FREE ONLINE TALK
THE SPIRITUAL FRIEND
The Role of the Teacher in the Buddhist Tradition
with David Nichtern & Robert Thurman
Tuesday, May 26th, 2026, 6:00pm–7:30pm ET
REGISTER NOW
In the Buddhist tradition, a kalyanamitra is a spiritual friend: someone who supports and accompanies you on the path of practice.
The role can take many forms, from a trusted companion to a mentor to a teacher, but at its heart it describes a relationship grounded in mutual commitment to waking up. This idea of spiritual friendship is also at the root of how Buddhist teachings have been passed down from teacher to student across generations.
In this free online session, David Nichtern will be joined by Professor Robert Thurman, renowned Buddhist scholar and co-founder of Tibet House US, for a conversation about what it means to be a spiritual friend in the Buddhist sense, how the role of the teacher has been understood across the Buddhist tradition, and why lineage and transmission matter not just as historical concepts but as something alive and practical for anyone learning to teach meditation today.
For those interested in becoming a meditation teacher, we will also discuss the upcoming Dharma Moon 100-Hour Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training, co-certified with Tibet House US, the Dalai Lama's cultural center in the United States. You'll have a chance to ask questions, meet the teaching team, and find out whether the program might be a good fit for you.
We hope you can join us! Reserve your spot below.
ABOUT THE TEACHERS
David Nichtern is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970.
David is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context; including Goldman Sachs, Journey Meditation, Creative Live, True Nature Meditation (Tokyo), Balanced Athlete, The Center for Health & Healing, Om Births, and Kobre & Kim law firm among others.
He has been featured in The New York Times, FOX News, Netflix's The Midnight Gospel, Huffington Post, The Buddhist Geeks podcast, Duncan Trussell Family Hour Podcast, You Made it Weird Podcast with Pete Holmes, and many others. David also hosts his own Podcast based on his book Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck.
David is the author of the critically acclaimed Awakening From the Daydream: Reimagining The Buddha's Wheel of Life and Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck. He mentors individual students both in person and online, and leads meditation teacher training programs around the world.
He is a highly regarded composer, producer and guitarist, as well as the founder of Dharma Moon Records and 5 Points Records. David has recorded and played with Stevie Wonder, Jerry Garcia, Lana Del Rey, Maria Muldaur, Paul Simon and many others. Among his many credits in records, film and TV, he wrote the classic song "Midnight at the Oasis". In recent years he has produced multiple records for and periodically tours with Grammy nominated kirtan performer Krishna Das.
Robert A. F. Thurman is who the NY Times Magazine refers to as “The Dalai Lama’s man in America.”
A scholar, author, former Tibetan Buddhist monk, co-founder with Richard Gere of Tibet House in New York City, a close personal friend of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and father of five children including the actress, Uma Thurman, he is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University. Time magazine named him one of the “25 Most Influential Americans.”
He has lectured all over the world; his charisma and enthusiasm draw packed audiences. Thurman is not only a scholar, but a champion of the preservation of Tibetan culture. In 1987, he and actor Richard Gere founded New York City’s Tibet House, a nonprofit institution devoted to preserving the living culture of Tibet, where he currently serves as president of the board of trustees.
STUDENT FEEDBACK ON THE MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER TRAINING
“I came to the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training program because I'm looking to make a significant career shift. I already had a meditation platform (as a side gig) but this certification has given me the inspiration to move that platform to the center of my life so I can make a living teaching meditation, help others learn the practice, and deepen my own practice and path.”
"This training was EVERYTHING! I have been teaching mindfulness meditation for about 5-6 years. My teaching lacked clarity & focus. This program has given me so many gifts. The View. Ground / Path / Fruition. Precision / Gentleness / Letting Go. Practice giving Dharma Talks. An amazing sangha of Dharma Moon teachers & students and the vast but always accessible teachings from David."
“This program was incredible. There are many meditation programs out there and I'm so glad I chose this one. To me it felt grounded and rooted in truth and love. I feel like I was gifted with this knowledge and practice and am excited to go spread it out to others.”
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