About Judith Simmer-Brown

Judith Simmer-Brown is Distinguished Professor of Contemplative and Religious Studies at Naropa University. She has expertise in Tibetan Buddhism, Women and Buddhism, Buddhist-Christian dialogue, Western Buddhism and Contemplative Education. She is an Acharya — a senior Buddhist teacher — in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition and was a senior student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. She serves on the Board of the Society of Buddhist-Christian Studies, and is on the steering committee of the Contemplative Studies Group of the American Academy of Religion. Previously she was a member of the Lilly Buddhist-Christian Theological Encounter.

Tibetan Buddhist enlightened teachers & ritual masters

In Vajrayana Buddhism's Tantric teachings, the rituals require the guidance of a teacher. The teacher is considered essential and to the Buddhist devotee, the guru is the "enlightened teacher and ritual master". The teacher is known as the vajra guru (literally "diamond .