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Our Inspiration

 

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Inspiration and guide of the FPMT

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is former head of state of Tibet and considered an important spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was born into...

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Lama Thubten Yeshe

Founder of the FPMT

Lama Thubten Yeshe was born in Tibet in 1935. When he was six years old, he joined Sera monastery in Lhasa, where he studied until 1959. As Lama Yeshe...

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Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche

Spiritual director FPMT

Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche was born in 1946 in Thami, in the Mount Everest area, near the Lawudo cave, where his previous rebirth had meditated the la...

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Our Teachers

Teachers of the Maitreya Institute

Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen

Resident teacher in Loenen

Better known as Geshe Dhönden by Tibetans, he was born in 1941 in Tibet. As a small child, he joined the monastic university of Ganden, and became a m...

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Ven. Losang Gendun

Teacher in Amsterdam (online)

Buddhist teacher Ven. Losang Gendun is a Dutch monk. Ven. Losang Gendun’s spiritual journey started with a Trappist monk in the early 1970ties, who...

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Pellha de Vries

Interpreter / translator

Pellha de Vries is originally a theater maker and drama therapist. She studied Buddhist Philosophy in Italy for several years (Istituto Lama Tsong Kha...

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Annelies van der Heijden

Annelies has a background as a dietitian, shiatsu therapist, and yoga instructor. Since 1998, she has been actively involved with the Maitreya Institu...

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Paula de Wijs

Co-founder of the Maitreya Institute and Director Amsterdam

Paula de Wijs has studied Buddhism for many years, and used to be the director of the center in Amsterdam. She is involved in the FPMT since the 1970'...

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Nanna de Waele

Bio Zie ook: interview met Nanna de Waele

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Ven. Yangdzom

Venerable Yangdzom (Koosje van der Kolk) has been involved with the Maitreya Institute since 1984 and has held various roles, including editing the Ma...

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Maarten de Vries

Maarten is the former director of the Maitreya Institute in Emst and Loenen. Since 2017, he has been the deputy director and Spiritual Program Coordin...

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Silvie Walraven

Silvie Walraven is a teacher of Buddhist Education (BVO) in public primary schools. Before that, she lived in Nepal and Bhutan for 15 years, where she...

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Guest teachers

 

H.E. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche

The current 4th Zong Rinpoche Tenzin Wangdak was born in 1985 in Northern India and is renowned for his erudition and deep realizations. He has been r...

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Geshe Sonam Ngodrup

Geshe Sonam Ngodrup

Geshe Sonam Ngodrup was one of the teachers who taught in Loenen and Amsterdam for several years. He is now residing in Canada, but he continues to te...

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Geshe Yeshe Rinchen

Geshe Yeshe Rinchen was born in Tibet on May 7, 1968, and attended school between the ages of 6 and 10. However, he had to start working in the fields...

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Geshe Tenzin Namdak

First Dutch Geshe

Venerable Geshe Tenzin Namdak was born in 1970 in the Netherlands and studied water management at the van Hall Larenstein University in his youth. ...

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Ven. Amy Miller

Buddhist teacher Ven. Amy Miller is an American, Tibetan, Buddhist nun.  Biography Personal insights about Ven. Amy from her students S...

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Carmen Mensink

Teacher thangka painting

Carmen graduated as a graphic designer from the Art Academy in Kampen in 1995, after which she specialized in Letter Design & Typography at the Ro...

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