For years, Nathaniel searched the big questions — about mind, meaning, and the nature of reality — through many contemplative traditions, including Dzogchen and Vipassana. Each offered something, but he sensed something deeper was possible.

For years, Nathaniel searched the big questions — about mind, meaning, and the nature of reality — through many contemplative traditions, including Dzogchen and Vipassana. Each offered something, but he sensed something deeper was possible.

In early 2014, he found himself attending his first meditation retreat. In the Buddha’s original teachings, preserved in the Pali Canon, he finally found a path that met him where he was and showed him where he could go.

Many retreats followed, under the guidance of Doug Kraft and the late Bhante Vimalaramsi, whose warmth and devotion to the original instructions shaped his practice deeply.

By day, Nathaniel is a consultant for a Silicon Valley cloud company. He mentions this because it matters: the Buddha’s teachings weren’t reserved for monastics. They were given for ordinary lives — with deadlines, tired evenings, and difficult conversations. You don’t have to leave your life to walk this path.

What he loves most is walking beside new meditators taking their first steps. His teaching is gentle, practical, and rooted in the original teachings of the Buddha — with an emphasis on relaxation and kindness as essential, not extras.The Buddha’s invitation was simple: “come and see.” Not to believe, but to look honestly, gently, and for yourself.