Teachers

Venerable Katy Cole

Originally from Perth, Western Australia, Katy Cole (Tenzin Zomkyi) has been a Buddhist nun for over 18 years. She was ordained with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala in 2004.

Since 2003, Katy has served in a variety of positions within Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s FPMT: as Liberation Prison Project’s spiritual program coordinator, chaplain coordinator, and on the project’s US Board of Directors; and at one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s residences in Aptos, CA, Kachoe Dechen Ling, helping with the numerous extensive offerings completed there every day. In 2008 she did a one-year retreat at FPMT’s De-Tong Ling Retreat center on the western side of Kangaroo Island, just off the coast of South Australia.

Since 2013, and until the pandemic, Katy visited Lawudo Gompa annually for retreat, study, and to help Rinpoche’s sister with offerings in Rinpoche’s cave and main gompa, helping the tourists who come to stay, and baby cow care.  Prior to meeting her teachers, Katy studied Vipassana meditation with practitioners from Myanmar.

Katy has a BA Hons in Theatre Arts from Dartington College of Arts, U.K., a BA Hons in Psychology from Murdoch University, W.A, and a MA in clinical psychology from the University of Western Australia. She worked as a psychologist prior to moving to California to work for Liberation Prison Project.

Katy is currently living north of San Francisco, leading meditations and pujas online over Zoom, studying, and Leading Meditations, Pujas and various Buddhist programs online.

Events with Venerable Katy Cole

Unlocking the Power of Ritual, Mantra, and Mudra
November 7 - 10, 2024

In the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition, practicing ritual is a powerful method to develop positive mind states and subdue the negative ones, while serving as a compelling foundation for your spiritual practice to flourish.     For those new to Buddhism or those who have yet to grasp the profound benefits of these rituals fully, the rituals may seem overwhelming. We might feel a lack of confidence in engaging with these valuable practices, especially while practicing in groups. If we are unclear about the purpose of practicing ritual, we may lose motivation, feeling like we are just going through the motions, treating…