BONNI ROSS has taught the path of liberation and peace since 1978 and has practiced both Western Mysteries and the Zen, Theravadin and Vajrayana traditions of Buddhadharma for more than 40 years. Her teachings explore both the philosophical and theoretic foundations of the teachings of awakening, as well as providing practical and pleasurable methods for increasing awareness, kindness and wisdom in daily life. Bonni teaches eclectically, with passion, humour and attention to the needs of each person: she guides individuals through all stages of meditative practice and leads retreats for depth unfoldment at centres around the world.
Introduced to Buddhadharma by Alan Watts and Suzuki Roshi in 1964, Bonni met her principal Teacher, Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche in the mid-70’s and says the best advice she ever received, from His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa (head of the Karma Kargyu school of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism) was to “be guided by Namgyal Rinpoche in all things.”
She has studied and received empowerment from many other great teachers, including H. H. the Dalai Lama, H. H. Sakya Trizin, Dudjom Rinpoche, Kalu Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. Western influences have been Fritz Perls (with whom she studied Gestalt therapy) and Buckminster Fuller, as well as artists, composers, scientists, poets, dancers, philosophers and mystery writers too numerous to mention. Her inspiration comes from the many “ordinary people” (beginning with her parents) who demonstrate exceptional courage and compassion in the midst of great suffering.
Bonni has two adult sons, and life experience as rich in service in the world as it is in the inner disciplines of spiritual practice. Active in the peace movement as a student, and feminism as a young woman, Bonni helped to establish Kia Zan (a residential treatment centre for kids with drug-related problems) in Winnipeg, before beginning a 16-year career as a communications and strategic planning consultant to business, government and mental health organizations in Toronto and Winnipeg.
She co-founded a Namgyal House for dharma studies in Winnipeg in 1977 and later served on the Board and taught at Karma Buddhist College in St. Catherines, Ontario. Bonni was one of the initiators of Third Stream Co-op at The Toronto Waldorf School, which pioneered emphasis on organic food and support for biodynamic farmers. A twoseason stint as associate producer of a series for CBC television in Vancouver in the early 1990’s was, she says, “the last time I worked for a pay cheque.”
After serving as part of a management team and resident teacher at The Dharma Centre of Canada in Kinmount, Ontario for three years, Bonni and her life partner, Matthew Eades, moved to Vancouver, where she began to teach in 1995. Re-locating to the Sunshine Coast in 2000, they established Sunshine Coast Retreat House two years later with the support of students and friends from around the world.
Path of Peace Study Centre, Bonni’s latest project, arose as a vision at the end of a seven-week retreat following Namgyal Rinpoche’s death in 2003. Path of Peace is a BC-registered non-profit society that provides multidisciplinary learning experiences to support creative and compassionate action in the world. Its long-term goal is a threeyear study and meditation training program that combines the richness of spiritual disciplines from eastern and western liberation traditions with arts, sciences, communications, healthy group process and conflict resolution skills for people in all walks of life who are committed to acting as agents of wholesome change in the world.