Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel has studied and practiced the buddhadharma for over thirty years under the guidance of her root teacher Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche.

After meeting Rinpoche in Nepal in 1986, she became his first Western student. While raising their son, Dungse Jampal Norbu, and accomplishing her own practice path, Elizabeth has also been intimately involved with Rinpoche’s work in bringing Buddhist wisdom to the West and the development of Mangala Shri Bhuti. Elizabeth has an academic background in both Anthropology and Buddhist Studies, but her learning is also grounded in practice.

elizabeth-mattis-namgyel-portrait
See Elizabeth's Teaching Calendar

After spending six years in retreat, Rinpoche appointed Elizabeth as one of the Retreat Masters at Longchen Jigme Samten Ling, Mangala Shri Bhuti’s retreat center in southern Colorado. Elizabeth delights in wrestling with difficult and juicy “koans” that tend to plague modern day practitioners, while still maintaining a deep respect for the ancient tradition of her lineage. She has edited two of Rinpoche’s books — It’s Up to You and Light Comes Through — and has written two books of her own, The Power of an Open Question and The Logic of Faith. An accomplished teacher in her own right, Elizabeth teaches yearly programs at MSB center and travels widely giving teachings in the US and abroad. 

In 2019, Elizabeth established her own nonprofit called the Middle Way Initiative and hosts a regular podcast called The Open Question Podcast. 

Visit the MWI website to learn more about her activity, podcasts, books and more.