Naropa University’s Reputation (The Truth)
--
| Alumni Owned & Operated
| Not Affiliated With Naropa
| Writers Needed
Naropa University’s reputation is one of the central elements that parents and students consider prior to enrolling in one of their academic programs. Therefore, those who are interested in determining whether to send their child to the nation’s first and only Tibetan Buddhist Inspired University need look no further than this article.
Prospective students and current Alumni want to know whether Naropa University has a positive reputation on the web, in the news, and throughout research and academic communities. The answer to this question is “Yes”, Naropa University’s reputation is generally positive, and it has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Denver Post, among many others.
Reputation for Contemplative Practice
Naropa University is primarily focused upon “Contemplative Education”, which refers to the integration of mindfulness based practices into traditional higher education. The university is primarily inspired by the Tibetan Buddhist leader Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, but the institution incorporates Zen, Jewish Renewal, Contemplative Christianity, Yoga, Sufism, Shinto, and many others. Naropa is a place where people of all origins may find a home to learn more about themselves and how they relate with others.
U.S. Senator Howard Dean previously served as Naropa University’s graduation commencement speaker, because he recognized the university’s growing reputation as a progressive leader in Colorado. Senator Dean is a Democrat, so this university was a natural opportunity to connect with Naropa’s progressive Colorado voters [1].
U.S. Governor of Colorado, Jared Polis is the nation’s first openly gay Governor, and he is seen in this news article meeting with Anne Waldman. This is Naropa University’s most well known award winning writer and co-founder of Naropa’s highly regarded writing program. Waldman’s numerous awards include the Guggenheim Fellowship Award, National Endowment for the Arts Grant, the National Literary Anthology Award, and many others. The Governor of Colorado has recognized Naropa’s reputation as a leader in Colorado higher education, so he also announced that September 18 would serve as the state’s official “Naropa University Day” in order to recognize and honor the institution [2].
The U.S. Air Force military academy (Colorado Springs, CO) felt that connecting with Naropa University could provide value to their Cadets at the Colorado Air Force Academy. The Denver Post article describes how the very unique Tibetan Buddhist Inspired University formed a partnership with the nation’s most well regarded training center for Military Officers. Naropa University has a long standing reputation for promoting the interests of veterans within it’s student body.
Those who use the G.I. Bill to return to school for a Bachelor’s Degree may find that Naropa University highly values it’s men and women in uniform. Those who have completed the rigorous training provided through the Armed Forces may come to Boulder Colorado to learn more about traditional mindfulness and other spiritual practices [3].
Naropa University’s Podcast
The University has also recently launched a PodCast in order to expand their digital reach and attract new prospective students to their campus. The widely acclaimed PodCast is free and has attracted tens of thousands of downloads. The PodCast provides listeners with an opportunity to learn more about the university.
Naropa University’s podcast is probably one of the best resources available to provide prospective students and parents with a sense of Naropa’s values. The content is 100% free and may assist with determining whether Naropa is suitable for you. Competent and capable, the world needs the PodCast’s host, David Devine. There is no substitute. ~ The Alumni
Source: Naropa University Podcast
Reputation for Business Professionals
Naropa University’s reputation for attracting business professionals from Fortune 500 companies is well known, and this is evidenced by the current leader of the Authentic Leadership Program. According to Naropa’s website, Dr. Susan Skjei has previously worked with Hewlett Packard and served as the Vice President and Chief Learning Officer for StorageTek, which is a $2 Billion+ I.T. Company.
Dr. Skjei led the development of the organization’s change management program across 7,000+ staff members throughout 35+ countries around the world. Dr. Skjei attended American University for her Masters of Science and Fielding Graduate University for her PhD.
Dr. Skjei’s work has also included serving clients, which include the Colorado Air National Guard and Center for Disease Control. However, she is currently engaged in ensuring that Naropa’s reputation for their 10 week Authentic Leadership Program continues to grow [4, 5, 6].
Reputation for Professional Networking Opportunities
Naropa University’s Board of Directors includes a former Partner of JP Morgan Partners. This has assisted Naropa with developing a reputation for being led by strong management, and it’s financial condition is most certainly built to last 500 years. Naropa University also has a reputation for attracting high net worth families. Therefore, Naropa University offers students the opportunity to develop long term relationships with cohorts from well reputed families if this is their interest. Naropa University students may develop life long professional development and career opportunities when they enroll at Naropa University [7].
Reputation: Ivy League Faculty
Naropa‘s website lists a number of Ivy League faculty from renowned institutions such as Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Stanford, and others (2019). Several faculty are featured below.
Graduate: Harvard & Columbia — John Cobb has an exceptional reputation. He is a former Naropa University President (1993–2003) who graduated from Harvard University and received his JD at the Columbia School of Law. Mr. Cobb was one of the leaders who ensured that Naropa’s early period of accreditation began with an exceptional foundation from which to grow. Mr. Cobb served as a leader in establishing the university’s “Peace Studies” program and continued to provide lectures for many years after he left. We are not certain as to whether he still provides lectures, but he is active within the community [8, 9, 10].
Graduate: Harvard — Ben Williams has a positive reputation for completing his PhD at Harvard University in the subject of South Asian Studies, and he also completed his Masters of Theological Studies at Harvard Divinity School. Currently, he serves as a Core Faculty member at Naropa and an Assistant Professor for Yoga and Hindu Studies at the University of Colorado [11, 12].
Graduate: Columbia — Sara Lewis holds a PhD from Columbia University and provides academic instruction through Naropa University’s well reputed Clinical Mental Health and Contemplative Psychotherapy programs. She is a Core Faculty candidate, so students will have more access to her as a Core Faculty than if she were simply an Adjunct [13, 14].
Naropa University’s reputation for attracting Ivy League Faculty is well known, but it’s presence in Peer Reviewed Journals has also continued to grow. Students may work alongside world renowned researchers, learn how to conduct experiments, and potentially publish research. ~ The Alumni
Reputation for Scientific Research
Naropa University has continued to develop it’s reputation as a research oriented institution throughout the past 20 years. Prospective students who are interested in contributing to Naropa’s research and publication practice may enroll in an Undergraduate or Graduate ‘Research Assistant’ program. This is where many aspiring researchers begin their journey, and the funding is provided through the Federal Work Study program.
Dr. Peter Grossenbacher received his Bachelor’s Degree in Cognitive Science and Mathematics from the University of California, Berkley, a Masters of Science in Experimental Psychology from the University Oregon, and a PhD from the same origin [15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 42].
Dr. Grossenbacher is a long standing Naropa University faculty member with a strong reputation as an academic. He has previously worked at the National Institutes of Mental Health, which has a reputation as one of the nation’s foremost public health research organizations. Dr. Grossenbacher has a reputation for leading Naropa University’s rigorous academic and experimental research into a variety of subjects within the field of psychology. His work has been featured in a number of prominent Journals and other publications, which appear below.
Mechanisms of Synesthesia: Cognitive and Physiological
Dr. Grossenbacher and Dr. Peter Lovelace published their article in the Peer Reviewed Journal, “Trends in Cognitive Neuroscience”. This is a highly cited journal presented by the M.I.T. Press, which has remained in the Top Quartile of Journals for 20 years running.
A Cognitive-Anatomical Approach to Attention in Lexical Access
Dr. Grossenbacher published another article in conjunction with several others at the University of Oregon, where they were featured in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. This Peer Reviewed Journal has historically presented with strong international collaboration, and these trends have continued.
More Publications:
Multisensory Coordination and The Evolution of Consciousness
Empathy Examined from Perspectives of Neuroscience
A Phenomenological Introduction to the Cognitive Neuroscience of Consciousness
Multimodal Spatial Constraints on Tactile Selective Attention
Reputation for Scientific Research (Continued)
Dr. Jordan Quaglia completed his Masters of Transpersonal Psychology at Naropa University and enrolled in a PhD in Experimental Psychology at the University of Richmond [42]. Next, he returned to serve as the Chair of the Contemplative Psychology Department, where he conducts research alongside Dr. Grossenbacher.
Dr. Quaglia is a highly respected academic whose work has been featured in several Peer Reviewed Journals. These papers are primarily focused upon observing the effects of Mindfulness on human behavior, cognition, and affect, among others. Dr. Quaglia’s work has been featured in a variety of news publications on the subject of his laboratory, research on empathy, and thoughts on virtual reality.
Dr. Quaglia has also received several honors and awards, which include the Francisco J. Varela Research Award and his appointment to serve as a Mind and Life Institute Research Fellow. Dr. Quaglia was also selected to serve as a Panelist at the United Nations Day of Vesak. Those publications, where he was listed as a contributing researcher are available online (Abridged) [24, 25, 26, 26]:
Meta-analytic evidence for effects of mindfulness training
Dr. Quaglia’s work been featured in “Psychological Assessment”, a highly regarded journal, which has remained in the Top Quartile for 20 years running.
This publication has also seen significant growth in citations per document, which is reasonable considering the Journal’s publisher is the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Quaglia’s work also appeared along side several collaborators in the highly regarded Peer Reviewed Journal, “Frontiers of Psychology” (Switzerland). This journal presents with a high impact factor of 86 and has remained in the Top Quartile since 2012.
See: Mindfulness-Based Group Intervention for Adolescent Insulin Resistance
More Publications:
From Conceptualization to Operationalization of Mindfulness
Please note that we are not actively soliciting any members of the university to contact us. However, we want to be respectful of those who feel their work should be featured due to their publication in a high impact journal. Therefore, we acknowledge that this article may be incomplete, so we welcome comments from the public.
Ivy League Faculty (Continued)
Graduate: Stanford & Yale — Dr. Gaylon Ferguson is well known in the community, and he holds both an MA and PhD from Stanford University. Dr. Ferguson also received his Bachelor’s Degree from Yale College, and he serves as a Core Faculty member. Therefore, students may learn from him if they are primarily interested in religious studies programs at Naropa [27].
Dr. Ferguson is well known for his contributions to the field of contemplative practice through his first book publication, “Natural Bravery: Fear and Fearlessness As a Direct Path of Awakening“. He also published a second book, “Natural Wakefulness: Discovering the Wisdom We Were Born With”. Dr. Ferguson’s academic background alone provides sufficient reason for students to attend Naropa. However, his publications contain far more rich and valuable information for students to review.
Graduate: Yale — Cynthia Kneen is a PhD candidate at Yale University at the time of this publication, but she already holds graduate degrees from the University of Hamburg (Germany) and the College of Financial Planning. She also published the book “Awake Mind, Open Heart” and produced a series of “Shambhala Warrior Training” CDs. Therefore, students may meet with her upon enrolling at Naropa University [28, 29, 30].
Graduate: University of Pennsylvania — Elaine Yuen holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from Temple University, and a BFA from the University of Chicago. She is also listed on the University of Colorado’s website as an Associate Professor in the UC Boulder Department of Wisdom Traditions. Currently, students may study with her if they are interested in Clinical Mental Health or Religious Studies at Naropa University [31, 32].
Graduate: Harvard — Naropa University has a reputation for being host to a number of Harvard University graduates, which include Lama Rod Owens. He is a Distinguished Lecturer from the The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation with a Masters of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School. This Harvard graduate provides Naropa students with rigorous academic training and access to Tibetan Buddhism’s Kagyu practices [33].
Graduate: Harvard — Tom Weiser also graduated from Harvard University, worked in the field of Computer Science, and completed graduate coursework at the City College of New York and Naropa University. He currently serves as an Adjunct Faculty, so students will have access to high quality academic training [34, 35].
Graduate: Cornell — Jane Bunin studied Genetics at Cornell University while later completing a PhD at the University of Colorado in Plant Ecology. This well regarded background ensures that students in may learn from her through the BA Environmental studies program [36].
Graduate: Cornell — Scott Rodwin attended Cornell University, became a Licensed Architect in Colorado, and is currently a LEED Accredited Professional. Students may also learn from him through attending Naropa University, where he currently serves as an adjunct faculty member [37].
There are many other highly qualified faculty, and we are neither aware of nor connected with the work of every single person. Therefore, we have listed faculty who graduated specifically from Ivy League Universities or made particularly unique contributions to the university, which we discovered through our research.
Please feel free to contact us if you believe that you or somebody you know should appear in this section due to a particularly unique achievement, because we are interested in your suggestions.
Note: This is not a solicitation for communication from the university, faculty, or employees. However, we welcome comments from the public.
Graduate: Cornell College — Judith Simmer Brown attended Cornell College, Florida State University, and she completed her PhD in Buddhist Studies at Walden University. She has completed rigorous training in the traditional field of Tibetan Buddhism and published the widely acclaimed book, “Dakini’s Warm Breath”. She is listed on James Madison University’s website as a co-chair for the Contemplative Studies Committee at the American Academy of Religion. Therefore, Naropa University students may look to her for guidance on a wide range of related subjects [38, 39].
Reputation of Board of Trustees
Naropa University’s Board includes many individuals with strong reputations in a variety of fields. Naropa’s Board Members range from leaders in finance and business to academics, government, and religious / wisdom traditions. The Trustees are highly valuable for stewarding the university into a prosperous financial future, and several have sponsored scholarships to reduce the cost of tuition. Those who are interested in making large gifts should contact the President, because this website is not affiliated with Naropa University.
President
Chuck Lief is the highly respected President and Chairman of the Board of Naropa University. He received his JD from the University of Colorado, and he has led several enterprises, which includes the Greyston Foundation and Amida Care, which provide health care to populations in need [42].
Through his leadership, Naropa has invested in substantial capital improvements to it’s two primary campuses. He also launched the university’s flagship Study Abroad program with the Royal University of Bhutan. This is probably one of Naropa’s most interesting course offerings, because few universities provide students with the opportunity to study this near to Nepal, Tibet, and the Himalayas. This would probably be one of his most enduring contributions to the university’s course offerings if it were not for his other achievements.
During Lief’s tenure, he also led Naropa’s acquisition of the widely acclaimed “LeapYear“ program. This strongly increased Naropa’s capacity to serve High School students who would not have otherwise found Naropa University. Still, he accomplished this all while protecting Naropa’s financial future, enhancing Student Housing access, accessibility, and establishing a new Diversity Officer position in his Cabinet. Lief’s leadership has served Naropa well, but the Board of Trustees must also be acknowledged due to their years of expertise in a variety of fields.
Board Members
World Class Financial Professionals
Jerry Colonna has previously served as a partner at JPMorgan Partners and worked on the Partnership for New York City’s Financial Recovery fund in order to provide support for small businesses impacted by the World Trade Center collapse of 2001 [40]. Colonna also co-founded the Flatiron investment firm and also founded his first venture capital firm, CMG@Ventures L.P. Therefore, prospective donors should regard Mr. Colonna’s presence on the Board as evidence that Naropa has the financial management capabilities to properly manage large gifts.
Harvard Business Professionals
Tyler Norris completed his academic training through Harvard Business School’s Executive Program, The Colorado College, and through Naropa’s Masters of Divinity Program [41, 42]. He served as the Vice President of Kaiser Permanente’s “Total Health Partnerships” and the Board Chair of IP3, a technology based project.
Norris has also worked as the founding co-chair of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s National Leadership Alliance, which is a group of philanthropic organizations including Kaiser Permanente and the Centers for Disease Control. Norris is also the head coach of the YMCA’s Pioneering Healthier Communities initiative, and he is the founder of more than 12 business and social enterprises in the private, non profit, and public sectors. Mr. Norris’s presence on the Board is yet another reason that philanthropists should feel comfortable making large contributions to the university. Naropa’s Board has decades of experience managing large enterprises.
Women Leading In Business
Dr. Lynne Katzmann is the Founder and CEO of Juniper Communities, which is a successful long term health care company based in New York. Her organization is Ranked by Crain’s New York Businesses in the Top 50 (#12) for women owned businesses in the New York area. The organization has reached $70 Million in revenue, which provides further evidence that Naropa’s Board is capable of investing large gifts effectively [43].
Business and Sports Professionals
Further still, Bart Leonard previously served as the President and CEO of a product manufacturer based out of New Jersey, which has served four major professional sports divisions, which include the NFL, NBA, and others. Therefore, those who are interested in making a large gift to promote athletics at Naropa should rest assured that it’s brand development capabilities are in good hands [44].
Scientific Business Professionals
Vijay Singh has worked in a variety of scientific and technical fields during his previous corporate work for Texas Instruments and Teradyne. Currently, he serves on the Board of Trustees of Naropa University as well as an advisor to several Hospitals and the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce [45, 46].
Leaders in Education
Mark Wilding attended the State University of New York and Syracuse University before completing his graduate degree at Naropa. Currently, he serves as a Trustee and also works as the Executive Director for a non profit, which encourages professional development for education professionals [44, 47].
Contemplative and Emergency Psychiatric Experience
Ugur Kocataskin has a reputation as a Faculty Trustee with many years of experience as an emergency psychiatric worker, and he has presented at the International Symposium for Contemplative Studies as well as the 7th annual conference for the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education. This lends further credence to Naropa’s role as a leader in mental health and contemplative education, because Trustees with experience in this field are critical for the success of it’s clinical psychology programs [48, 49, 50].
Ecumenical Leaders
Samantha Sanderson previously served as the Vice President and later President of the St. Paul’s Episcopal School and assisted St. Mary’s College (California) with converting into a 501c3 Non Profit. Therefore, parents and students from Christian households may be confident that their perspectives will be represented as well. Naropa welcomes students and faculty of all faiths and encourages both ecumenical and inter-religious dialog for those who are interested in this wisdom tradition [52, 53].
Athletes and Artists
Diane Israel is a world class triathlete who also produced a Film with multiple honors through the MoonDance International Film Festival, Estes Park Film Festival, Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival, and several others. Naropa students and Alumni know her as one of the most friendly and connection oriented members of the Board, because she makes time for everybody. She is highly accessible and can be seen on campus providing classes in breath-work, body movement, and all around good cheer [54, 55, 56, 57].
Founding Social Enterprise Leaders
Martin Janowitz is a former Chairman and founding member of the Board of Trustees who previously served as the Executive Director of The Clean Nova Scotia Foundation. This is one of the largest and most well reputed environmental education organizations in Canada. He has served to establish at least 1 scholarship fund for Naropa students in order to continue shepherding new arrivals into the next stage of their journey. Further still, he is known as another very friendly and outgoing member of the Board with a deep connection to Naropa spanning decades [58, 59, 60, 61].
Contemplative and Social Work Leaders
Carolyn Jacobs, PhD is the former Dean of the Smith College School for Social Work, and she was elected to the National Academies of Practice as a highly well reputed social work practitioner. She also serves on the Board of the Mind and Life Institute, which operates within a similar field of study as Naropa University. Dr. Jacobs’s capacity to serve on the Board of both Naropa and the Mind and Life Institute ensures that each organization fosters life long relationships within the field of mindfulness based research and higher education [62, 63, 64].
Performing Arts Professionals
Thomas Hast currently operates a Property Management Company (Hast & Company), and he has previously served as the Chairman of the Board for CDR Associates, which provides mediation and conflict resolution services throughout the world. He is the founding member of the Steering Committee for the Colorado Movement for Children and the Yesod Foundation (Jewish Studies). He is primarily interested in dance, and he previously held a career in the field in New York City, Vermont, and as the business manager for the Nancy Spanier Dance Theater of Colorado. Naropa is widely known for it’s theatre and dance programs, so students may rest assured that the Arts are represented at the Trustee level [65, 66, 67, 68].
Philanthropic Leadership
Judith Dack is a long standing Board Member for the Alliance for Jewish Renewal, which promotes the teachings of Rabbi Reb Zalman. Currently, she holds a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Maryland and a Masters in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University. She has been a supporter of the university for many years through her philanthropic work and community building. Judith demonstrates intelligence, insight, and curiosity, which many Alumni recall, because they studied along side her! [69].
Venture Capitalists
Bill Hulley received his MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and has previously worked as a Venture Capitalist, Engineer, Film Producer, and Psychotherapist. He has served on over 12 public and private boards, and his current interests include the study of Tibetan religious texts for translation. Bill’s breadth of experience serves to establish a strong foundation from which Naropa may continue to grow [71, 72].
Naropa University’s highly eclectic Board of Trustees has served the university for many years, and perhaps new members will be added to this website during future updates.
Chief Academic Officer
Susan Burggraf, PhD is the Chief Academic Officer, and she must be acknowledged for her role in securing the university’s Title III Federal Grant for Strengthening Institutions in Higher Education. The $2 Million grant significantly increased student retention and graduation rates. Dr. Burggraf has led communications with the Higher Learning Commission, and she is instrumental in the university’s continued accreditation.
Tibet (Origins)
Naropa University was established by a Tibetan Buddhist meditation master (Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche) after the Chinese invasion of Tibet. “Rinpoche” is a title reserved for one of the highest honors in Tibetan culture — That of a reincarnated Enlightened ruler, according to this religion.
The Dalai Lama is the Head of State for the exiled nation of Tibet, so he is technically of a higher rank when compared with Trungpa Rinpoche. However, Trungpa is the Head of the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages, so he maintains control over the manner in which these organizations are operated. The Dalai Lama could technically intervene so far as the interests of the Tibetan government are concerned, but this typically does not occur within these schools of meditation practice. The Dalai Lama has said of Trungpa’s reputation, “Exceptional as one of the first Tibetan lamas to become fully assimilated into Western culture, he made a powerful contribution to revealing the Tibetan approach to inner peace in the West.” (Source)
Chogyam Trungpa was born during February 1939 in Kahm, Tibet, and he was recognized as the 11th Reincarnation of the Trungpa Tulku before he reached the age of two. This line of rulers leads to Kagyo School of Tibetan Buddhism, which is one of six total lines of succession in the Vajrayana tradition. Tungpa was trained by three of Tibet’s most revered teachers, Jamgön Kongtrül, Dilgo Khyentse, and Khenpo Gangshar, and he received the Tibetan equivalent of a Masters of Studies and Doctorate of Divinity (Khenpo and Kyorpon).
China invaded Tibet shortly after he completed his education, so he followed the Dalai Lama and many other leaders in fleeing Tibet during the 1959 uprising to protect Tibetan independence. This failed attempt to push the Chinese from their borders resulted in 300 monks escaping on foot and horseback. Those who survived numbered no more than 13, because crossing the Himalayas and into India was a treacherous path.
Training at Oxford University
Trungpa studied English and enrolled at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, where he simultaneously established the first Tibetan Buddhist meditation center in the West known as Samye Ling (Located in Scotland). During this time, Trungpa led this monastery from 1967 to 1969 before leaving for a solitary retreat in Bhutan. During this time he recognized that monastic teachings were not effective at reaching the Western students with whom he intended to connect. Therefore, he chose to relinquish his official vows and assimilate into secular Western culture, which enabled him to more effectively build his network of meditation centers and ultimately, Naropa University.
First, he married a young English woman by the name of Diana Pybus and opened his first Tibetan Buddhist Retreat Center in Canada (Vancouver), which would come to be known as Karma Choling. Trungpa’s assimilation into Western culture involved his adoption of Western behaviors (popular at the time), which included smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol as a means to normalize himself with their culture. Trungpa successfully connected with his audience, and he became known as a highly charismatic leader who could attract the rich and powerful into his community. Trungpa opened a large national network of meditation centers throughout Canada, the U.S., Europe, Australia, and more.
Trungpa Established the Naropa Institute
Trungpa next opened the Naropa Institute, which began with a series of public presentations beginning between 1970–1971. This series of lectures were transcribed and converted into his most popular publication, “Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism” (Published in 1974). The primary message of this publication was that one must not become attached to either physical objects, psychological beliefs, or spiritual practices. The attachment to physical possessions, philosophical frameworks, or even spiritual states could only result in suffering. Therefore, the primary teachings of Buddhism are primarily designed to reduce one’s attachment to these experiences of the world and mind. The objective is to realize liberation from one’s self-inflected suffering, which results from such attachment.
The Naropa Institute was founded in 1974, which began primarily as a liberal arts school that combined Eastern and Western thought. The subjects of study included the arts, religious studies, psychology, and education. Therefore, leaders in these fields gathered from around the world to visit and contribute to it’s curriculum.
During the revolutionary period of the 1960s and 1970s, Trungpa forbade his students from consuming marijuana, but he himself developed a lifelong practice of consuming excessive dosages of alcohol. There were many students who believed this was a component of his “Crazy Wisdom” practice. However, more recent interpretations suggest that he was simply a brilliant and prolific teacher who was also deeply traumatized by the destruction of his nation and the exile of his government. The Western interpretation is that he was simply a genius who was also dependent upon alcohol, because his death from liver disease was well known. The University, in compliance with Title IX Federal regulations also asked Trungpa’s son, the spiritual ‘lineage holder’ to step down once from his ceremonial / non governing role during 2019. Today, Naropa University recognizes the significant problem of addiction, which has become an epidemic in the U.S. Therefore, Naropa University trains some of Colorado’s most highly regarded psychotherapists, which are more prepared to enter their fields than most.
Naropa University Established in 1986
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) has granted Naropa University “Accredited Status” since 1986. Naropa’s Self Study documents, which it submitted to the HLC during 2010 and 2015 are publicly available.
These documents provide evidence of Naropa’s credibility and the administration’s reputation for refining their institution.
Diversity
Naropa University is highly diverse from a religious and spiritual practice perspective, where Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Shinto, Sufism, Islam, and many other cultures are represented. Naropa offers a variety of courses, which are deeply connected with each of these traditions. This offers individuals of all faiths an opportunity to explore how Contemplative Practice is reflected within each spiritual tradition. Therefore, Naropa is more religiously diverse than most schools, but it’s racial and ethnic diversity is somewhat limited due to their predominantly Caucasian student body. Males and females are represented roughly equally, but there are slightly more females at this school than males.
Judaism
Naropa University has established relationships with the Hasidic Jewish community through Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. This prominent leader of the Jewish Renewal movement sought to bring Kabbalistic practices to a wider audience than prior generations. However, he also developed a reputation for establishing dialog with Buddhism, Sufism, and other religions, whereby he encouraged Jewish members to explore meditation, chanting, and ecstatic dance. Rabbi Shalomi served as Naropa University’s “World Wisdom Chair” for 1995–2004. Meanwhile, Judith Dack, a long time Jewish Renewal member, currently serves on Naropa University’s Board of Trustees.
Therefore, Naropa University provides coursework in Contemplative Judaism, where students are provided with training in Davenen, Hebrew Letter Manipulation and Chanting, Visualization Practice, Niggunim, Breathing Practices, Lurianic Prayer, Musar, HaBaD hitbonenut, and contemporary Jewish meditation practices.
Sufism & Islam
Naropa University also has a reputation for it’s relationships with Sufi / Islamic scholars. For example, Pir Inayat-Khan received his PhD and Masters degree from Duke University, and he is listed on Naropa’s website as a faculty member and teacher of Sufism. Inyat-Khan’s grandfather is the President of Sufi Order International, and they both derive their practices from this lineage. Inayat-Khan is the founder of the Seven Pillars House of Wisdom, which promotes interdisciplinary dialog and integrates the contemplative elements of the Suluk Academy.
Netanel Miles-Yepez is also listed as a faculty member, and he regards himself as a member of the Pir, Inayati-Maimuni Order (Separate order). He has received several awards, which includes the 2012 New Mexico / Arizona Best Book Award for Philosophy, the 2010 Nautilus Gold Award, the 2010 Independent Publishers Gold Award, and the 2010 Living Now Gold Awards for Death and Dying. Miles-Yepez is a strong supporter of inter-religious dialog, and his order has previous connections with Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s Jewish Renewal movement.
Christianity
Naropa University is also host to Father Alan Hartway, an ordained Catholic Priest in the order of the Society of the Precious Blood who served as a Pastor for 12 years. Fr. Hartway worked with the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, and he has studied with the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.
Therefore, Naropa provides coursework in “Contemplative Christianity”, which has it’s academic origins in the publications of Thomas Merton. Thomas Merton was an American Trappist Monk who sought to promote dialog between the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Buddhist traditions during the 20th century and is now deceased. Naropa also provides courses in Christian Prayer, which provides students with theoretical and practical training on Centering Prayer, Hesychast Jesus Prayer, Embodied Walking, Praying with Icons, Liturgical Prayers, Lectio Divina, and others.
Naropa University’s Mountain Training Intensives
Naropa University students have historically visited Red Feather Lakes, CO in order to complete both credit and non credit coursework through Shambhala Mountain Center. This organization was previously host to the Dalai Lama during the time in which he received the Living Peace Award.
The organization was also host to the University of California (Davis) Saron Laboratory, which conducted the largest ever study on Shamatha / Vipassana meditation to date. This study was comprised of a randomized controlled trial, which was designed to measure the biological and neurocognitive effects of mindfulness meditation.
The UC Davis researchers studied research subjects before, during, and after they engaged in rigorous meditation practice. First, subjects completed 6 hours of solitary meditation practice during a 3 month period. Next, the researchers asked subjects to complete a variety of cognitive, perceptual, emotional, behavioral, and self-inventory tasks in order to determine how Shamatha / Vipassana meditation impacts biological and psychological processes. The study demonstrated that Naropa University’s traditional practices “sharpen and sustain attention”, enhance wellbeing, reduce judgmental behavior, and increase empathy.
Variable 1 — Attention
The UC Davis researchers observed that individuals experienced increased perceptual processing as determined by their capacity to discriminate subtle differences between lines of varying lengths. Meanwhile, subjects demonstrated the increased capacity to sustain executive attention as the training intensive progressed during the 90 day period. These benefits were sustained for a period of 5 months + after the training intensive so long as subjects continued daily practice.
Variable 2 — Emotion and Wellbeing
The UC Davis researchers observed that participants self-reported significant enhancements in their psychological wellbeing as the training intensive progressed. The daily self report of mood demonstrated both (1) increased wellbeing and (2) increased sense of “awe”. The researchers also asked subjects to complete additional routine measures of emotional state through viewing film recorded scenes of violent acts and their victims. They watched these clips while a video camera documented their affective responses, and the researchers later measured facial expressions typically associated with sadness and empathy.
The study found that subjects who underwent the rigorous meditation training demonstrated increased affective responses when compared with the control group. The data suggested that subjects who trained in meditation tended to exhibit reduced aversion to stimulus and increased engagement with the material.
Variable 3 — Biological Changes
The study also measured the subject’s telomerase, which is an enzyme that ensures the stability and integrity of DNA during cellular division. The blood samples demonstrated that telomerase was present at increased quantities for participants in the meditation training intensive when compared with the control group. Telomerase tends to be reduced in those who experience physiological stress, so this served as a more objective correlate of wellbeing.
Conclusion
Naropa University’s reputation is generally positive, so parents and students may rest assured that they are attending a high quality institution with opportunities for business networking and scientific research.
- This website is not associated with or endorsed by Naropa University*
