Rocky
Mountain Insight
Organization
RMI was incorporated in 1999 as non
profit organization in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In early 2000, RMI received its
501(c)(3) tax exemption recognition from the IRS. Board Members are elected annually by
the Board of Trustees. The current Board of Directors and officers are:
| President |
Lucinda Green |
| Vice President |
Beth Chorpenning |
| Secretary |
Michele Sneath |
| Treasurer |
Randy Shaffer |
| Retreat Registration |
Beth Chorpenning |
| Retreat Management |
Beth Chorpenning, Carol Cope, |
|
Michele Sneath, Pat Tegler, |
| |
Linda Johnson, Julia Keller |
| Class Registrations |
Carol Cope |
| Communications E-team |
Nancy Burrows, Randy Shaffer, |
| |
Jerry Shifrin |
| Database Management |
Randy Shaffer |
| Website |
Lyn Kerschen |
| Advertising |
Pat Tegler |
| Postering |
Cathy Thompson and Rotating Members |
| Altar Maintenance |
Rotates Among Members |
| Newsletter |
Don and Nancy Burrows |
| Orientation Team |
Jerry Shifrin, Carol Cope, Pat Tegler, |
| |
Julia Keller, Michele Sneath, Liz
Gagnon |
History
 |
Founder and
president of Rocky Mountain Insight (RMI) Dr. Lucinda T. Green has been a student of eastern
meditation since 1968. In 1970 she lived and studied in India for nine
months as an undergraduate in college. In 1975 she began the practice of
Vipassana meditation as part of her professional training as a mind/body
integrative therapist.
http://www.lucindagreenphd.com/ |
| In 1979 Dr. Green met her root
teacher Ruth Denison, founder of Dhamma Dena, and teacher within the Burmese lineage
(teachers U Ba Khin and Mahasi Sayadaw) and launched into an in-depth study and practice
of Theravada Buddhism. From 1979-1984 she supplemented her study with retreats and classes
held by various Buddhist teachers including Munindra, U Silananda, Jack Kornfield, Joseph
Goldstein, Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh, Rina Sircar, and Christopher Titmus.
From 1980 - 1984, as part of her
Ph.D. program, Dr. Green studied intensively at the Nyingma Institute, (Tibetan Buddhist)
in Berkeley, CA, including topics such as the Abhidharmma (Buddhist Psychology), Buddhism
and Western Psychology and Tibetan Yoga. In 1982 Dr. Green co-created the Buddhist
Women's Sangha, an Inter-denominational Buddhist group, who held weekly sittings,
celebrations, monthly one day retreats and a study group.
In 1985 Dr. Green lived
monastically for four and a half months in a Theravada Buddhist nunnery in Sri Lanka under
the tutelage of the late Venerable Ayya Khema and returned to complete a three month
silent retreat at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA.
Dr. Green began holding weekly
meditation meetings in Colorado Springs in 1994. The weekly sitting group grew to
over thirty regular participants by 1999. Dr. Green held some one day and weekend
retreats during this period in addition to teaching various courses on vipassana
meditation and Buddhist Dharma topics. In 1999 Dr. Green and the ongoing
participants of the weekly sitting group decided to incorporate as Rocky Mountain Insight
in order to further the goal of finding larger space to accommodate growing weekly
attendance and to begin the first step towards opening a retreat center in Colorado
Springs. Rocky Mountain Insight was incorporated in June, 1999 and received IRS tax
exemption in February, 2000.
|
 |
Beth
Chorpenning, R.N., has been studying and practicing
Vipassana meditation since 1994. She is the Vice-President
of Rocky Mountain Insight. A psychiatric nurse, she
worked for many years with children, adolescents and adults.
Currently self-employed, she is married and the mother of
two children. |
|
|
"By matching clear intention with the skillful techniques of Vipassana
Meditation we can inform and transform every aspect of our lives.
Vipassana means Insight. With the development of insight we discover the
true nature of our minds, our lives, and reality itself. It is a
great adventure!" |
 |
Michele
Sneath was raised as a Unitarian Universalist where she
first began her interest in eastern philosophy, primarily
Taoism. When she moved to Colorado Springs in 1990 she
joined the Unitarian church. The church offered an
introduction to Buddhism course taught by Dr. Lucinda Green.
Vipassana meditation and Buddhism became an instant fit.
She began her practice in February, 1998 and has been a
Vipassana practioner |
| ever since. She
received Dharma transmission from Dr. Green in October,
2005. |
| She is employed by
Colorado Springs School District 11 as a physical therapist. |
| |
|
 |
Victor Bradford is RMI's newest
teacher to receive Dharma transmission in the lineage of the
venerable master Ledi Sayadaw. Victor has been a member of
Rocky Mountain Insight since the spring of 2002.
Before that, he had been meditation in the Vipassana
tradition for just over thirty years. He received his
Master's Degree in Philosophy (Asian) from the University of
Hawaii in 1972, where he studied with |
|
|
Dr. David Kalupahana and
visited India, Thailand, and Sri Lanka while on an East-West Center
Grant. From 1972 until 2002, Victor worked to develop a sound
philosophical foundation for the Dharma, and considers persistence,
awareness, trust, and happiness in the Dharma to be especially valuable.
Victor has also meditated in the Christian monastic tradition and
considers this to affirm the diversity of meditative experience. Victor
also volunteers as a dentist with a local hospice and children's clinic
and works as a community health dentist. |
Activities
Rocky
Mountain Insight offers a weekly sitting group, introductory and advanced classes on
meditation and Buddhism and various retreats including one day, weekend and ten day
retreats. The Sangha has several potluck each year, a Wesak celebration and participates
in various community services.
Support
Rocky Mountain Insight is
supported by dana (generosity) from its members and other interested persons. Dana is
welcome and should be sent to Rocky Mountain Insight, 2525 W. Pikes Peak
Ave., Suite B Colorado Springs, CO 80904.
If you would like to make a donation
to RMI using a credit card, click below:
DONATE TO RMI
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