It’s Up to Us: Carrying the Dharma Forward in the West
From Tibet to the West, the Dharma has taken root. Its next chapter is ours to write.
By Robbie Rettmer, Executive Director
A version of this article will be shared with Lion’s Roar readers in their October 1st newsletter.
When I retired from my corporate career in 2023, I did not anticipate what would come next. What began as a decision to step away from institutions that valued performance over people soon became a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet. Among the monasteries and mountains, I experienced both the indestructibility of the Dharma and the fragility of a culture under immense restriction. That journey changed me.
Not long after, I was called into service at Drala Mountain Center, another vulnerable yet vital seat of Buddhist practice. I came to see clearly that strengthening and protecting sacred wilderness lands dedicated to meditation is itself part of writing the Dharma’s next chapter in the West. And sustaining such places—financially and spiritually—requires all of us.
The Passing of a Generation, the Responsibility of the Next
Many of the great Buddhist teachers who first carried the Dharma across continents have now passed: the 16th Karmapa, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Kalu Rinpoche, Thrangu Rinpoche, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, and many others. To encounter an authentic teacher is always a blessing; to sit in their presence and receive direct transmission into the nature of mind is nothing short of extraordinary.
The generation that followed trained under those masters. Teachers like the 17th Karmapa, Rabjam Rinpoche, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, H.E. 2nd Kalu Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, and many others now carry their lineages to reach seekers of peace and compassion across the world. They remain a vital bridge between East and West.
And yet, the demand for their teachings has grown nearly impossible to meet. Increasingly, the responsibility for carrying the Dharma forward rests with us, the teachers and practitioners of the West. If we want places like Drala Mountain Center to remain strong enough to carry this responsibility, we must nurture them with both our practice and our financial support.
East to West, Unbroken Continuity
Western teachers now carry the Dharma through their training, study, and practice. Many have received transmissions and authorizations to teach. Like Eastern teachers, they not only preserve its forms, but also translate its wisdom into the language of our own time, guiding parents, youth, and seekers from all walks of life.
Still, it would be a miscalculation to assume Tibetan teachers are no longer needed. The way forward is balance: Western teachers can point us toward the nature of mind, while Tibetan lineage holders embody it through their realization. Both are indispensable.
At Drala Mountain Center, founded by Chögyam Trungpa and sustained by decades of practice, the Dharma has already taken root. When retreatants gather on this land, the teachings live not as memories of the past but as direct experiences of the present. Each time I walk the land or step into a shrine room here, I am reminded that this continuity exists because people cared enough to give—to donate, to volunteer, to protect. This is where your generosity makes a direct impact.
Why Your Support Matters
Drala is not a commercial enterprise. Program revenue alone cannot repair cabins, heat shrine rooms, or compensate teachers. It is generosity that bridges the gap. Each gift—large or small—ensures that people hungry for the Dharma have a place to come. Each gift sustains not only meditation retreats and spiritual practice, but also the daily operations—preserving the land, maintaining our facilities, and fostering staff well-being—so that thousands of practitioners can experience the Dharma with confidence and care.
The continuation of this lineage depends on all of us. Your presence, your practice, and yes, your financial support are what sustain this vital mountain refuge.
An Invitation
Each of us has something to offer—through meditation and practice, through kindness and compassion in our daily lives, and through generosity that sustains our sanghas and centers. The future of the Dharma in the West will rely on courageous Western teachers and students willing to take the teachings to heart and make them real in the world where we live.
If the work we do at Drala Mountain Center resonates with you, I invite you to join us for a retreat and discover how the teachings can take root in your own life. And if you are able, please consider making a gift so that future generations can do the same.
With gratitude,
Robbie Rettmer
Executive Director, Drala Mountain Center