About the Teacher
Why study with them?
Ron Thomas, PhD, is the Vajrayana Study Coordinator and a mentor for Natural Dharma Fellowship. He is a graduate of Swarthmore College and Harvard University, where he received degrees in social anthropology and clinical psychology. He practiced psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy in the Harvard Medical School system.
For many years, he has explored the spiritual traditions of contemplatives and mystics such as Hildegard of Bingen, lbn al-Arabi, Meister Eckhart and the psychological alchemy of Carl Jung. He formally entered the joyous Vajrayahomna path in the early 2000s, practicing in the Sakya and Kagyu traditions. He has received teachings and empowerments from HH the Dalai Lama, HH the Sakya Trizin, HE Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, Lama Willa Blythe Baker, Khenpo Migmar Tseten and others.
The insights and guidance of past masters Padmasambhava, Yeshe Tsogyal, Jigme Lingpa, Longchenpa and Dudjom Lingpa have been especially important to him. He has completed both multi-year Six Yogas of Naropa and Dzogchen trainings under the guidance of Lama Willa Blythe Baker. His deep love for the Vajrayana is expressed in his primary wisdom energy practices of Vajrayogini, Chakrasamvara and Vajrakilaya. A Drupon (Master of the Practice) in the Kagyu lineage, he has organized and led online study courses on classic Buddhist scriptures. He was a long-time member of the International Business and Strategy faculty at Northeastern University. He lives in Cambridge, MA.