Mark Webber has been studying and teaching Buddha Dharma (the Teachings of Liberation) and meditation for thirty-four years. He was born in 1956 in Toronto and he started practicing meditation at the age of 16, through a strong interest to understand consciousness, primarily using the mind to study the mind. In the following year he began formally studying Buddhist meditation with his first teachers Chorpel Dolma (Beatrice Raff) and Karma Thinley Rimpoche and in the same year he met his principle teacher the Venerable Namgyal Rimpoche. He spent the next ten years, between University studies and summer work, traveling and studying with Namgyal Rimpoche.
He was instructed by Namgyal Rimpoche to begin teaching Abhidharma in 1975. In 1976 he was ordained, and since 1980 he has held a lay ordination. He has also studied with many other outstanding teachers from Eastern traditions, including H.H. the 16th Karmapa, H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama, and H.E. Chogye Trinchen Rimpoche. Mr. Webber has done extensive meditation retreats and periods of study. During the 1980's he was a resident teacher at The Academy, a three-year seminary program at the Dharma Centre of Canada, Kinmount, Ontario. He has authorization to bestow empowerments (wong-kur) in the Vajrayana tantric tradition.
Lama Mark is a Visiting and Resident Teacher for the Crystal Mountain Retreat Centre and the Queenstown Dharma Centre, New Zealand. For a number of years Lama Mark was the Resident Teacher at the retreat property of the Dharma Centre of Canada in Kinmount, Ontario. Lama Mark also teaches at many other centres in Canada and internationally. He is the author of the books, Why Meditate? A Heart Song of Vast Release, Union of Loving-kindness and Emptiness and editor and author of the booklet, A Basket of Gems.
Lama Mark's style of teaching is non-sectarian and universalist in nature, displaying for beings the wondrous unity, uniqueness and intrinsic freedom of all life. His teaching is classically founded, but well integrated with science, art and nature. Mr. Webber's work with people demonstrates a profound commitment to freeing beings from innumerable suffering states, whether through meditation, study, art, travel or science. for more information please visit his website at www.markwebber.org