 1991 through the discovery of Kindness, Clarity, and Insight (by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama) and I immediately through myself into study and mediation. By the end of week one I had decided that bodhichitta and tranquil abiding were two most important mediations and begin diving my day between meditations on these two and study. After a year or so of attending the local Sakya Monastery I met my root guru Geshe Khenrab Gajam who was visiting from Montreal. I went to Montreal a few times and after Geshe-la’s untimely death I began looking for another teacher. I wasn’t completely successful in finding a community I connected with until I met Lama Zopa in 1997. Rinpoche and I became quite close over the years and have a wonderful relationship to this day.

Shortly after meeting Lama Zopa I met another important figure in my life: Gen Lobsang Choephel. He is an amazing scholar and yogi and even a brief overview of his life could fill volumes. It was Gen-la who commanded that I learn Tibetan if I wanted him to return to Seattle. So my journey into the richness and intricacies of the Tibetan Language began. I usually do several months of retreat a year so I treated my study of Tibetan like a retreat, dedicating several hours a day, everyday, while simultaneously studying with the brilliant Lobsang Thunden.

Gen-la returned to Seattle in 1999, eighteen months after his first visit and by then I was conversant in Tibetan. We lived together for one year during which time my skill as a speaker of Tibetan grew dramatically (he also spent the whole year teaching and giving empowerments so my practice blossomed as well). Gen-la doesn’t speak any English so I was forced to speak entirely in Tibetan. After his departure I threw myself back into my studies. Shortly I began translating simple prayers and practices while continuing to study with Lobsang Thonden.

Gen-la made it to Seattle three more times and it was during his second visit that he said “No you are my translator”. Here again, my language skills improved dramatically. I learned so much from Gen-la, from the deep profundities of Tibetan Buddhism to the workings of the Tibetan Language. Gen-la is the embodiment of everything excellent the Buddhist tradition and Tibetan Culture have to offer.

After a couple years I had translated a considerable amount of material and it became obvious that it should somehow be made available to the public. We had already established Dechen Ling as a non-profit to raise funds for the rebuilding of Gen-la’s monastery and help with other similar causes so we simply created an extension called Dechen Ling Press. This would provide an accessibility to the public for the material I had translated while simultaneously functioning as a fundraising vehicle for Dechen Ling. As a translator, (or any work I do for Dechen Ling) I never accept any payment. All of the proceeds from the sale of any of the material available through Dechen Ling goes either to Dechen Ling itself or is donated to Gen-la’s monastery Ganden Kachoe.

Dechen Ling Press will continue to provide more and more material throughout the years for serious practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism with a particular emphasis placed on Chakrasamvara. I have a great deal of material that should be made available soon such as: The Heruka Root Tantra, Ngulchu Dharmabhadra’s commentary on the Five Deity Ghantapa practice, the First Panchen Lama’s commentary on the Five Stages of Completion Stage of Ghantapa, a commentary on the retreat preliminaries of the Five Deity practice by Ngulchu Dharmabhadra as well as my current project, a commentary on the Five Stages of Completion Stage by the Second Dalai Lama.

It my hope that these texts may serve to benefit the practitioners of Heruka while providing financial support for Dechen Ling and Ganden Kachoe Monastery. Each purchase you make goes directly to benefit both of these two centers. It should also be noted that Dechen Ling is run entirely by volunteers and only keeps at a maximum of 5% of any income for simple operating costs.

I hope that you find the material helpful in your practice and that together we can all work towards the goal of enlightenment for the welfare of all living beings.