Namgyal Rinpoche


About the Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche

The Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche (né George Dawson) was the main meditation teacher of many people associated with Crystal Staff. Known familiarly as Rinpoche (which means Precious or Jeweled One), he was a Canadian Buddhist monk who studied, practiced and taught meditation in many different parts of the world since the early 1960s. His name and title were conferred on him by His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Karma Kargyu school of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism. Previously the Rinpoche was known as the Ven. Ananda Bodhi, the name given him by the Venerable Sayadaw U Thila Wunta when he received the robes of a Bhikku (fully ordained Buddhist monk – literally meaning “wanderer”) at that teacher’s temple in Burma (Myanmar). After spending many years in the East, involved in meditation and study with different teachers in Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand, he returned to the West at the invitation of the English Sangha Trust, to teach in London, England as their resident Bhikku. During this time he also established Johnson House, which he later passed on to Ven. Akong Rinpoche and Ven. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and which became known as Samye Ling. He returned to Canada to teach in 1965 and continued to give teachings and empowerments in Canada and around the world until his death in Switzerland, October 2003.

Several of Namgyal Rinpoche’s students are now teachers in their own right, many traveling globally to provide lectures and instruction in meditation practices. Crystal Staff regularly hosts visits from these visiting teachers, organizing schedules, programs, and venues and advertising events to offer to the Crystal Staff community and the interested general public. We also conduct regular weekly sessions to encourage practice of meditation and study.