About Our Buddhist Meditation Center
The Hay River Karma Thegsum Chöling (KTC) Buddhist Meditation Center was established in 1997 as an affiliate center of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, KTD (Woodstock, NY). Under the guidance of Lama Tsultrim Yeshe (John Samuelson), our purpose is to make available to all who are interested teachings on meditation and the practices of Buddhism in general, and in particular the teachings of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. Our main teachers are His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa and Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche (April 2, 1924 – November 6, 2019).
The Karma Kagyu is one of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism and traces its origins in an unbroken line to the historical Buddha of our age. The tradition emphasizes practice – not only learning about Buddhist concepts, but also putting the teachings into action, both on the cushion and in daily life.
The Tibetan name for our group “Karma Thegsum (pronounced Tegsum) Chöling” roughly means “place of dharma teaching” with Karma referring to our lineage name of Karma Kagyu. We hope you will enjoy our “sangha,” or community of practitoners.
Lama Tsultrim Yeshe
(John Samuelson)
Lama Tsultrim Yeshe (John Samuelson) has been a student of Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche since 1989. He completed the first three-year retreat at Karme Ling Under the direction of Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche earning the title “Retreat Lama.” He took novice monk vows in 1994 from Tai Situ Rinpoche and fully ordained monastic vows in 2008 from Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche.
In addition to the Minneapolis/Saint Paul KTC, Lama Yeshe is also the resident Lama at the Hay River KTC located in Western Wisconsin. He travels throughout the country to other Buddhist centers to teach and lead retreats, as well as holistic learning centers like the Omega Institute. He is available for meditation instruction and personal consultation by appointment. This can be set up with him personally; the Lama can be reached via the Contact page. Lama Yeshe's teachings can be viewed on his You Tube channel. He also has a Facebook page.
He worked for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for eight years as a prison chaplain. He continues to do volunteer work in the prison teaching meditation, Buddhism and giving guidance. He has gained valuable experience working with inmates in a medium security prison. Many of the inmates have had difficult and abusive childhoods, anger management problems, and high levels of anxiety and stress.
Lama Yeshe has a BS degree in sociology from the University of Oklahoma and did graduate work in sociology at the University of Minnesota. He taught sociology for four years at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. He has also worked doing construction, building new houses and remodeling, and before that, furniture reupholstery. He likes woodworking, building and working with his hands. The Hay River KTC is in a stone building he built, with some help from friends, in 1977 as a shop. It was later remodeled, with the help of volunteers from the center, and converted into a shrine room. Lama Yeshe has lived at his present location, a farmstead built in the 1890’s, near Ridgeland Wisconsin since 1971.
Lama Tenzin Ghale
Tenzin Ghale is a lama and monk from Pal Dilyak monastery of the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism in Kathmandu, Nepal. Tenzin Ghale was born in Kathmandu, Nepal, and was ordained as a Buddhist monk at the age of 12 at Dilyak monastery. The monastery was the first Karma Kagyu monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal, founded by Very Venerable the 8th Dazang Rinpoche, an emanation of the Great Master Gampopa, a highly respected teacher of the Karma Kagyu lineage. Tenzin Ghale started his basic Buddhist education from 1992 to 2000. During that period he had also undergone various training and rituals studies as per the Karma Kagyu tradition and customs. He has not only received novice vows from the Very Venerable 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche and His eminence the 12th Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche in the year 1992, but also received fully ordained vows from H.E. 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche and H.E. 12th Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche in 1999. In 2000, he enrolled in the Karma Shri Nalanda Institute in Rumtek, Sikkim, the seat of H.H. Gyalwang Karmapa in India where he spent 11 years studying higher Buddhist studies such as Buddhist philosophy, metaphysics, history, logic, debate, literature and so forth under many accomplished masters including H.E. 12th Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche. In 2017, he entered the traditional three-year retreat of advanced meditation practice at Palchen Choling retreat center, the seat of H.E. 12th Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche in India. The retreat was completed in 2020 under the guidance of retreat master Ven Tenzin Gyurme and he became qualified as a lama. Tenzin speaks fluent Nepali, Tibetan, and speaks English fairly well.
History of Hay River KTC Property
The Hay River KTC property in Ridgeland, WI has two buildings: Lama Yeshe’s house and the Shrine Room.
The House
The house was built around 1890 and purchased by Lama Yeshe in 1971. In addition to being Lama Yeshe’s residence, the house also serves as a place for Hay River KTC visitors to gather and eat meals. Much of the woodwork in the house, including the kitchen cabinets, came from wood sustainably harvested on the property.
The Shrine Room
In 1977, Lama Yeshe built the brick building that now houses the Shrine Room. Before becoming a Buddhist monk, he used the building as a workspace. The top floor served as his shop for a reupholstery business and the bottom floor had a woodshop and his farm equipment repair shop. At one time he restored antique John Deere tractors as a hobby.
In 2000, the building was remodeled and repurposed as Hay River KTC’s Buddhist Meditation Center. The wood addition on the right was completed a few years later.
The Grounds
As the property owner, Lama Yeshe serves as steward to the woodlands on the property. Hay River KTC is set on 13 acres. Visitors are encouraged to stroll through Hay River KTC’s forest.
The forest is full of mature trees. The oldest is a Red Oak (below) that is 13 1/2 feet in circumference at chest height. This tree is approximately 200 to 300 years old, predating the area’s European settlers.
Note that the Red Oak branches out close to the ground, indicating it began life in the open, not in a forest. Many of the old oak trees on the land are like this. In contrast, a forest-grown tree has tall trunks before branching out. This indicates the ecosystem before settlement by farmers was open grassland with oak groves.
In addition to regular programs, special events, Lama visits and retreats are often held at Hay River. The grounds serve as a wonderful atmosphere for walking meditation.
Address
Hay River KTC Buddhist Meditation Center
N14085 County Rd V V
Ridgeland, WI 54763
(715) 949-1407
Practice and event locations are listed with each calendar item.
Email Us
info.hayriverktc@gmail.com