Rafa Lobsang Dorje (Rafael Nassif)
Dzokden Kalapa Program Co-ordinator
He started his contact with Buddhism in 2008, after practicing in other systems of spiritual practice in his homeland Brazil. In Europe, India and Tibet he had precious opportunities to receive teachings, transmissions and empowerments from masters from almost all schools of Tibetan Buddhism and from the Theravada Tradition as well, and took part in different group and solitary retreats. He was fortunate to met his precious Guru Jamphel Lodrö (Khentrul Rinpoche) in She Drup Ling-Austria in 2015, from whom he has been receiving a vast and profound wealth of Dharma, since the foundational subjects until the Kalachakra Vajra Yogas. Since 2016 he has been teaching Lu Jong (Tibetan Healing Yoga). In 2018 he received authorisation from Rinpoche to teach the Kalachakra-Ngöndro. Recently he reduced his professional activities as a composer in order to serve the altruistic ideals of his Guru as a full-time volunteer at our Dzokden community. He serves the community a.o. as a translator, editor and coordinator for the translations’ groups for both German and Portuguese languages.
Yeshe Wangmo
Dzokden
Julie O'Donnell
Tibetan Rimé Buddhist Institute
At an early age, Julie searched for a deeper meaning to life until finally at the age of 22 found the precious Buddhist path of Dharma. She dedicated her life to the practice, living in temples and serving teachers from around the world practicing the Buddhist teachings and living according to its principles. Julie has spent the last 34 years practicing this ancient path and for the past twelve years has lived at the Tibetan Buddhist Rime Institute in Tecoma helping the resident teacher Khentrul Rinpoche.
Julie is now one of the senior teachers in Dzokden giving classes on meditation and basic Buddhist principals that can be applied to our everyday lives. Julie also manages the Tibetan Rimé Buddhist Institute. She arranges a program of courses, tours and fundraising activities.