Lama Marut

Location: Satyananada Yoga Retreat Center, Rocklyn, Victoria, Australia. > yogavic.com

Cost: $210
Register at > yogavic.com
Under Course / Retreat name please put: “Developing the Good Heart”

Sumati Marut (a.k.a. Brian K. Smith) is the son and grandson of Baptist ministers, a Ph.D. of Comparative Religions, motorcycle enthusiast, a former surfer, and a fully ordained Buddhist monk.

His unique background and easy, down-to-earth style has attracted thousands of followers around the world of all ages and walks of life who gather to hear his call for a revolution of true and lasting happiness. He uses Western cultural signposts, pop references, and humor to help remove cross-cultural hurdles. A perfect combination of warmth and wit, Lama Marut makes even the most esoteric brain-busters of Eastern philosophy work as practical tools for immediate transformation.

Lama Marut has been teaching religion for 25 years. As a Sanskrit scholar and Professor of Comparative Religions, he taught at Columbia University and the University of California, Riverside, where he is Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies. For the past decade, he has been as a popular teacher of Buddhist and yoga philosophy, spirituality, and meditation.

Venerable Marut serves as a founding Board member and Staff Teacher of the Yoga Studies Institute (www.yogastudiesinstitute.org), a non-profit educational institute that grounds students in the classical tradition of yoga. He is also the founder and Spiritual Director of the Asian Classics Institute of Los Angeles (www.aci-la.org), ACI-Cape Ann (www.aci-capeann.org) and ACI-Reno (www.aci-reno.org). The three centers are charitable, non-profit 501(c)3 organizations dedicated to providing the authentic teachings of Mahayana Buddhism for serious study and personal practice. They serve their local communities and thousands of people worldwide via webcast by offering a full schedule of formal study courses, guided meditation, yoga classes, special workshops and community events.

CINDY LEE Cindy began practicing Tibetan Buddhism in 1997, attending the teachings, retreats and ceremonies of the Gyuto Monks. She then embarked on a nearly decade-long journey of study to find her teacher. Now Cindy sits at the feet of her Heart Lama, Venerable Sumati Marut, who she has taken continual teachings from since 2006. Lama Marut has guided her to the completion of the 18 Foundational Buddhist courses of the Asian Classics Institute and further advanced studies. She has also studied the full Classics of Yoga curriculum of the Yoga Studies Institute, and many other in-depth courses and retreats with Lama Marut.

Cindy Lee

Cindy has trained in several forms of yoga, dance and martial arts and teaches Buddhism and meditation in the USA and Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and also an Advanced Diploma in Electronic Design and Interactive Media and has also taught in Media and Film programs at Swinburne University. Working as a professional digital artist, film editor and VJ (video-jockey) in Australia, Europe, the UK, and USA, Cindy uses these digital media to share the teachings of her Lama.