Ashe Acharya John Rockwell has been a student of Buddhism and the Shambhala teachings since 1975. Former professor of Buddhist Studies at Naropa University, codirector of Karmê Chöling and director of Shambhala International, he was named acharya by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche in 1996 and Ashe Acharya in charge of the Shambhala Office of Practice and Education in 2001. He subsequently went on the road to teach in North America and Europe for several years. John now resides at Karmê Chöling, a Shambhala Buddhist practice center in Vermont, where he is the resident acharya.