Peter F. Barth
Barth in Colorado in 2007
Personal
Born1956 (age 67–68)
ReligionTibetan Buddhism
SchoolDrukpa Kagyu
Karma Kagyu
Occupationengineer, physicist, educator and author
Senior posting
TeacherThrangu Rinpoche

Peter Felix Barth (also known as Lama Thapkhay) (born 1956) is an American author specializing in the mind teachings of Tibetan Buddhism.[1] In statistical mechanics, he was responsible for an exact solution to the Ising model for highly-branched, closed-Cayley trees, an area of interest in neurophysics and neural networks.

He has a background in neurophysics, engineering and education, having served as adjunct professor in Information Systems Management (ISM) at the University of San Francisco.

As a Buddhist educator and author, he has written and published comprehensive guides to the meditation disciplines of mahamudra and dzogchen, the pinnacle of the practices of the Kagyu[2] and Nyingma[3] lineages, respectively, including one recommended for seminary and public libraries by the Library Journal.[4]

Early years

Barth was born in New York, New York, United States. Inspired by the works of Indo-Tibetan scholar Walter Evans-Wentz, at the age of eighteen he traveled to India to study meditation under Tibetan Buddhist Kagyu and Nyingma lamas "exiled from their country when the Chinese Communists took over Tibet."[1] He took ordination as a lay Buddhist under Drukpa Yogi Geagen Khyentse in Manali, India, in 1974, who eventually sent him to senior teachers in Darjeeling to complete preliminary mahamudra studies, after which he returned to his studies in physics in the United States.

In 1976 he received his B.S. degree, with honors in physics, from the Department of Physics, State University of New York College in Oneonta; and in 1981 a M.S. degree in physics, with emphasis on neurophysics, from the Department of Physics, University of Vermont (UVM) in Burlington.

In 1976, Barth became a lifelong member of the physics honor society Sigma Pi Sigma and, in 1981, based on the solution to the generalized closed-tree Ising model for Cayley tree topologies and large neural networks presented in his M.S. thesis,[5] he was elected to membership in the scientific research honor society Sigma Xi.

In 1982 he published the solution to his theoretical model collaboratively with John E. Krizan, his thesis advisor, and M.L. Glasser.[6][7] Subsequent investigations into the closed-Cayley tree models proposed by Jellito[8] and Barth, eventually yielded a number of additional exact solutions for Ising model topologies with similar underlying symmetries.[9]

In 2014, a study based on the results from modern neuroimaging studies independently resurrected interest in the Ising model as a meaningful approach to the modeling of "global brain dynamics."[10]

Books on the mind teachings of Tibet

While in India, Barth had studied mahamudra under a number of Drukpa Kagyu lamas, including Dukchen Thuksey Rinpoche in Darjeeling, who personally played a role in the preservation of Dakpo Tashi Namgyal's renowned mahamudra classic, "Moonbeams of Mahamudra," when he requested Lobsang P. Lhalungpa translate it into English and noted that, "This is the most important sacred text!"[11] Barth's first book, Piercing the Autumn Sky: Discovering the Natural Freedom of Mind, was inspired by this work and the oral instructions on it by Thrangu Rinpoche in 1989, as translated "on the fly" by Ken McLeod. From 1989 to 1995, Barth served as a transcriber and editor for the draft publication of a complete three-cycle set of Thrangu Rinpoche's oral instructions under the direction of managing editor Clark Johnson, Ph.D.,[12] published in part, in 2001, as Looking Directly at Mind: The Moonlight of Mahamudra and, with further editing, in 2004, as Essentials of Mahamudra.[13]

After rejection of the first draft of his own book by HarperCollins, with the support of his wife, Barth elected to self-publish.[1] Soon after it was released, it was picked up by a major publisher in Rome, Italy,[14] who had it professionally translated into Italian by Giampaolo Fiorentini. The forewards to both of these editions were written by Thrangu Rinpoche and Könchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche, two of Tibetan Buddhism's highest scholar-monks (Tibetan: mkhan chen, literally "great Khenpos") from the Karma Kagyu and Drikung Kagyu lineages, respectively.[15] The book also received a cover endorsement from American psychiatrist and best-selling author, M. Scott Peck.[16]

Thuksey Rinpoche, Gyalwang Drukpa Rinpoche, two Khenpos and two Sons of Apho Rinpoche

Upon its publication, the Library Journal called it, "perhaps the most accessible book of the Tibetan tradition." Soon thereafter, Snow Lion Publications showcased it, stating it offers "clear and precise instructions on discovering the natural freedom of mind through mahamudra practice"[17] and, in 2004, it became the only book written by a Westerner to be included on the recommended reading list of Cambridge educated Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche in his first published book on mahamudra.[18]

Barth subsequently produced two more detailed meditation manuals, A Meditation Guide For Mahamudra and The Meditations of Longchen Rabjam, for the advanced practices of the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions. These were written to serve as detailed guides to the Kagyu classic phyag chen zla ba'i 'od zer (translated as "Moonbeams of Mahamudra") written by Dagpo Tashi Namgyal (1512–1587) and the Nyingma classic chos dbyings mdzod (translated as "The Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena") written by Longchenpa (1308–1364),[19] respectively. In addition, he served as the editor of Mahamudra Teachings by Garchen Rinpoche, who had previously been held for two decades in a People's Republic of China (PRC) labor camp.[20] Garchen Rinpoche's teachings are a presentation of the mind teachings found and maintained within the Drikung Kagyu lineage.

In 1990, at the encouragement of Thrangu Rinpoche he founded a study and practice group called "Mahamudra Meditation Center",[21] which operated as a nonprofit religious corporation in the State of California,[22] from 1991 to 2011, under his direction and was dedicated to the instruction and practice of mahamudra and dzogchen in order "to cultivate an understanding of mind-as-it-is."[23] Due to limited financial resources, the umbrella of incorporation was dropped in 2011, after which time all corporate activities ceased; however, its senior members, including Barth, continued to offer programs in a traditional humanistic "circle of yogis" manner and maintained the program structures and resources accessible via the official website at mahamudracenter.org.[21]

On July 14, 1990, Barth received Zen precepts (Jukai) and lineage papers from Jakusho Kwong Roshi at Sonoma Mountain Zen Center.[24] Prior to this, he had completed nine-month programs in "Nyingma Meditation" and "Time, Space and Knowledge" at the Nyingma Institute in Berkeley, California, studying under Tarthang Tulku,[25] and received dzogchen teachings and transmissions from Dudjom Rinpoche, during his visit to California in 1980.

From 1974 to 1983, Barth was a student of the 1st Thuksey Rinpoche; from 1989 to 2023, he was a student and served as a teacher under the 9th Thrangu Rinpoche,[26] his "root lama" (Wylie: rtsa ba'i bla ma.)[27]

Since 1998,[28] he has been listed as "Lama Thapkhay" (at Mahamudra Meditation Center, Petaluma, California)[29] on the official website of the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje.[30]

Engineering and education

Between 1972 and 2015 Barth worked in software engineering for financial, geophysical, health information, and educational fields for both large companies such as Deutsche Bank and BP/Standard Oil of Ohio and startups such as HealthVISION Corp., eHealthInsurance, Advanced Software Testing, Inc. and designed, developed and founded LearningKeys.com, an award winning educational website[31] recommended by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM.)[32]

From 1997 to 2008, he served as adjunct professor in Information Systems Management (ISM) at the University of San Francisco.

Barth retired from his career in engineering and education, and from Mahamudra Meditation Center, in 2015.[21]

He currently lives in Petaluma, California.

Books (on Mahamudra and Dzogchen)

  • Barth, Peter F.; Rinpoche, Thrangu (foreword); Gyaltsen, Khenpo Könchog (foreword) (1993), Piercing the Autumn Sky: Discovering the Natural Freedom of Mind, Petaluma, CA: Lame Turtle Press, ISBN 0-9635796-3-0
  • Barth, Peter F.; Rinpoche, Thrangu (foreword); Gyaltsen, Khenpo Könchog (foreword) (1995), La Naturale Libertà Delle Mente, Roma, Italy: Casa Editrice Astrolabio - Ubaldini Editore, ISBN 88-340-1164-3
  • Barth, Peter F. (1998), A Meditation Guide for Mahamudra, Petaluma, CA: Mahamudra Meditation Center, ASIN B077JHGZ3P
  • Barth, Peter F.; Rinpoche, Thrangu (foreword) (2013), The Meditations of Longchen Rabjam: A Guide to the Four Chog Zhag and Three Samadhis of the Chöying Dzöd, Petaluma, CA: LearningKeys.com, ASIN B077H77LWQ
  • Rinpoche, Garchen (1997), Barth, Peter F. (ed.), Mahamudra Teachings (Drikung Kagyu Teachings Book 1), translated by Rinpoche, Khenchen Könchog Gyaltsen, Drikung Kagyu Teachings, ISBN 0615578314

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Schnitzer, Lynn (1993-07-13). "Traveling the path to enlightenment". Petaluma Argus Courier. Vol. 138, no. 246. Petaluma. p. 8A. Retrieved 2023-07-02 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection (CDNC). (a) Peter Barth's studies in the West led him to write his master's thesis on "Modeling of Brain Dynamics," in which he discusses network theory of the brain…His study of the mind now encompasses the mind teachings of Tibet, from the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages. (b) Peter Barth's travels led him to meet Tibetan Buddhists who had been exiled from their country when the Chinese Communists took over Tibet. (He) followed his path…for more than 20 years. It began when he ran across some Indian texts (on meditation) as a 14-year-old while living in Germany. (c) Barth and his wife Ilene (recently)…published a book about meditation called Piercing the Autumn Sky.
  2. ↑ Namgyal, Dakpo Tashi; Lhalungpa, Lobsang (2006). Mahamudra - The Moonlight: Quintessence of Mind and Meditation. Boston: Wisdom Publications, Inc. p. XXVII. ISBN 978-0861712991. Mahāmudrā: The Moonlight – Quintessence of Mind and Meditation ("Moonbeams of Mahāmudrā") represents the advanced doctrine and practice as understood and realized by the Kagyüpa Order of Tibetan Buddhism.
  3. ↑ Lama, H. H. the Dalai (2000). Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great Perfection. Shambhala Publications, Inc. pp. 119–120. ISBN 978-1559392198. The Treasury of the Dharmadhātu (also translated as "The Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena") is regarded as expressing the essence of Longchenpa's teachings on Dzogchen, and distils the three categories of Dzogchen: mind, space and pith instructions…His Holiness made reference to it during a teaching in London in 1998, when he emphasized the need to study the key texts in order to arrive at a thorough understanding of Dzogchen…. (noting, specifically that The Treasury of the Dharmadhātu) "outlines the Great Perfection. In fact this…text is like the key to Dzogchen. Only by comprehending the practices of the Great Perfection based on these two texts (it, along with The Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle) can you hope to have a good reliable understanding of the Great Perfection.
  4. ↑ "Book Review - Piercing the Autumn Sky: A Guide to Discovering the Natural Freedom of Mind". Library Journal. A Cahners/R.R. Bowker Publication. 118 (10): 138–139. June 1, 1993. ISSN 0363-0277. Director of Mahamudra Meditation Center, which was founded to introduce Tibetan teachings to Westerners, Barth presents the process of mind turning toward truth, truth as the path dispelling confusion, and confusion leading to clear awareness through meditative practices. The book provides instructions and meditative exercises, as well as short reflections on how to incorporate all of life (dreams, sleep, illness, death) into life's meaning. Much of this book will appeal to open-minded seekers in other traditions. Because it is perhaps the most accessible book available from the Tibetan tradition, seminary and public libraries may want this work.
  5. ↑ Barth, Peter F. (1981). Cooperativity and the Transition Behavior of Large Neural Nets (MSc thesis). Burlington: University of Vermont. pp. iii, 1–118. OCLC 8231704. (Excerpt from thesis abstract, summarizing its scope) The problem of arbitrary branching ratio is solved for the closed tree model. The partition function is solved exactly for a branching ratio greater than two and is found to be analytic for all temperatures. It is shown that although no phase transition is evident from the zeros of the partition function of the closed tree, a transition occurs in the two-spin correlation function for certain sites…(In addition,) the cooperative effects observed in the Cayley tree models and their implications for the neural network problem are discussed. The results of other large-scale neural network models are…compared with the Cayley tree results. The phenomenon of long-range correlation, without intermediate-range correlation, is, for the first time, demonstrated by a closed tree neural net model and is shown to occur purely as a result of classical cooperative mechanisms.
  6. ↑ Krizan, J.E.; Barth, P.F.; Glasser, M.L. (1983). "Phase Transitions for the Ising Model on the Closed Cayley Tree". Physica. North-Holland Publishing Co. 119A (1–2): 230. doi:10.1016/0378-4371(83)90157-7. The case for arbitrary branching ratio which is examined here has some possible interesting correspondences with physical systems, among those being the application to neural networks (reference 5, which includes an explicit reference to Barth's 1981 University of Vermont thesis.) In addition, of course, it is useful to investigate as fully as possible those models, however idealized, that are exactly soluble by the methods of statistical mechanics.
  7. ↑ Presented by P.F. Barth and J.E. Krizan at the "50th Statistical Mechanics Conference" at Rutgers University, on December 14, 1983, under the title, "Ising Model on a Closed Cayley Tree as a Model Neural Network," as cited in "Network Modeling in Statistical Mechanics," a University of Vermont, Department of Physics, research collaboration proposal presented to The Neurosciences Institute in January, 1984.
  8. ↑ Jelitto, Rainer J. (1979). "The Ising Model on a Closed Cayley Tree". Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and Its Applications. North-Holland Publishing Co. 99 (1–2): 268–280. doi:10.1016/0378-4371(79)90134-1.
  9. ↑ Berger, Toby; Ye, Zhongxing (1990). "Cardinality of phase transition of Ising models on closed cayley trees". Physica A. North-Holland Publishing Co. 166 (3): 549–574. doi:10.1016/0378-4371(90)90073-2. Several new properties which differ from those of open tree models have been obtained (with references noted as 1–4, 7; 7 is the reference to the 1983 paper of J.E. Krizan, P.F. Barth and M.L. Glasser ("P.F. Barth" is cited as "P. F. Bowth [sic]") entitled, 'Phase transitions for the Ising model on the closed Cayley tree') based on renormalization group approaches to analysis of the free energy, correlation function and Yang-Lee zeros of the partition function. We study the Ising model on an increasing infinite sequence of trees recursively constructed using closed Cayley trees….Analysis of the phenomenon of phase transition for this model hinges on the solution of a system of multivariable equations of high degree that is difficult to solve in general. In the symmetric case, however, we solve the equations exactly.
  10. ↑ Das, T. K.; Abeyasinghe, P. M.; Crone, J. S.; Sosnowski, A.; Laureys, S.; Owen, A. M.; Soddu, A. (2014). "Highlighting the Structure-Function Relationship of the Brain with the Ising Model and Graph Theory". BioMed Research International. 2014: 1–24. doi:10.1155/2014/237898. PMC 4168033. PMID 25276772. With the advent of neuroimaging techniques, it becomes feasible to explore the structure-function relationships in the brain. When the brain is not involved in any cognitive task or stimulated by any external output, it preserves important activities which follow well-defined spatial distribution patterns. Understanding the self-organization of the brain from its anatomical structure, it has been recently suggested to model the observed functional pattern from the structure of white matter fiber bundles. Different models which study synchronization (e.g., the Kuramoto model) or global dynamics (e.g., the Ising model) have shown success in capturing fundamental properties of the brain. In particular, these models (it is shown) can explain the competition between modularity and specialization and the need for integration in the brain (This quote excerpted from Abstract on Page 1, the reference to the Ising model is explicitly given in the quote and discussed at length in the paper itself.)
  11. ↑ Lhalungpa, Lobsang P. (2006). Mahamudra – The Moonlight: Quintessence of Mind and Meditation. Boston: Wisdom Publications, Inc. pp. XXI–XXII. Since 1959, when many thousands of Tibetans escaped to India and other neighboring countries, I had been asked to translate Buddhist texts by the highest authority within our tradition and by many of my Lamas. In 1969 the late Venerable Dukchen Thuksay Rinpoche, renowned master of the Drukpa Kagyü Order, presented me with a xylographed print of a Tibetan text during an assembly at Sangngak Chöling Monastery in Darjeeling (India). While blessing me, Rinpoche, in his gentle voice, said: "This is the most important sacred text! I urge you to translate it." When I opened the book and read the title, I was deeply moved. Here was the Mahāmudrā text, one of the great Buddhist classics that I had already been studying.
  12. ↑ Rinpoche, Thrangu (1989–1995). Moonlight of Mahamudra: A Commentary on Tashi Namgyal's Classic Text on Meditation, Volumes 1–5. Namo Buddha Seminar. ASIN B01LZ11KXQ.
  13. ↑ Rinpoche, Thrangu (2004). Essentials of Mahamudra: Looking Directly at the Mind. Wisdom Publications. p. IX. ISBN 0861713710. I'd like to express my thanks to the many people who helped make this book possible. Over the years, the following people worked on correcting and editing this commentary: Peter Barth, Susan Chapman, Sandy Garison, Bill Lawless, Terry Lucas, Donna McLaughlin, Arline Mathieu, Laurie Milner, and Lama Tashi Namgyal.... –Clark Johnson
  14. ↑ See "astrolabio-ubaldini.it". Founded in the 1950's, "La prestigiosa casa editrice Astrolabio-Ubaldini è la più importante d’Italia per quanto attiene a testi psicologici, con particolare riguardo alla relazione corpo-mente."
  15. ↑ "Book Reviews". SPEX. Vol. 12, no. 4. Small Publishers Exchange. 1993. p. 5. ISSN 0730-2223. Author Peter Barth waited nearly twenty years to use the beautiful picture on the cover of this book. He took the color photograph (of Dukchen Thuksey Rinpoche) in Darjeeling in the autumn of 1974, a portrait of his first Mahamudra teacher. The rich coloring sets the mood for this well designed book. I must quote from the forewords written by two Tibetan teachers because they say it better than I ever could: "Peter Barth's Piercing the Autumn Sky is a clearly written book which lays out how one can work with one's mind to overcome the obstacles in one's life. Peter writes in a clear and concise manner and is to be commended for not slipping into long technical phrases. He covers such important topics as the impermanence of life, the law of karma, and the use of meditation to understand the mind. The book also includes practical exercises on how to grasp some of these concepts." (Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche). " Piercing the Autumn Sky is written in a clear accessible style to help those on the Dharma path. Easily readable, it draws from the author's own long-term Mahamudra practice." (Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche) All of that said, it does not touch on the content, the flow, and the sheer beauty of this little book. Divided into four parts…the table of contents led me to sample first those topics which seemed relevant to me. So I skipped about, and then found all was relevant! The appendix, with extra meditation practices, was particularly fascinating. This is a book which can be a guide, a teacher, a model for starting a life-time of study. - Reviewed by Jayne Murdock, Board of Directors, Marin Small Publishers Association (MSPA)
  16. ↑ Signed letter, dated July 14, 1992 , from M. Scott Peck, Bliss Road, New Preston, Connecticut, addressed to Rosemarie Roth, providing the text for the cover’s endorsement as, "A fine primer of Buddhist thoughts."
  17. ↑ "Mahamudra". Snow Lion Newsletter & Catalog. Vol. 12, no. 2. Snow Lion Publications. 1997. p. 41. ISSN 1059-3691. Clear and precise instructions on discovering the natural freedom of mind through mahamudra practice. From the five aspects of mind – awareness, space, time, ground, and continuity – to working with sleep, dreams, illness and death.
  18. ↑ Kyabgon, Traleg (2004). Mind at Ease: Self-Liberation through Mahamudra Meditation. Shambhala Publications, Inc. ISBN 978-1590301562.
  19. ↑ Rinpoche, Dudjom (1991). The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism: Its Fundamentals and History. Wisdom Publications. p. 375. As for all those…who wish to thoroughly investigate the limits of study and reflection…should be impartially liberated by relying on the extensive eloquent compositions…of accomplished masters such as: the scriptures of the all-knowing Trime Özer (Longchenpa)…
  20. ↑ Rinpoche, Garchen (1997). Mahamudra Teachings (Drikung Kagyu Teachings Book 1). Drikung Kagyu Teachings. ISBN 0615578314.
  21. 1 2 3 "Mahamudra Meditation Center". mahamudracenter.org. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  22. ↑ State of California Corporate Number : 1681373, searchable at 'https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search/business '.
  23. ↑ From Article 2 of the Bylaws of Mahamudra Meditation Center, dated 12/22/1990, as submitted to the State of California.
  24. ↑ King, Chris. "Receiving the precepts". Vol. September–October (1990). Santa Rosa, California, USA: Sonoma Mountain Zen Center (Newsletter). p. 7. On Saturday, July 14, one week into our Summer Practice Period six members of our sangha participated in Jukai - (Taking the Precepts Ceremony)…The following are those who received Jukai along with their Buddhist names. Peter Barth-'Moon Gate'…
  25. ↑ Nyingma Institute, About: Fields of Study
  26. ↑ Agsar, Wendy Biddlecombe. "In Remembrance: Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (1933-2023)". tricycle.org. The Tricycle Foundation. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  27. ↑ Barth, Peter F.; Thrangu Rinpoche (foreword), Khenchen (2013). The Meditations of Longchen Rabjam: A Guide to the Four Chog Zhag and Three Samadhis of the Chöying Dzöd. Petaluma: LearningKeys.com. p. 10. ASIN B077H77LWQ.
  28. ↑ Barth, Peter (2007). A Meditation Guide for Mahamudra. Mahamudra Meditation Center (MMC). p. 11. ASIN B077JHGZ3P. Just a year prior to this, (i.e., in 1998), Rinpoche had bestowed the title of "Lama" on Peter during a meeting in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, which he recommended to be used with the last part of his Tibetan name "Thapkhay" received during refuge earlier from Khenchen Könchog Gyaltshen. - MMC Editorial Committee
  29. ↑ Hale, Keith. "Moonlight of Mahamudra". Vol. Summer 1998. Petaluma, California, USA: Mahamudra Meditation Center (Newsletter). p. 1. (First, we are) pleased to announce…(Venerable Khenchen Thrangu) Rinpoche agreed to become "Senior Spiritual Advisor" for our center…Thirdly, in discussing the practices and needs of our center during a recent visit in Vancouver, B.C., (Khenchen Thrangu) Rinpoche bestowed…the title of Lama Thapkhay..upon (Peter Barth)
  30. ↑ "North-American-Dharma-Centers". kagyuoffice.org. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  31. ↑ Recipient of “The Award of Excellence in Education Web Sites” by The Teacher’s Corner, www.theteacherscorner.net, 2002
  32. ↑ Web Bytes, News Bulletin for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) which summarized, "LearningKeys.com offers free math skills and algebra readiness in a distraction free environment."
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