Hello! I’m Upasaka Culadasa (John Yates, Ph.D.), meditation teacher, retired neuroscientist, author of The Mind Illuminated, and director of Dharma Treasure Buddhist Sangha in Tucson, Arizona. I’ve spent my life dedicated to the study and practice of meditation and dharma, and the last 15 years teaching. People from all over the world have reported that my methods have helped them greatly accelerate their practice, and many have cultivated insight and awakening.

But there is still so much more to do! My energy is unfortunately quite limited due to ongoing health issues, and it will be easier for me to accomplish these goals if I don't need to worry so much about finances.

Here is what I'd like to accomplish, hopefully with your help:

Expand teacher training: More than anything, I want to pass on what I’ve learned and make these teachings available anywhere. Right now we have 60 students participating in my meditation teacher training from all over the world—from Singapore and Australia to the UK, Germany and France—all excellent practitioners and teachers in their own right. I want to expand this program, along with the infrastructure to support their teaching so that anyone who’s interested can find a teacher who knows what they’re talking about and a group of wonderful, earnest, lighthearted people to practice with.

New Dharma book: I’m writing my next book about contemporary dharma—attempting to scrub traditional teachings of religious doctrine while maintaining the integrity and profundity of these transformational ideas and practices. This comes at a critical time as the selfish and altruistic aspects of our human nature have fallen out of balance, and people are hungry for change. I believe the dharma, written in a way that’s clear, modern, and non-dogmatic, is the key to healing our world.

Organize retreats: With a growing number of students interested in retreat, my dream is to host one or two larger retreats each year. Perhaps it might seem simple, but it can be quite a logistical production behind the scenes.

Respond to requests for speaking engagements and interviews: My inbox is flooded with requests to speak at conferences and universities, and do interviews with various journalists and media outlets; however at present, I don’t have the time to respond, or the skillset to prioritize, all these amazing opportunities.

I would also like to build a support team (starting with a personal assistant) to handle all the logistical planning that currently eats up so much of my day. Believe it or not, I currently spend up to five hours a day on emails, web maintenance, and administrative tasks. I would much rather spend my time writing my next book, cultivating the next generation of teachers, and giving people the experience of meditating in retreat.
Get healthy again: You may know that I battled with neurological Lyme disease for ~8 years, which in many ways led to my determination to pass along what I had learned. Last year I recovered from lung cancer but still have difficulty breathing and other issues with fatigue. I am determined to stick around and am looking at several alternative/complementary therapies. Your financial support through this journey could in fact be a matter of living long and in good health.

So, that’s why we need your help! If you believe in this work, we ask that you consider becoming a patron. If you're prefer to give a one-time donation, you can do that here.

Join us in creating a global community of compassionate and awakened individuals!

And no matter what, please stay in touch and join in all the fun.

No substantial goods or services are provided for these donations. Dharma Treasure is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your donation is tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Our tax ID # is 26-2872406.

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