Leslie Rawls is a Dharmacharya (Dharma Teacher) in the 43rd generation of the Lam Te Dhyana School. She received Lamp Transmission from the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh during the 2008-2009 Winter Retreat in Plum Village, France. Dharma Lamp Transmission is a personal and direct transmission from teacher to student, endorsing the student as a new Dharma Teacher and encouraging her to teach.

Leslie is a member of the Caretaking Council of the Plum Village North American Dharma Teachers Sangha, and serves on the Council's Harmony Committee, Communications Committee, and Order of Interbeing Committee.

In 1995, Thich Nhat Hanh ordained Leslie as a lay Buddhist minister in the core community of the Order of Interbeing with the Dharma name Chan Giâc Xú, True Realm of Enlightenment. 

Leslie has studied Buddhism since 1970, but her study did not become a living practice until she encountered Thich Nhat Hanh. She has been actively involved with Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village community for over two decades. In the 1990’s, Leslie was lay coordinator for many of Thich Nhat Hanh’s North American retreats. Over the years, she has spent time practicing in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village and its sister monasteries in North America. She edited The Mindfulness Bell from 1996 to 2001. Leslie has served on the Mindfulness Bell Caretaking Council and continues to work on each issue. From 1996 through 2013, she helped maintain the online directories of Plum Village Sanghas. Leslie traveled to Vietnam in 2007 with Thich Nhat Hanh, Plum Village monastics, and lay friends from around the world as part of a delegation for peace and reconciliation. She leads retreats and Days of Mindfulness  in Charlotte and the southeast, and facilitates inmate Sanghas in the North Carolina Department of Corrections.

Leslie is happy to support Sangha members’ study and practice. If you have questions or would like consult about your practice, please speak to Leslie or email her at leslierawlsdt@gmail.com.