Compassion Wheel Team

From left to right: Bill and Matt Clopton; Troy Stafford; Barbara Brown; Bridget Brewer; Dechen Brooke.

Barbara Brown

Barbara Brown’s architectural practice has been actively focused on community-oriented and residential projects in the Bay Area. She is a UC Berkeley alumni and a long-time supporter of Tibetan Buddhist causes and sacred place building efforts.
Since 2010, Barbara has been working with the Tibetan Association of Northern California to assist their members in creating a vibrant community center building in Richmond, CA. She also participated in the design and construction effort to create the new Prayer Wheel Gazebo at Gyuto Foundation in Richmond Heights.

Bill Clopton

Bill’s first connection to Buddhism was December 1969 in a week-long retreat with 3 Tibetan monks he had met in London, England. As a general contractor he has over 30 years of experience specializing in home construction and remodeling paying careful attention to all aspects of a project from client/builder, workers, design and craftsmanship of materials.

Troy Stafford

Troy Stafford is a master craftsman with 20 years experience in the Fine Arts and Museum framing field. He has collaborated with artists, galleries, collectors, and museum curatorial and conservation staff on a range of museum and private projects involving the design and creation of custom frames and the restoration of antique frames. He was personally requested by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to do the elaborate carvings of the prayer wheel and is receiving direct instructions from him.

Bridget Brewer

Bridget Brewer integrates her extensive background in landscape design and construction with her architectural practice in Sonoma County, where she is a board member of US Green Building Council. Her landscape work includes wildlife restoration in urban environments. She has received grants to restore neighborhood parks and urban creeks in Oakland and Berkeley. She has taught with the Insight Garden Program at San Quentin Prison as well as high school students planting food forests in Windsor.

Upcoming Retreats

Online Book Club – Vol 4: Following in the Buddha’s Footsteps

Venerable Gyalten Chimé

May 8 - June 26, 2024
When On Zoom Every Wednesday for 8 weeks 6:30 - 8:30pm Pacific Time Zoom Link will be sent a day before the Wednesday night class.     Prerequisites: None – Open to all students   It is recommended that participants read the first few chapters prior to the first Book Club session on May 8th.   About the Book This weekly online book gathering will feature facilitated conversation, discussion and meditation sessions with Buddhist monastic Venerable Chimé.   Delve into the substance of spiritual practice in this fourth volume of the Dalai Lama’s definitive series on the path to awakening,…

Weekend with H.E. Ling Rinpoche

His Eminence the 7th Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche

May 25 - 26, 2024
The FPMT Bay Area Centers: Land of Medicine Buddha, Ocean of Compassion, Tse Chen Ling, and Vajrapani Institute, are honored to announce a precious weekend with His Eminence Yongzin Ling Rinpoche!   Venue School of Arts & Culture: Mexican Heritage Plaza, San Jose, CA   Saturday, May 25 Teaching on the Foundation of All Good Qualities (In-Person and online via Zoom)   Sunday, May 26 1,000-Armed Chenrezig Initiation (In-Person only - per H.E. Ling Rinpoche's request)   How to Register Admission to both teachings and initiation is free of charge, based on the generosity of donations and sponsors. Make sure…

Our Blog

  • Spring has officially arrived and with it a sense of renewal, a spark of hope. Trees are leafing and blossoming. So many wildflowers dot the hillsides. Bees are buzzing and early morning birds chatter like townsfolk exclaiming the beauty of this valley.  Living a quiet......

Vajrapani Institute is affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition www.FPMT.org