Lama Tsomo (Lama Sangak Yeshe Tsomo) brings her unique perspective to Why Is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling? Born into a Midwestern Jewish household, she followed a path of spiritual inquiry that ultimately led to her ordination as one of the few American female lamas teaching Tibetan Buddhism. She now speaks Tibetan fluently and has done extensive spiritual retreat ... Read moreboth in the U.S. and abroad, deepening her understanding and mastery of Tibetan Buddhism under the tutelage of Tulku Sangak (sometimes spelled Sang-Ngag ) Rinpoche, the holder of the Namchak lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and spiritual head of the Namchak Foundation. Rinpoche has asked Lama Tsomo to oversee the planning and construction of the Namchak Retreat Ranch, and she does so through her service on the board of the Namchak Foundation, an educational resource for a national learning community. Her teaching has inspired American and international students, who appreciate her warm intelligence and her informal, often humorous style. Lama Tsomo is both the mother of three grown children and a grandmother. She shares her mountain home with her two dogs, whom she describes as her constant, loving companions throughout the entire, years-long journey of writing this book. Show Less