The Paramita Center southeast
Meet the teachers of the Paramita Center
Meet our seasoned teachers,
who wish nothing more than to be guides on your path.
Navigating the path of mindfulness and meditation is a voyage of self-discovery.
The right guidance can illuminate the way, making every step on this path insightful. At the Paramita Center, we are privileged to have a cadre of dedicated teachers whose experience and wisdom are our guiding lights.
Those of us who are teachers at the Paramita Center hold to this tenet that encapsulates the essence of the Buddha’s thought:
Do not commit any negative acts; accumulate abundant virtue.
Master your own mind.
This is the teaching of the Buddha.
spiritual director of the Paramita Centers
Lama Samten
Lama Lobsang Samten was born near Lhasa, Tibet, in 1965. He began his monastic studies in Tibet at Gaden Monastery at the age of twelve and was ordained a monk at the age of fifteen.
In 1985, he left Tibet to pursue his studies at Ganden Jangtse Monastery, rebuilt in Mundgod, located in South India.
In 1997, he accepted an invitation to visit the province of Quebec and, in 1999, agreed to settle in Chicoutimi. His goal is to share the Buddha’s teaching with all who are interested. Lama especially wishes to promote the understanding of Buddhism and demonstrate how it extends far beyond cultural and religious frontiers.
Since working in the West, he has faithfully communicated the teaching of the Buddha in a program well suited to the Western mind and has continued his heartfelt desire to work tirelessly for the benefit of all beings.
student of Tibetan Master Lama Samten
Jason Simard (Tenzin Gawa)
Jason became interested in Buddhist philosophy in 2000. He met Lama Samten in 2002 and has been studying with him ever since. He began giving introductory courses in meditation and Buddhist philosophy in 2006. In 2010, he founded the Paramita Centre in Montreal and started activities in Toronto a few years after opening the Toronto Centre in 2019. Jason’s efforts have helped make the Paramita teachings available to both French and English-speaking students.
He took ordination with Geshe Dawa in 2010, took monk’s vows with His Holiness the Dalaï-Lama in 2014, and received his full ordination in 2018.
He continues to share his passion for the universal values of compassion and wisdom with students in Quebec, Ontario, and Europe and travels regularly to further his studies with the great Tibetan masters in India.
teacher & Center Director for Chattanooga
Les Kertay (Lobsang Tharchin)
Les became interested in Buddhism and Tibet more than 50 years ago. Over the years he studied texts and learned meditation techniques as he was able to, and greatly admired His Holiness the Dalai Lama. But his practice never truly came to fruition, not having found a teacher with whom he resonated.
In 2020 he encountered Lama Samten, Jason, and the other Paramita teachers, and realized he’d found a spiritual home. With Lama’s guidance, he has devoted himself to study and practice. He wishes nothing more than to deepen his study and to share what he learns with others. He is deeply honored to have Lama’s support in bringing the Paramita Center teachings to the US.
Les also has had a long and successful career in mental health as a clinical psychologist and consultant. He believes strongly, as does His Holiness, that science and Buddhist philosophy are fundamentally compatible.
To learn more about other Paramita Center teachers, please visit the teachers page at the website of the Toronto Centre, at the website of the Montreal Centre (in French), and the website of the Quebec Centre (in French).