Adzom Paylo Rinpoche

Our Guiding Teacher

Adzom Paylo Rinpoche is a scholar and meditation master in the ancient Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He is a lineage holder in both Dzogchen and Mahamudra. He is an incarnation of Jigme Lingpa, the 18th century master who originated the Longchen Nyingthig or "Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse".

Rinpoche is widely regarded as one of the most profound and powerfully compassionate Lamas of our time. He guides the construction and operation of many monasteries for monks and nuns. His work supports Tibetan orphans, the homeless elderly, a girl's school and the only hospital in the area.

Adzom Rinpoche On Taming The Mind

All beings wish to have happiness. Peace and happiness stem from our present mind state. So in order to have happiness and peace we must train our mind to be free of the negative afflicting emotions. This places us at ease so we can help others. Compassion toward others is the natural antidote to our disturbing and painful emotions. When you do this you can observe the change occuring. What causes this growth? It is the great aim to benefit others. As it benefits others it benefits self. As it benefits self it benefits others. We should not just accept this on faith alone. It is important to understand - by way of reasoning - this great truth.

This great view is the truth of Bodhicitta. This one teaching will suffice. It includes the whole of Buddha's teaching. If the presence of this compassion and love exists in our mindstream we will not have the causes of unhappiness - pride, anger, fear and greed. The non-recognition of Bodhicitta leads to sudden afflicted emotion and our sense of peace and happiness vanishes. It is this non-recognition that is the true obstruction - the true demon. This demon is our ego-clinging. This demon is internal. It is not outside, in someone else or in some external thing or condition. Thus the causes of our dissatisfaction and our suffering are our own ignorance and negative afflicted emotions - the internal state of our own mind. Our primary enemy is not an external enemy, but the inner enemy of the non-recognition of Bodhicitta. If we do not conquer this inner enemy - this demon - our external enemies will be never ending. So the main teaching is to have pure selfless intention from which we think and act for the benefit of all beings.

- Adzom Paylo Rinpoche

Dorje Trollo Retreat

Crestone, CO December, 2006

Our Founding Directors

Carol A. Hoy is a Tibetan Buddhist meditation instructor and has lectured at Naropa Institute. She has made pilgrimages to Tibetan Buddhist holy sites, and has received personal instruction from Tibetan meditation masters and scholars in Tibet, Nepal and India. She holds an MA in Visual Arts, an LMT, and has practiced Tibetan Buddhism for over twentyfive years. She is a student of Adzom Paylo Rinpoche.

David Paul Boaz is Co-Founding Director of Copper Mountain Institute and is the author of the forthcoming book, The Noetic Revolution: Toward an Integral Science of Matter, Mind and Spirit, Phenomenology of Transcendental Consciousness, and Pictures from Cathedral Peak, a book of poems. He has authored many essays and articles. He has studied with Eastern and Western meditation masters and has taught meditation, philosophy and religious studies for over thirty years. He has lectured in philosophy and religious studies at California State University, and at the American Institute of Oriental Medicine. He has been a student of Buddhist Dzogchen and Mahamudra Master Adzom Paylo Rinpoche since 1999. www.coppermount.org, www.davidpaulboaz.org