Dharma Refuge
  • Home
  • Practices
    • Practice & Program Calendar
    • Participation Options and Info
    • Zoom Help
  • Programs
    • Bodhisattva Training: Becoming Beings of Wisdom and Love >
      • Program Resources
      • Commitment to the Awakened Mind
      • Patience Resources
    • Walking the Path: Members' Lineage Training
    • Bodhisattvas Everywhere Talks
    • Practice Circles
  • Membership
    • Become a Member
    • Member Stories
    • Donor Account Management
    • Members' Dharma Library >
      • Dharma Talks
      • Programs & Retreats
      • Sangha Meetings
      • Lineage Training Library >
        • Welcome, Overview, General Resources
        • The Three Vehicles with Elizabeth Mattis Nyamgyel
        • Four Foundations of Mindfulness >
          • Mindfulness of Body
          • Mindfulness of Feelings
          • Mindfulness of Mind
          • Mindfulness of Dharmas
          • Four Foundations Resources
        • Additional Lineage Sessions
        • 37 Bodhisattva Practices
  • About
    • About Us
    • Teachers
    • Directors and Volunteers
  • Giving
    • Practicing Generosity
    • Give a One-Time Gift
  • Resources
    • Books, Prayers, Documentaries and Links
    • The Fourteen Precepts of Engaged Buddhism
    • Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
    • Racial Equity and Buddhist Practice
    • Member & Volunteer Docs
  • Contact
    • Email Sign-up
    • Member's Bulletin Board Sign-up

Our Teachers


​Our spiritual community (Sangha) began under the guidance of Anam Thubten Rinpoche, founder of Dharmata Foundation. At Rinpoche's request, Sue Kochan served as Guiding Teacher from 2008-2022 and continues to serve as Spiritual Advisor, engaging with and guiding the Board of Directors.

Please sign up for our weekly newsletter for information about upcoming sangha-led practices and programs with guest speakers and teachers.

Anam Thubten Rinpoche

Sue Kochan

Picture
​Anam Thubten grew up in Tibet and at an early age began to practice in the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the founder and spiritual advisor of Dharmata Foundation, teaching widely in the US, Europe, and Asia. He is the author of several books, including Embracing Each Moment; No Self, No Problem;; The Citadel of Awareness; and The Haunted Ground.

​Through sharing his wisdom and personal experience on the spiritual path, Anam Thubten brings alive the timeless teachings of Buddhism.


Picture
Sue was inspired to dedicate her life to the path of the Bodhisattva when she first met H.E. Garchen Rinpoche in 1999. In 2008, at the request of her teacher Anam Thubten Rinpoche, she was ordained to teach. Sue is motivated everyday by Dharma Refuge's vision "A World Of Bodhisattvas."

In addition to being a wife, mom, watercolor artist, and Spiritual Advisor at Dharma Refuge, Sue is retired founder and former CEO of a Rochester-based B Corp which is now part of Butler Till Media. Her ​career in advertising and marketing was focused on work with sustainable brands as well as public sector behavior change campaigns designed to reduce energy and water consumption. Sue's public speaking includes topics such as mindfulness; compassion-based leadership; human-centered communications and engagement; corporate social responsibility; public awareness and behavior change; and resource conservation as it relates to climate change.



Home
About
Contact
Subscribe to our email list

We'd love to keep in touch with you!
We'll keep you posted on programs, retreats, and all-around good stuff! :)


Our regular practices are held on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Zoom and in-person attendance options are available. Check our practice and program calendar for specifics.
​
Dharma Refuge is located at Covenant United Methodist Church (2nd Floor, parking in the rear lot behind the church. Elevator off the lobby at the rear door.) 1124 Culver Rd, Rochester, NY 14609​

Copyright 2025 Dharma Refuge; Dharma Refuge is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit corporation.
  • Home
  • Practices
    • Practice & Program Calendar
    • Participation Options and Info
    • Zoom Help
  • Programs
    • Bodhisattva Training: Becoming Beings of Wisdom and Love >
      • Program Resources
      • Commitment to the Awakened Mind
      • Patience Resources
    • Walking the Path: Members' Lineage Training
    • Bodhisattvas Everywhere Talks
    • Practice Circles
  • Membership
    • Become a Member
    • Member Stories
    • Donor Account Management
    • Members' Dharma Library >
      • Dharma Talks
      • Programs & Retreats
      • Sangha Meetings
      • Lineage Training Library >
        • Welcome, Overview, General Resources
        • The Three Vehicles with Elizabeth Mattis Nyamgyel
        • Four Foundations of Mindfulness >
          • Mindfulness of Body
          • Mindfulness of Feelings
          • Mindfulness of Mind
          • Mindfulness of Dharmas
          • Four Foundations Resources
        • Additional Lineage Sessions
        • 37 Bodhisattva Practices
  • About
    • About Us
    • Teachers
    • Directors and Volunteers
  • Giving
    • Practicing Generosity
    • Give a One-Time Gift
  • Resources
    • Books, Prayers, Documentaries and Links
    • The Fourteen Precepts of Engaged Buddhism
    • Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
    • Racial Equity and Buddhist Practice
    • Member & Volunteer Docs
  • Contact
    • Email Sign-up
    • Member's Bulletin Board Sign-up