Meet the teachers of the Paramita Center
The teachings offered through Paramita Center Southeast are grounded in an authentic lineage of Tibetan Buddhist study and practice.
Our teachers have followed different paths to the Dharma, but each is united by a commitment to preserving the teachings faithfully, making them accessible to contemporary students, and applying compassion and wisdom in everyday life
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 Lobsang Samten
Lama Lobsang Samten was born near Lhasa, Tibet, in 1965. At the age of twelve, he began his monastic studies at Gaden Monastery in Tibet, and he was ordained as a monk at fifteen.
In 1985, he left Tibet to continue his studies at Ganden Jangtse Monastery, which had been rebuilt in Mundgod in South India.
Lama Samten first visited the province of Quebec in 1997. In 1999, he agreed to settle in Chicoutimi with the goal of sharing the Buddha’s teachings with everyone who wished to receive them.
He especially seeks to deepen people’s understanding of Buddhism and to demonstrate that its teachings extend far beyond cultural and religious boundaries.
Since coming to the West, Lama Samten has faithfully presented the Buddha’s teachings through a program adapted to the Western mind. He continues to work tirelessly, with the heartfelt wish that his teaching may benefit all beings.
student of Tibetan Master Lama Samten
Jason Simard
Tenzin Gawa
ason became interested in Buddhist philosophy in 2000. He met Lama Samten in 2002 and has studied with him ever since.
He began teaching introductory courses in meditation and Buddhist philosophy in 2006. In 2010, he founded the Paramita Centre in Montreal. He later began offering activities in Toronto and opened the Toronto Centre in 2019.
Through these efforts, Jason has helped make the Paramita teachings available to both French- and English-speaking students.
He received ordination from Geshe Dawa in 2010, took monk’s vows with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2014, and received full ordination in 2018.
Jason continues to share his passion for the universal values of compassion and wisdom with students in Quebec, Ontario, and Europe. He also travels regularly to India to continue his studies with great Tibetan masters.
TEACHER AND CENTER DIRECTOR FOR CHATTANOOGA
Les Kertay
Lobsang Tharchin
Les became interested in Buddhism and Tibet more than fifty years ago. Over the years, he studied Buddhist texts, learned meditation techniques whenever opportunities arose, and developed a deep admiration for His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
However, his practice never fully came together because he had not found a teacher with whom he truly connected.
In 2020, Les encountered Lama Samten, Jason, and the other Paramita teachers and realized that he had found a spiritual home. With Lama Samten’s guidance, he has since devoted himself to sustained study and practice.
His wish is to continue deepening his understanding and to share faithfully what he learns with others. He is deeply honored to have Lama Samten’s support in bringing the teachings of the Paramita Centers to the United States.
Les has also had a long career in mental health as a clinical psychologist and consultant. Like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, he believes that science and Buddhist philosophy are fundamentally compatible.
The wider Paramita teaching community
Paramita Center Southeast is part of a wider community of teachers and centers in Quebec, Toronto, France, and India.
To meet additional Paramita teachers, visit the teacher pages of the Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec centers.