Judy Lief

Bios

Summary

Judith L. Lief has been a Buddhist teacher for over 25 years. She was a close student of Ven. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, who trained and empowered her as a teacher in the Buddhist and Shambhala traditions. Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, his son and successor, recognized Ms. Lief as a senior teacher, or “acharya.” Ms. Lief worked with Trungpa Rinpoche as executive editor of Vajradhatu Publications and from 1980-1985 as the Dean of Naropa University, in Boulder Colorado. Currently she is the Executive Editor of Vajradhatu Publications and the Series Editor for the Dharma Oceans series, a collection of works by Trungpa Rinpoche published by Shambhala Publications, Boston. Judy travels and teaches extensively. She divides her time between teaching, writing, and editing.

Teaching

1975-Present. Numerous public seminars on contemplative approach to death and dying and on the teachings of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Presentations and workshops for pastoral counselors, hospice workers, and caregivers.

1975-Present. Courses and seminars on Buddhist meditation and worldview and the Shambhala tradition, with a focus on Buddhist psychology, education, Buddhist-Christian dialogue, and health and healing.

Naropa Institute Eight-Week Study Abroad Program in Bali, Indonesia
1987 With Dr. Frances Harwood, developed pilot study abroad program
   in Bali, Indonesia.
1994,1995,1997, 2000. Directed annual Naropa program in Bali, Indonesia.

Writing

Ms. Lief is the editor of numerous books on Buddhist meditation and psychology. Her articles have appeared in The Shambhala Sun, Tricycle,
O Magazine, Buddhadharma, and The Naropa Journal of Contemplative Psychotherapy. She is the author of Making Friends with Death: A Buddhist Guide to Encountering Mortality, Shambhala Publications March 2001.

Activities and Employment

2004-Present. Member, Madison-Deane Initiative (Vermont End-of-Life Care
   Education Initiative)
200-Present. Regular teaching visits to New York City, Washington D. C.,
   Chicago, and Atlanta.
1989-Present. Executive editor. Vajradhatu Publications, Halifax.
1988-Present. Series editor, Dharma Ocean Series,
   Shambhala Publications, Boston.

2000-2001 Pastoral Counselor, Maitri Adult Day Health Center,
   Greyston Foundation, Yonkers. NY.
1990-1993. Member, Shambhala International Board of Directors.
1986-1989. Founding Director, Naropa Institute of Canada, Halifax.
1986-Present. Member, The Naropa University Board of Trustees.
1980-1985. Dean, The Naropa Institute, Boulder.

Conferences (Selected)

2004. Integrating Spirit and Care Giving. Garrison Institute Garrison, New York
2003. Tibetan Buddhism in the Modern World with HH. Dalai Lama.
   Garrison Institute Garrison, New York.
2003 Integrating Spirit and Care Giving Naropa University Boulder, Colorado
2002 Religious Leadership in a Spiritual Marketplace The National Jewish Center
   for Learning and Leadership NYC
2001 Tricycle Magazine Buddhism in America conference World Trade
   Center NYC
2001 Religious Wisdom and Care of the Patient St. Vincents Catholic
   Medical Center, NYC
2000. Buddhism in America Conference Estes Park, Colorado
1997. Buddhism in America Conference, Boston.
1996. Western Buddhist Teachers’Association Conference with the Dalai Lama,
   Dharmasala, India.
1994. International Palliative Care Conference, Montreal. Keynote Address
   and Dialogue with Dr. Kay Toombs.
1990. Naropa Institute Conference on Contemplative Education, Boulder.
1989. Conference on Spirituality in the Care of the Dying. Yale School of Nursing,
   New Haven.
1987. International Palliative Care Conference, Montreal. Dialogue on spirituality
   in care of the dying.
1981,1982,1983. Naropa Institute Conferences on Christian-Buddhist
   Dialogue, Boulder.

Education

1968-1972. Graduate study (all but dissertation), Columbia University,
   Sociology / Asian Studies.
1969-72. Research work, Bureau of Applied Social Research,
   South Asian Institute.
1967-68. Fulbright Scholar, Lucknow, India.
1967. BA Summa Cum Laude, Luther College, English / Sociology.
1971-Present. Student of Buddhist meditation and psychology, under
   the direction of Ven. Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche (Tibetan Buddhist
   meditation master).

Family

Judy Lief currently lives in Colchester, Vermont with her husband Chuck and her dog Jasper. She and her husband have two girls, Jessica and Deborah, and a new grandchild, Niamaya.