Caitrìona Reed

Biographical Information
"Caitríona Reed began her practice at Same Ling Monastery in Scotland in 1970, and went on to study with teachers in Asia, Europe, and the U.S. She has led retreats since 1981.

"She was a senior teacher in Thich Nhat Hahn’s Order of Interbeing, and received the Lamp transmission from him in 1992. Prior to meeting Thich Nhat Hanh she trained in Sri Lanka at Kanduboda Monastery (with Sivali Thera) and at Rockhill Hermitage (with Akasa Thera and Kassapa Thera); in the U.K. (with Ajahn Summedo); and in the U.S. with teachers such as the teachers at Insight Meditation, Dipa Ma, Munindra, Mahaghosananda, Ananda Maitreya Thera, Ajahn Sobim and others. Through most of the 80′s and until the establishment of Manzanita Village in 1993, she led retreats at Dhamma Dena, Ruth Denison’s Retreat Center in the Mojave Desert. She continues to look to Ruth as a significant inspiration and is clear that it would never have been possible to establish Manzanita Village retreat center without the inspiration of Dhamma Dena.

"Asked why she is no longer formally associated with Thich Nhat Hanh and his tradition she replied. “I have immense respect and gratitude for the contribution that Thich Nhat Hanh has made to our understanding of Buddhist teachings and practice, and of course deep gratitude for the years I spent with him as his student. For very personal reasons I felt the need to distance myself as best as I could from hierarchical institutions. While such institutions can serve people in many ways they also foster abstractions and belief systems that can disempower individuals in the name of spiritual practice. I look to the work of Bateson, Korzybski, current explorations in neuroscience, and contemporary accelerated personal change modalities, in addition to all I have learned in forty years of Dharma practice, for my inspiration and instruction now.”

"As well as teaching retreats and workshops Caitriona is a poet, and a Master Trainer of NLP and Hypnosis. She works as a catalyst for change with highly motivated individuals and organizations worldwide."

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 * Michele Benzamin-Miki