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Jhanananda's curriculum vitae (2005)

Education:

May, 2003 BA Anthropology & Creative Writing, minor American Indian Studies. University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.
May, 2003 BFA Photography. University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.

 Dhamma and Work Experience:

3/19/53 Born at 10:05 AM, Tucson, AZ
1956 moved with family to live on a 20 acre Plumb orchard in Monte Sereño, CA
1958 1 month diving trip with family to Mexico City saw Pyramids of the Sun and Moon and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
1959 Francis Grow moved into the house and became my early mentor
1964 traveled to Canada, then to Trinidad, where I spent a year
1966 Spent 2 months in England, then traveled to Australiavia Egypt, India and Singapore
1967 traveled to New Zealand
1968 Returned to the USA via Hong Kong, Thailand, England and Scotland
1970 Had a hyper-real dream of annihilation in white light at the same moment an earth quake struck at about 1:00 AM in NJ, USA
1973 Began a daily meditation practice of sitting 2 to 3 times a day, which I still maintain.
73-74 Studied Homeopathy and was initiated into Coptic mysticism and OOB practices by Francis Grow, a Tucson lay-Homeopath.
3-6/74 Lived 3 months in a 3HO Ashram and studied Kundalini Yoga & meditation, where I met Das Gregory.
74-75 Studied various natural healing modalities with Das Gregory & attended the introductory & advanced Silva Mind Control training
1/75 Lived one month at Sri Ram Ashram, studied Hatha Yoga and meditation
2/75

Attended first 10-day Vipassana retreat, which was led by Robert Hover, where I met the Vissels
75-77 Studied with Roger Davis, a Tucson herbalist and Shaman on OOBs, and healing studies in bodywork, herbal medicine and Astrology.
75-77 Worked as a body-worker, herbalist, nutrition counselor and iridologist, made 500 iris photographs.
76-77 Attended a 9-month Napropathic studies program in Tucson
1977 Studied massage at the Berkley School of Massage
76-86 Entered into a ten-year discipleship with Swami Amar Jyoti, in which I studied Advaita Vedanta and related meditation practices.  At this time I began a pattern of attending one 10-day retreat and three 3-5 day retreats each year.
78-85 Worked as a research technician at various research labs including the Astronomy and Optical Sciences Departments of the University of Arizona, Tucson as a scientific instrument designer.
85-90 Owned a Computer consulting company called Spectra
85-90 Studied with Robert and Dianna Van Arsdale doing the Beloved Work of Yo
1990 Attended a 10-day Vipassana retreat led by Shinzen Young & became involved with the Tucson Community Meditation Center.
1990-2000

Studied Celtic, Native American and African Shamanic practices including observing the Equinox and Solstice cycles, sweat lodge ceremony and African Drumming and Dance
95-96

Attended annual Shared Heart workshops led by Joyce and Barry Vissel
90-03 Worked as an independent computer consultant
1991 Attended a 10-day Vipassana retreat led by Shinzen Young, and continued my involvement with the Tucson Community Meditation Center.
2000-2003

Renewed my involvement with the Tucson Community Meditation Center.  Attended approximately 6 retreats each year.  Elected to the board, and published the Southwest Insight E'letter.  Began making a study of the Discourses of the Buddha.
3/2000 Took up the life-long discipline of celibacy
5/2001 Started publication of Southwest Insight E'letter and began serving on the Board of Tucson Community Meditation Center
2001-2003 Began an audio engineering and recording business in service of the dhamma.  Designed a recording system for Garchen Institute & Dharma Kirti College, where I recorded numerous teaching retreats on Mahamudra and Dzogchen.
7/2002 Asked to leave a Goenka retreat by the assistant teacher because my head bobbed when I meditated
2002-2005 Founded the University of Arizona Meditation Club, through which I gained access to valuable university facilities where I led daily meditation sits, weekly dharma talks and a Pali canon study group, and monthly one-day meditation retreats, as well as making these facilities available for the dharma talks of visiting teachers, and all at no charge.
2/2003

Asked to resign from the board of the Tucson Community Meditation Center due to my editorials
4/2003

Began a series of Yahoo groups in service of contemplatives (see below)

5/2003 Began 3 year retreat, led daily meditation sit at the Little Chapel for the UofA Meditation club until 5/2004
6/26-7/6/2003 Attended ten day Jhana retreat led by Leigh Brassington in Chupadero, NM
7/13-8/8/2003 Attended and recorded 28 day summer teaching retreat at Garchen Institute
9/12-28/2003 Recorded teachings for Dharma Kirti College
11/1-9/2003 Recorded teachings for Dharma Kirti College
2/2004 Attended 9 day Vipassana retreat led by Bhante Gunaratana, who accused me of arrogance when I told him about my meditation experience, he later rejected my request for ordination .
3/2004 Request ordination from over 900 Buddhist Sanghas in the USA, none were able to offer refuge
4/2004

A summer long retreat that I was to lead at Bell Springs was cancelled by the request of the abbot of Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery
5/2004

Left the householder's life and spent 150-days in solo wilderness retreat in the Inyo, Kaibab and Coconino National Forests.

9/2004

Self-ordained as Jhanananda.

2/2005

Began Great Western Vehicle web site.

5/1/2005-12/18/2005 Completed another 232-day solo wilderness retreat in the Inyo National Forests.

Related Web Links and Yahoo Groups

in service to the contemplative community

4th_wheel Dialog on the emergence of a Western Vehicle of Buddhism

Dhamma_Teacher A site for a peer-level Dharma Teacher's training program

Discourses_of_the_Buddha A dialog group dedicated to the Discourses of the Buddha

Ecstatic Buddhism A newsletter for ecstatic Buddhists

Hollow Reed A place to post for contemporary ecstatic and contemplative poets

Jhanananda-s_Journal A personal biweekly contemplative journal

Jhana Support Group A dialog support group for ecstatic contemplatives in a Buddhist context

Kasina A dialog group for the study and practice of the visual meditation object

Kundaliniheat A dialog support group for the ecstatic experience in a Yoga and Shamanic context

Shiva_Shakti A dialog support group for the family of people going through the kundalini awakening

Southwest Insight E'letter A monthly newsletter for contemplatives in the Southwestern USA

Tucson Dharma News An event calendar for contemplatives in Tucson, AZ. USA

University of Arizona Meditation Club On-campus daily meditation sits, weekly meditation classes and monthly retreats

Wilderness_Retreats For those who like the idea of meditating in the wilderness

More about Jhanananda

Jhanananda's Contemplative Life

Jhanananda's Meditation Experience

The Ecstatic Poetry and Photography of Jhanananda

Jhanananda's articles on Ecstatic Buddhism

the Great Western Vehicle

Contact Jhanananda

Indonesian Bio

[Great Western Vehicle] [Events] [Supporting the GWV]

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