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One-Day Camp
Saturday, November 15, 2025 
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Grant Park Meditation at Quang Minh Temple​

We're thrilled to announce an extraordinary year of teachings, as we warmly welcome Buddhist masters and practitioners from diverse traditions to share their wisdom, compassion, and unique practices with our community.

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His Eminence Gala Tulku Rinpoche
 

Recognized at age sixteen by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the 7th reincarnation of Gala Tulku from Batha Monastery in Kham Dege, Eastern Tibet, His Eminence Gala Rinpoche has devoted his life to deep study and service within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. After being enthroned at Drepung Loseling Monastery, he received both his novice and full ordination vows from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and trained under many great masters, including Rizong Rinpoche Thupten Nyima, Denma Lochoe Rinpoche, and Gungbar Rinpoche. Completing his rigorous monastic education, Rinpoche earned his Geshe degree in 2009 and went on to teach and lead initiatives at Drepung Loseling Monastery. A bridge between Tibetan wisdom and the modern world, he has shared the Dharma across universities, museums, and spiritual centers worldwide. Formerly based at Drepung Loseling Monastery in Atlanta, he now resides in Houston, Texas, where he serves as the Founder and Spiritual Director of Drepung Loseling Institute of Texas.

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Sister Pearl (Viên Thanh Châu)
 

Sister Pearl was ordained in 2019 at Đại Đăng Monastery in San Diego, California, by her root teacher, Venerable TN. Như Đức, abbess of Viên Chiếu Monastery in Saigon, Vietnam. Trained in the Bamboo Grove Vietnamese Zen School under Zen master Thich Thanh Tu and influenced by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, Sister Pearl bridges both Vietnamese and Soto Zen traditions. Before ordination, she served nearly a decade as a physician assistant in Cancer and Palliative Care at Mayo Clinic. Currently a resident at the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and chaplain intern at Emory Decatur Hospital, Sister Pearl aspires to bring the Dharma alive for children, teens, and young adults through mindfulness and compassionate practice

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Diane Russell-Chrestman, LCSW, DCEP
 

On a beautiful autumn day in 2012, after her last client session, Diane visited the Zen Buddhist Temple next to her office for the first time—an encounter that began her mindfulness journey. A licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Atlanta, she earned her master’s degree from Georgia State University in 2008 and became a Diplomate in Comprehensive Energy Psychology in 2014. Diane integrates Buddhist teachings and meditation into her therapeutic practice, offering a holistic approach that empowers clients toward peace and joy. Beyond her practice, she enjoys nature, cooking, and time with family and friends. https://www.authentic-life.net

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Georgia Buddhist Summer Camp is a volunteer-led group devoted to fostering peace, kindness, and wisdom through interactive activities, offered both in person and virtually. Donations are welcome to help support these activities.

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