Marcia Schmidt

Marcia Binder Schmidt is a renowned Buddhist translator, editor, and writer. Under the guidance of Tulku Urgyen and Chökyi Nyima Rinpoches, she and Erik Pema Kunsang established Rangjung Yeshe Institute, which offers educational and practice support to practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism. Since its inception in 1981, Rangjung Yeshe Institute has held seminars and retreats around the world for thousands of students and has additionally morphed into an academic institution in collaboration with Katmandu University that offers BA, MA, and PhD degrees.

Schmidt has helped develop retreat centers and study groups in many places. She stays half the year in Nepal and travels to give programs on healing and meditating the other half. She is also working to make health care available to the poor and aged in eastern Tibet.