Tibetan Buddhist teachers and Western students: Receptivity, resistance, and resonance on the spiritual path

This study records and illuminates the lives of five Tibetan Buddhist teachers and their experiences of teaching Western students in the West. Specifically, I explored the, teachers' early life and introduction to the West, and their experiences of (a) conveying the Tibetan Buddhist teachings; (b) students' openness and receptivity; and (c) students' ability to comprehend the teachings. The teachers represent the Bon, Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug lineages.;Findings indicate that the teachers' early life and their introductions to the West are as varied as each individual. Reasons for leaving their homeland included escaping the invasion and siege of Tibet, desiring to expand their academic studies, and wishing to explore the world.;Reflecting on experiences with their own teachers, these teachers' descriptions mirrored the English translated literature on teacher-student relationships, whereas describing their experiences of teaching Western students only partially reflected the classic teacher-student relationship.;The Tibetan Buddhist teachers indicate an appreciation of the Western students' openness, curiosity, and inquisitive mind. Two of them specifically discussed the courage it takes to stay true to the teachings and not succumb to the sometimes experienced aggressive demands or expectations of Western students. Perception of the Western student ranges from rigid, hesitant, and disbelieving initially, to developing a confidence through devotion and faith that results in the student experiencing more joy and spaciousness in their life. Ways of presenting the teachings are changing to accommodate Western students. Consequently, the teachers themselves are changing.;Themes of impermanence and change as receptivity, resistance, and resonance permeate the data. In some situations change and impermanence are embedded in the teacher's descriptions as well as in their actions, mannerism, and silence. Change and impermanence are inevitable according to the Tibetan Buddhist teachings. These teachers directly impart at least five unique expressions of the Tibetan Buddhist teachings on change as lived through the Eastern teacher-Western student relationship: (1) change through application of knowledge and skills; (2) experience of nothing changing over time and with experience; (3) linear, formal, step-by-step change; (4) fluctuation in the ease of teaching as change; and (5) sacrifice as a form of change.