Vessantara is a senior member of the Triratna Buddhist Order, who also has extensive experience practicing under the guidance of Tibetan Buddhist teachers.
Born Tony McMahon in London in 1950, he discovered Buddhism in his teens, and first came across Buddhist teachers in 1971. In 1974, he was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order and given the name Vessantara, meaning ‘universe within’. Inspired by this calling, Vessantara left a career in social work to help develop and grow Buddhism in the West. Since then, he has divided his time between meditating (including years in intensive retreat), studying, and assisting the development of several Buddhist centres across England, Wales, and Spain.
