Judith Simmer-Brown

Judith Simmer-Brown is Distinguished Professor of Contemplative and Religious Studies at Naropa University and a senior Buddhist teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition.

Recent Articles

The Practice of Fierce Inner Heat

Judith Simmer-Brown on tummo, one of the most famous esoteric practices of Tibetan Vajrayana and the Six Dharmas. What is it, what are its benefits, and what role does it play in our journey to enlightenment?

Pile of shoes on a rack outside meditation hall

We’re In This Together

Our culture has a deeply-ingrained sense of individualism, says Judith Simmer-Brown. But what would happen if we began to trust each other?

man and woman dancing

Romantic Vision vs. Everyday Disappointment

In meditation we cut through our fantasies and relate with life as it really is. Then something magical can happen. It’s exactly the same in our relationships.

“Look, Look!”

Here is the gate through which the buddhas come into the world, born of women, born of wisdom. Judith Simmer-Brown comments on this koan.

Portraits of Wisdom and Compassion

Review of Buddhist Goddesses of India by Miranda Shaw.

The Joy of the Lonely Dancer

Too often, says Judith Simmer-Brown, Buddhism’s principles of emptiness and aloneness lead us into the extreme of nihilism.

Pure Passion

Judith Simmer-Brown on the role of desire in Buddhist Tantra: "The intensity of desire can only be liberated by desire itself."