Compassion Wheel Team

From left to right: Bill and Matt Clopton; Troy Stafford; Barbara Brown; Bridget Brewer; Dechen Brooke.

Barbara Brown

Barbara Brown’s architectural practice has been actively focused on community-oriented and residential projects in the Bay Area. She is a UC Berkeley alumni and a long-time supporter of Tibetan Buddhist causes and sacred place building efforts.
Since 2010, Barbara has been working with the Tibetan Association of Northern California to assist their members in creating a vibrant community center building in Richmond, CA. She also participated in the design and construction effort to create the new Prayer Wheel Gazebo at Gyuto Foundation in Richmond Heights.

Bill Clopton

Bill’s first connection to Buddhism was December 1969 in a week-long retreat with 3 Tibetan monks he had met in London, England. As a general contractor he has over 30 years of experience specializing in home construction and remodeling paying careful attention to all aspects of a project from client/builder, workers, design and craftsmanship of materials.

Troy Stafford

Troy Stafford is a master craftsman with 20 years experience in the Fine Arts and Museum framing field. He has collaborated with artists, galleries, collectors, and museum curatorial and conservation staff on a range of museum and private projects involving the design and creation of custom frames and the restoration of antique frames. He was personally requested by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to do the elaborate carvings of the prayer wheel and is receiving direct instructions from him.

Bridget Brewer

Bridget Brewer integrates her extensive background in landscape design and construction with her architectural practice in Sonoma County, where she is a board member of US Green Building Council. Her landscape work includes wildlife restoration in urban environments. She has received grants to restore neighborhood parks and urban creeks in Oakland and Berkeley. She has taught with the Insight Garden Program at San Quentin Prison as well as high school students planting food forests in Windsor.

Upcoming Retreats

Everyday Awakening: Tools for Inner Peace

Charok Lama Rinpoche

May 29 - June 26, 2025
Dates: Thursday Evenings, May 29 to June 26, 2025 Time: 6:00- 7:30 PM (PT) Place: Online Only, offered generously through our sister FPMT center in Sante Fe New Mexico, Thubten Norbu Ling.      Transform your relationship with life’s challenges through time-tested Buddhist wisdom In this five-week course, discover how ancient Buddhist principles can bring clarity, purpose, and peace to your modern life. Everyday Awakening offers practical tools for understanding the mind, cultivating awareness, and finding meaning amidst challenges.     What you’ll Experience: Uncover why outer success doesn’t always lead to inner satisfaction Develop mindfulness practices that fit into your life…

Exploring Buddhism

Geshe Tenzin Legtsok

June 16 - December 14, 2025
Exploring Buddhism is the newest foundational-level course co-developed by FPMT Education Services and senior FPMT teachers, including Geshe Tenzin Namdak, Geshe Tenzin Legtsok, and Venerable Joan Nicell. Geshe Tenzin Namdak and Geshe Tenzin Legtsok serve as the main contributors. The program has been revised from the original pilot offered at various FPMT centers.   It was conceived as a bridge between the FPMT Discovering Buddhism and the FPMT Basic Program. The EB program presents selected topics that provide a strong basis for more advanced study. The program is intended for students with a good understanding of basic Buddhism.    What…

Vajrapani Institute is affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition www.FPMT.org