Link to May 25, 2020 online Dharma Talk: Joy in the Moment
Leslie Rawls is a Dharmacharya (Dharma Teacher) in the 43rd generation of the Lam Te Dhyana School. In January 2009, she received Lamp Transmission from the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh 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 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 three decades. For several years in the 1990’s, Leslie was lay coordinator for Thich Nhat Hanh’s North American retreats and public talks. 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. She is past president of the Plum Village Lineage North America Dharma Teacher Sangha and serves on several Dharma Teacher committees. In March 2024, Leslie was inducted into the Council of Elders for the North American Plum Village Dharma Teachers.
Over the years, Leslie has practiced extensively in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village, the European Institute of Applied Buddhism in Waldbröl, Germany, and all the Plum Village monasteries in North America. In 2007, she traveled to Vietnam with Thich Nhat Hanh, Plum Village monastics, and lay friends from around the world as part of a delegation for peace and reconciliation.
Leslie edited The Mindfulness Bell from 1996 to 2001 and later served as caretaking council member. She continues to edit articles as a volunteer. For nearly two decades, she helped maintain the online directories of Plum Village Sanghas. In 2020, she was invited to begin editing scholarly Buddhist books for a new Parallax Press imprint, Palm Leaves Press.
Leslie offers retreats and Days of Mindfulness across North Carolina and around the southeast. She 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.