Michael G. Burbank

Michael G. Burbank has been a student of Robert Thurman and HH the XIV Dalai Lama for 20 years, since his undergraduate years at Columbia University. In February of 2002 he was invited to help the Thurmans and Tibet House start the newly acquired Menla retreat. Over the years, he worked variously as Menla's dishwasher, housekeeper, Front of House Manager, and Assistant Director, and since 2013 he has served as Menla's Director of Administration. Michael received the Kalachakra Tantra initiation from His Holiness the Dalai Lama twice--in 2003 and 2017--in Bodh Gaya, India. An avid life-long student and practitioner of Buddhism, Michael teaches weekly classes at Menla and occasionally co-leads Menla retreats. He is working in conjunction with a team of entrepreneurs and mindfulness teachers to launch the Mindforce Institute, a for-profit mindfulness training company intended to further the efforts of Tibet House US/Menla nationwide. In his spare time, he works on spiritually-based graphic novels, including most recently as letterer and co-author of Man of Peace: the Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama with William Meyers and Robert Thurman.

Upcoming Programs by Michael G. Burbank

“As a residential employee, Menla is a beautiful place to live. Work doesn’t feel like work when surrounded by the natural beauty of upstate New York. The co-workers are all caring and dedicated, and form a community, rather than a workplace. I am grateful to make my home in such an environment of compassion and peace, and to make a living here as well.”

Wyatt Foxe

“It was a lovely weekend as it always is at Menla! Thank you. It truly is a special place in many ways. The people who work there and run the place really do make the difference, as they are all very nice and kind. I’ve been to other like places where that typically isn’t the case. I realized this past weekend that just being at Menla is simply awesome!”

Sasha Laumeister

“I loved every minute at Menla. It was as if heaven was delivered to me on earth–the people, the food, the services at the spa, even my walks to the meeting room were infused with magic. I was greeted with so much warmth and caring with every interaction.”

Janice Rous

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