BTE Network Teachers
Members who have attended at least one meeting over the last 5 years
Farewell, dear Kamalshila
We received the sad news that Kamalashila died on Saturday 5 October 2024. Having received a terminal cancer diagnosis in April 2024, he generously shared his experience via his website and in conversation with Candradasa on the Buddhist Centre Online podcast, which included a guided meditation on the ‘mindfulness of death’.
Croatia
Zarko Andricevic Founder of the Buddhist Center in Zagreb, Croatia. Zarko first encountered Buddhism in 1975 and has been a martial arts and yoga teacher since the 1970s. In 1985 he started the first Buddhist study and meditation group in Croatia which in time grew into the first Buddhist community there. This community is known as Dharmaloka nowadays. In 1996 he met Chan Master Sheng Yen and became one of his students and he has dedicated himself to the practice of Chan meditation and has attended Master Sheng Yen's retreats
regularly. Zarko received Dharma transmission from Master Sheng Yen in June 2001, thus becoming one of his five Dharma heirs in the West.
www.dharmaloka.org
Belgium
Michel Mokusho Deprèay started practicing Zen in 1995 and received monk ordination from Ryotan Tokuda Roshi in 2000. He has been in charge of a Soto Zen center in Mons (Belgium) since 1996 and was chairman of the Buddhist Union of Belgium from 2009 until 2012. In addition to teaching in Mons, he leads Zen retreats and gives talks in the French-speaking part of the country as well as a course in Buddhist philosophy for Buddhists and non-Buddhists. He is very interested in interreligious and intra-Buddhist dialogue. He has been in charge of a Soto Zen center in Mons since 1996. www.shikantaza.be
Switzerland
Lama Irene (Dorje Drolma) Buddhist nun since 1991 and a bhiksuni since 1994. She studies and practices Buddhist philosophy and meditation since 1979, mainly Tibetan Buddhism. After meeting Mahamudra Master Gendun Rinpoche, she practiced under his guidance at two three-year retreats from 1986-1994. Since 1995 she is authorized as a teacher by Gendun Rinpoche and so she teaches Buddhist meditation in different countries. She is founder and part of the Dhagpo Lama Council (a council of peers). She is teaching a wide range of Tibetan based practices as there are Lodjong Mind Training, Tonglen, Chenresig as well as different forms of basic mindfulness and communication with heart
https://www.dhagpo-kundreul.org
Austria
Kurt Gakuro Krammer became interested in Buddhism in the 1960s and started Zen training and koan studies with Genro Osho and Joshu Sasaki Roshi in Austria and USA in 1986. After taking Bodhisattva vows in 1992, he founded Zendo Salzburg on his teacher’s advice. He taught students and teachers at Austrian Schools, worked as school-inspector for Buddhism, lecturer for Zen-Buddhism at the University of Vienna and gave lectures in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. For three years he served as Vice President of the European Buddhist Union. Over the last 20 years he has engaged in Intra-Buddhist as well as interreligious Dialogue, be it at grassroots level or at international conferences. www.dharma.at
Germany
Yesche U. Regel was born 1957 in Köln/Germany. Upon meeting the 16th Karmapa at Samye Ling in 1977, he organized a small Karma-Kagyü-Centre in Berlin. 1980 he received monk vows from the Karmapa at Woodstock, N.Y. and since 1981 he is connected to the Kamalashila Institute near Bonn. In 1985 he helped establish a 3-Year-Retreat-Centre and accomplished such a retreat. He started teaching Buddhism and meditation in 1991. 1997 he returned his robes and became a free-lance teacher visiting centres of different traditions in Germany and Europe. Together with his wife he is now running a city-centre in Bonn called PARAMITA. His teachers are Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, Lama Gendün Rinpoche and Thich Nhat Hanh. He is also trained in mindfulness oriented Focusing therapy.
www.paramita-projekt.de
Netherlands
Henk Barendregt (1947) studied from 1972 to 1979 Zen meditation with Kobun Chino Roshi and in Tassajara mountain center in California, and from 1979 to 2006 Vipasssana meditation with Phra Mettavihari in the Netherlands. In 2006 he was qualified to teach vipassana in the Mahasi style. After becoming emeritus professor of mathematical logic at Radboud University, he continues practice and writes about, researches, and teaches vipassana meditation, including intensive and lighter retreats. Metaphors from science and the arts are often used.
https://barendregt.wordpress.com/vipassana
Spain
Lama Ngawang Dorje Dondrub, Master of the Vajrayana Buddhist Sakya School, under supervision guidance of His Holiness Sakya Trizin. He is currently the Spiritual Director of the Sangha Activa Community which he leads with a compassionate and open attitude inviting its disciples to build Sangha from consensus and solidarity. He is extremely committed to transmitting the Dharma from its very essence and purity while using the right means for western mentalities. Member to the Buddhist Teacher’s European and the International Dharma Teacher’s Gatherings.
www.sanghaactiva.org
United Kingdom
Bhante Bodhidhamma started training in Soto Zen in 1977, then in the Mahasi Theravada Tradition with Sayadaws U Rewata Dhamma, U Janaka and U Pandita. In 1986 he ordained, subsequently spending eight years at Kanduboda Mahasi Centre in Sri Lanka. He has been teaching in England, Ireland and internationally since 1998. From 2001- 2005, he was the Resident Teacher at Gaia House. He founded the Satipanya Buddhist Retreat in Wales, a meditation centre devoted to the Mahasi tradition.
www.satipanya.org.uk
Sweden
Munisha is a British member of the Triratna Buddhist Order, ordained in 2003, living in Sweden and teaching at Triratna's Stockholm Buddhist Centre.
From 1997 to 2015 she taught at the Manchester Buddhist Centre (including 20-30,000 children visiting in school groups) while working for the Buddhist video project, the Clear Vision Trust, making Buddhist video for schools.
She is Triratna's Liaison Officer, looking after Triratna's relations with other Buddhist traditions in Europe. From 2016 to 2023 she was also Triratna's European Safeguarding Officer, providing Triratna centres with policies and advice for protecting children and adults from harm.
As Liaison officer she represents Triratna at the Network of Buddhist Organisations UK - and at the European Buddhist Union, where she is a council member and vice-president.
United Kingdom
Lama Shenpen Hookham has trained for over 40 years in the Mahamudra & Dzogchen traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. She has spent over 12 years in retreat and for the past 30 years has been a student of Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, one of the foremost living masters of the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
Students inspired by her teaching formed the Awakened Heart Sangha, a spiritual community under her direction.
Lama Shenpen now spends most of her time in semi-retreat at the Hermitage of the Awakened Heart, in Wales, UK. From there, she comes out regularly to teach, as well as giving interviews and advice to students in person and over the phone, by letter and by email.
www.ahs.org.uk
United Kingdom
Five Cram teaches in the Tibetan Mahamudra tradition, having been asked to teach by Lama Shenpen Hookham in 2006. Following her example his principal enthusiasm is to teach Dharma in a style suited to Europeans. His earlier trainings include Mahasi vipassana and a range of psychotherapeutic disciplines. He lives on the South Wales borders. He has a website at www.PiecesofFive.uk
United Kingdom
Susthama Kim is the Head of the Order of Amida Buddha. She moved into the Buddhist House, Narborough, Leicestershire in 2003 and loved every aspect of living, training, and learning about Buddhism. She runs her own private practice in Buddhist psychology, and has a podcast called The Abbott, Bombu and The Cosmos. She teaches meditation and chanting from a Pure Land Buddhist perspective. She is interested in developing faith, fellowship and friendship among Buddhist sanghas all over the world. She lives in Watford, UK with her family.
Germany
Tineke Osterloh has been teaching Dharma in the Early Buddhist tradition since 1997. She leads an extensive programme of Vipassana retreats, Metta and Tonglen seminars. She has been trained and authorised by Christopher Titmuss (Thai forest tradition), with whom she co-lead retreats for 18 years.
In the 1990s, Tineke lived for several years in Buddhist retreat centers in England and South Africa in order to practice intensively Vipassana and Early Buddhism. Subsequently, she has also studied & practised in Pureland Buddhism and Vajrayana.
Tineke is based in Hamburg, Northern Germany; she is also a mother and a photo-artist.
www.tinekeosterloh.com
United Kingdom
Jamie Cresswell has practiced Buddhism for 30 years. He studied Buddhism at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University, and at Sharpham College for Buddhist studies and Contemporary Enquiry. His interests cover the development of contemporary and western Buddhism, the use of transformation processes in peace and conflict situations, the relationship between Buddhism and contemporary thought, and human rights and responsibilities.
For four years he has been President of the European Buddhist Union, an umbrella organisation of Buddhist groups across Europe and he is also a member of the European council of Religious leaders, vice President of the International Buddhist confederation and a Director of Religions for Peace UK.
Netherlands
Adi Ichsan became a Buddhist in 1983 under the supervision of his first Vipassana teacher, late Acharn Phra Kru Mettavihari, and received the Buddhist name Dhammuttamo. After retirement as commercial banker, he temporarily entered a monastery (2017) life as Phra Cittadhammo under supervision of his current teacher Phra Kru Pariyati Bhavannideskha (Ajarn Sobin S. Namto) the abbot of Wat Wang Plado, Thailand. Adi started practicing vipassana in 1982 and since the 90's, gained his knowledge and insights in the Thai temples, under the guidance of Thai meditation masters. In 1997, Adi completed the teachers course of the International Buddhist Center at Wat Phradhatu Doi Suthep, under the guidance of Phra Acharn Noah Yuttadhammo. A year later, his former teacher, Mettavihari, also recognized him as a Vipassana teacher, and since then teaching at Sangha Metta and Dhammadipa meditation centers. At present Adi is board member and Senior Teacher of the Dhammadipa Foundation, Amsterdam; is member of the Dharma Advisory Council (DAR) of the Netherlands Buddhist Union (BUN); and is also advisor to the Board of Wat Thai Buddhavihara Temple in Purmerend.
United Kingdom
Jake Lyne is the Chair of the Western Chan Fellowship. He is a longstanding Buddhist practitioner within the Chan (Chinese Zen) tradition, following the Dharma Drum Mountain lineage of Chan Master Sheng Yen. He has trained with John Crook, Master Sheng Yen, Simon Child and other teachers since 1982. He is married with 3 children, is a retired clinical psychologist and leads retreats for the Western Chan Fellowship. He lives in the South West of England.
www.westernchanfellowship.org
Germany
Nicole Stern started spiritual practice with 17 and studied Psychology. She became a Zen Student in 1998 and was trained as a Vipassana and Dharma teacher by Christopher Titmuss. With many years of practice and international teaching experience, she combines essences of ancient wisdom teachings with her psychological background. She is a book author and works also as a part-time manager and coach in business. In 2020 she founded the "Meditation Online Academy", the Deep Rest Meditation Teacher Training and teaches everyday application of traditional Dharma practice in personal and professional contexts. She lives in Starnberg near Munich.
www.nicolestern.de and deep-rest-meditation.de
France
Martin Aylward spent his early 20s in Asian monasteries and Himalayan hermitages, mostly practicing in the Thai Forest tradition, with some 'cross training’ in Vajrayana, Shaivite and other tantric traditions. He is co-founder and resident teacher at Moulin de Chaves Retreat Centre in SW France where he lives, and founding teacher of online Dharma platform Sangha Live, and of the Mindfulness Training Institute. Martin leads retreats and guides students in the Early Buddhist tradition in which he was trained and authorised, while incorporating the wisdom streams of other ancient and contemporary practices. He is a father, husband, author, enthusiastic but poor guitar player, and a lover of the deep and the free.
MartinAylward.com
Germany
Lily Besilly is a teacher of Tara libre and was trained and authorized to teach in 2008 by Sylvia Wetzel. She teaches and guides retreats with the themes of the female Buddha Green Tara and other topics. She is part of the leading team for the annual Ravensbrück Retreat at the former concentration camp for women. Learning and teaching both for and amongst women is a special concern for her, as well as handling strong emotions with the help of Buddhist methods and interreligious Dialogue. Other important teachers are: Lama Lodrö Rinpoche, Tsültrim Allione, Rigdzin Shikpo, Shenpen Hookham, Barbara Wegmüller and Peter Gäng.
www.besilly.de
Germany
Raimund Hopf (Jinavaro) practiced Zen and Tibetan Buddhism before discovering early Buddhism as his path through the study of ancient texts. He has had several teachers of different traditions, both in the West and in Asia. Today he is most oriented to his mentor, Bhante Bodhi. In the Suttanta community, he teaches meditation, lectures, does the correspondence courses, and conducts retreats. He also translates and explains the Pāli-Suttas, which for him are the guiding principles of Buddhist practice. Raimund first encountered Buddhism in 1985 on a trip to Southeast Asia, lived in Japan for four years, studied in Hamburg and at the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute in New Delhi, and was a monk in the forest monastic tradition of Dhammayut-Nikaya in Thailand. Together with friends he founded the Buddha-Talk www.buddha.talk.de and the Buddhist aid organisation 'Mitgefühl-in-Aktion e.V.‘ mia.eu.com and is the teacher of the Germany based Suttanta Community.