Medicine Buddha Today

James Sacamano

Jim Sacamano in front of the Menla Banner presented to him by VV Thrangu RinpocheAND FRIENDS

Jim has been working to join the spiritual and ordinary paths of healing for over forty years. He is a senior teacher in both the Vajradhatu and Shambhala Buddhist traditions. Shortly after finishing medical school in 1969, he met his primary teacher, The Venerable Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, founder of Vajradhatu Buddhist church, Shambhala Training and Naropa University. He attended the first Vajradhatu Seminary in 1973 and then spent one year in residential study of the Five Wisdoms at the Maitri Therapeutic Community in Wingdale, New York. He later served for three years as Trungpa Rinpoche’s representative to his students in Berkley, California. He and his family then moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia where he served as representative for Trungpa’s students in Nova Scotia and all of Canada.

He practiced family and emergency medicine for the first half of his medical career and then began the study and practice of psychiatry and psychotherapy, which he still does today. He was one of the first to teach mindfulness for health and mind-body medicine in Victoria, BC. He has a great interest in various forms of healing and psychotherapy and is known for his health-based approach to working with others.

Jim and his now wife, Cheryl, were married by Trungpa Rinpoche in 1972 and together they raised one son, Andrew, who also practices and teaches meditation. In addition to his teaching and family duties, Jim has taught fundamentals of the Buddhist path and Medicine Buddha throughout the United States and Canada. He has taught meditation for psychotherapists at the annual general meetings of the American and Canadian Psychiatric Associations. He is author of Beyond Mindfulness, Buddha Nature and The Four Postures in Psychotherapy, which appeared in the Journal of Religion and Health, The Heart of Healing, an audio program on Medicine Buddha featured in this website, and his book, Getting Back to Wholeness, an exploration of the active dimensions of inherent human health and healing, available on Amazon.

Jim learned Medicine Buddha from the great Buddhist master, The Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, in 1999. While formerly considered  suitable for advanced meditation students only, Thrangu Rinpoche saw the urgent needs of our time and allowed this teaching to be offered to anyone interested. He pointed out that any contact with Menla can only be helpful. Thrangu Rinpoche is a renowned meditation master and teacher of unparalleled wisdom and compassion. His books are concise and extremely clear, and he remains an inspiration and support on the path of Dharma for many. If you can visit his monastery either in Nepal or in Richmond BC, just south of Vancouver, you will be blessed. The interior of the Richmond monastery is lined with 1,000 statues of Medicine Buddha.

His first goal is to aid your healing and the healing of all via the power of Medicine Buddha. The second is to support Shree Mangal Dvip school and home for disadvantaged children in Nepal. Caring for and educating poor children in the world is one of the most powerful, long-term ways we have to benefit our world. All profits are donated to that home. Please give what you can through Shree Mangal Dvip page in About menu. https://medicinebuddhatoday.com/shree-mangal-dvip-school/

 

LINDA ROSS 

Linda Ross has over 30 years’ experience throughout Canada in clinical health care, education, consulting, and leadership management. She has held a variety of management and administrative positions within the Canadian health care system and is the principal of P3 Enterprises, a consulting company focusing on public/private endeavours. For 24 years she has been a leading member and contributor to the development of the Hurley/Osborn Practitioners Association for the treatment of spinal pain. Currently, Linda manages a senior’s independent living facility on a part-time basis.

Linda’s varied educational and professional background includes a degree in Physiotherapy from the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Toronto, graduate study in business administration, public and health care administration at Dalhousie University, Schools of Business and Health Care Administration, Halifax, Nova Scotia and specialized training in spinal alignment from Dr. Russel Osborn in Victoria, BC. She is also a certified hypnotherapist, from the Orca Institute in Vancouver, BC. She also has a deep and abiding love for the Medicine Buddha and all things related to this amazing Buddhist practice and has taught Medicine Buddha in Victoria since 2001.

Thank you very much.