Lama Dvora

Lama Dvora is the spiritual director of Method and Wisdom Association ( www.methodandwisdom.org.il ), a non-profit organization aiming to promote peace in the hearts of individuals, communities and nations, through the use of timeless Wisdom with timely Methods.

She holds M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science, and has worked in academia, as well as research and financial institutions.

Lama Dvora has devoted over 30 years of her life to the study and practice of Buddhist wisdom and other Asian traditions and has translated multiple scriptures into Hebrew. For the past 20 years she had been sharing these treasures and their real-life applications with her many students in Israel and in other parts of the world.

Our Lineage

Lama Dvora met her Tibetan root Lama, Sermey Khensur Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Tarchin, in 1998, in Howell, New Jersey, where she studied and practiced under his guidance. She also studied with his two main disciples, Geshe Michael Roach and Art Engle, and recently with the former abbot of Gyumed Tantric College, Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa and with Lama Drimed Norbu, in the Dzogchen tradition. Her other teachers include H.H the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and others.

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Tharchin

Geshe Michael Roach

Art Engle

HH The 14th Dalai Lama

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa

Lama Drimed Norbu

Translations

Lama Dvora has translated into Hebrew more than 10,000 pages of Tibetan scriptures. Her translations are cherished by students for their accuracy and exceptional beauty, and lay a solid foundation for the nascent Buddhist terminology in Hebrew.

All of her translations are available online, free of charge, under the Buddhist Classics in Israel website (www.heart-dharma.org.il ), along with audio recordings and transcripts, representing 20 years of Dharma teachings in Israel. Over the past decade more than 110,000 Israelis were able to receive the teachings in their own language through this website.

Teachings

Soon after she started teaching in Israel, Lama Dvora established the “Heart of Dharma” school. In the following years she has taught and nurtured hundreds of students, and created a vibrant spiritual community of practitioners, who train to develop their hearts and minds, with the goal of bringing genuine happiness and peace to their own hearts and to the communities, countries and region in which they reside.

Students

Lama Dvora’s students share remarkable stories of profound positive change and impact in their lives, significant reduction in the level of suffering, and significant increases in their levels of happiness, sense of meaning and peace in their lives. Over the years, many of her students have become teachers themselves, and nowadays over a hundred teachers that were trained by Lama Dvora, teach study groups all over the country, thus continuing the lineage and spreading the Dharma in Hebrew, bringing happiness to peoples’ lives.

Projects & Initiatives

With the enthusiastic support of her wonderful students, Lama Dvora initiated many projects, such as:

The Heart of Dharma School www.dharmaschool.org.il

The school comprises more than 50 groups throughout Israel, taught by senior students of Lama Dvora.

For more information, please click here

The Israeli Center of Yoga Studies www.heart-yoga.org.il

Teaches the authentic Yoga traditions and the rich philosophy on which they are founded.

The Israeli Karmic Management Center www.karmicmanagement.org.il

Aims to bring the principles of ancient classic wisdom to the business community, to work with timeless principles that create financial success, along with health, happiness and community service.

Heart of Dharma Book Press www.lev-hadharmapress.org.il

The book press has been founded by Lama Dvora’s students, to help spread the Dharma in Hebrew. So far, ten important Buddhist books translated by Lama Dvora have been published, as well as dozens of audio CD with dharma teachings.

Angel’s Visit

A project in which students “adopt” elderly, disabled, lonely, or sick people, or those in distress. The students provide them with companionship and assist them with their needs.

Voice of the Heart Magazine www.voiceofheart.org.il

Aims to expose Israelis who are interested in spiritual development and social engagement as a way of life, to various aspects of the study and spiritual practice. The magazine is distributed free of charge, as a service to the community.

Diamond of the Heart – Jawart Alqalb www.jawhart-alqalb.org

A unique project to translate and distribute the teachings given by Lama Dvora and make them available to Arabic-speaking audiences in the Middle East and around the world. The project acquaints these audiences to pearls of timeless wisdom and compassion from ancient Buddhist and Asian traditions, teachings that resonate with those of their own traditions, and provides a bridge and common ground to peace seeking people in the region.

One Heart www.oneheart.org.il

A project aimed at bringing together peace activists, spiritual leaders and individuals from different segments of Israeli and Arab communities, so as to promote exchange, dialogue, collaboration, harmony and peace in our region. Activities are designed to promote tolerance, conflict-resolution, compassionate action, and mutual respect. For more information, please click here

Arava Spiritual Center

The growth of the community and the enthusiastic dedication of her students in Israel, led Lama Dvora to establish the Arava Spiritual Center (ASC), (www.moar.org.il).

This is a university-like enterprise, currently in temporary rented facilities in the desert, which offers, among other programs, “closed” Buddhist teachings to advanced students who are ready for them, and are willing to put in the effort required. Currently, a 6-7-year program is in progress, with some 130 advanced students, who are personally taught and guided by Lama Dvora.

To adapt the rented site to its educational purpose, students, built an impressive teaching hall, and residences for the Lama and staff, all by means of using their personal resources and labor.

Monastic Community

A big part of Lama Dvora’s vision for our region is to have a vibrant monastic community, that will spearhead the spread of Dharma teaching and practice, and serve as role model to inspire the aspects of morality, devotion to practice, and service. Ours is a first of its kind ordained Buddhist sangha in Israel. To support those who have taken ordination, and those who might follow, Lama Dvora has established a monastery and a nunnery, both located in the ASC, where several monks and nuns are currently living full time.

Practice

Lama Dvora is a devoted practitioner, who successfully completed the traditional 3 years, 3 months and 3 days silent retreat, and has spent in total more than 5 years in solitary retreats.

Leadership

In her uniquely quiet and humble way, Lama Dvora is nevertheless a very powerful leader who never tires of guiding her students to apply the precious teachings and realizations to their daily life: at home, in the workplace, but most importantly, to promote the much-needed peace in our war-torn and tormented region. Displaying purity of heart, courage, persistence and continuous efforts, she forges relationships of respect and mutual appreciation with spiritual leaders of the various traditions in our country, all the while training her students to become themselves agents of wisdom, love and peace.

The First Lama in the Middle East Happens to Be a Woman!

Lama Dvora is also a trailblazer in being the first female Lama in the Middle East. She is a holder of an ancient lineage, passed on to her by her precious teachers, a lineage which until recently was transmitted almost exclusively through male masters. She thus represents a new and powerful generation of female leaders in Western Buddhism.

Lama Dvora teaches a mixed-gender student body and treats women equally to men. She promotes and empowers women on every opportunity. Being a western woman, a mother, with a former research career, her teachings bring a fresh flavor, suited to modern-time students, while rigorously adhering to the original intent and meaning of the scriptures. This aspect also characterizes her translations into Hebrew, always utilizing language that presents the teachings and practices in a way that speaks equally to men and women. Through this, and through the example of her many years of personal practice and experience, Lama Dvora conveys to her students a clear message that there is nothing that a woman cannot achieve on the spiritual path, all the way up to its ultimate completion.

Efforts to promote Peace

Ever since she started teaching in Israel, Lama Dvora has been working tirelessly to promote peace in the region, focusing on creating the causes for a lasting and genuine peace in Israel and the Middle East. Her efforts led to unique and warm collaboration with peace-oriented figures in the region, and to the vision of establishing an International Spiritual Center for Peace – which she named Ehvam, where practitioners from all parts of the world can affect a deep internal transformation, and in turn offer their gifts to our world.

Upcoming Long Retreat

The Ehvam vision includes facilities for short and long-term retreats for those who are ready for them. In the year 2021 Lama Dvora is planning to enter her 2nd 3-year retreat, along with a large group of her students, who have all been trained by her during the last decade. As of this writing, more than 70 students put down a non-refundable deposit toward the retreat cost, and are committed to perform this retreat!

First visit of the Sangha to the new retreat site