Press Releases

Gift of $50,000 to Honor Founder’s Vision at Naropa University
Trustee makes leadership contribution to Vidyadhara Vision Fund

BOULDER , Colo. (October 16, 2006)—A charitable gift of $50,000 from Naropa University Trustee Pamela Krasney will establish a permanently-endowed Vidyadhara Vision Fund that will heighten awareness and understanding of the life, teachings and legacy of Naropa University’s founder, Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, and advance his vision for Naropa University as an academic institution.

Vidyadhara, or wisdom bearer, refers to attainment of spiritual wisdom according to Buddhist tradition.

Trungpa founded the Naropa Institute in 1974. Originally, the Naropa Institute offered summer workshops taught by leading poets, musicians, psychologists and meditation masters. In 1986, the school became an accredited university and has grown to be a recognized leader in contemplative education.

Krasney completed the Contemplative Psychotherapy program at Naropa in 1983 and has remained a vital part of the community ever since. She serves on the Boards of Naropa University, the Shambhala Mountain Center, and the Death Penalty Focus. Krasney is a member of the Shambhala Trust.

Krasney remains engaged with Naropa because of her “commitment to the vision of one university dedicated to contemplative education inspired by Buddhist teachings,” she says. “If the whole world meditated and worked with their minds, there would be less aggression, less greed, less inhumanity and more peace and compassion.” Krasney and the university expect that other donors will make contributions to the Vidyadhara Vision Fund, given the influential teachings of Rinpoche and their enduring impact on the Naropa University community.

Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Naropa University is a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian liberal arts institution dedicated to advancing contemplative education. This approach to learning integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational traditions, helping students know themselves more deeply and engage constructively with others. The university is comprised of a four-year undergraduate college and graduate programs in the arts, education, environmental leadership, psychology and religious studies.

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Contact:

Jane Rubinstein
Director, Marketing & Communications
Naropa University
PH 303-245-4643
FAX 303-245-4676
Jrubinstein@naropa.edu