Born in the USA and a Canadian, Shirfu Samanta has been training in Buddhism for 40 years. He has trained under more than 35 Tibetan Lamas including some of the most distinguished masters in the 20th century. He has also studied with masters of the Newar tradition, Vipashyana tradition, Tien Tai tradition, Chan/Zen tradition and Pure Land schools. Shirfu has received many initiations, ordinations, transmissions and was ordained as a Buddhist priest in Japan (Kyoto, 1999). He holds a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies and an MA in psychology. Shirfu has lived in India, Nepal, Japan, Taiwan, and extensively traveled in other parts of Asia. He has completed many retreats from the Himalayas to the Sierras.
Noted for his ability to connect Buddhism to life in the 21st century, Shirfu has taught various types of meditation for 30 years. His teachings strongly emphasize non-sectarianism with a leaning to Mahayana.