STEFAN GRAVES met Lama Tharchin Rinpoche in 1986 in Hawaii and has been a dedicated dharma practitioner for over forty years. He has completed five years of retreat, beginning with Lama Tharchin Rinpoche’s very first Drub Nyiy Döjö Gatsal Three-Year Retreat in 1992, and later supported the Three-Year Retreats as the retreat manager for ten years. As a builder and mason, Stefan has been instrumental in helping shape the physical foundation of Pema Osel Ling. He contributed significantly to the creation of the Red Dorje Drollo Stupa (at the Vajrayana Foundation’s Namdrol Pemay Gatsal at Pema Osel Ling) and was involved in numerous other major construction projects. For many years, he has performed and taught the Sacred Lama Dances, served as a chant leader (umdze) for shrine room pujas and practice retreats, and teaches for the Annual Children’s Retreat. An experienced mentor in the Dudjom Ngondro Program, with a special focus on the Dudjom Troma Nagmo Ngondro and as of 2025 has formed the Ngondro Study-Discussion Group. Stefan has guided and encouraged students with both theoretical and spiritual advice since 2013. His deep understanding of the teachings, enriched by his extensive practice, enables him to synthesize the teachings, making them simple and understandable for the Westerner mind.

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