About Glenn
Glenn Hughes (Mahayana Ordination name: Anagarika Vimalakirti) is the primary Buddhist or Dharma Teacher on this website. His teachings include both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions, plus several Buddhist schools, including Vajrayana and Pure Land.
Glenn was ordained by the 71st Patriarch, the Most Venerable Jiekwang Pomyun, whose Theravada and Mahayana lineages include the Honored Maha-Kasyapa, 1st Patriarch, the Honored Ananda, 2nd Patriarch, and the Most Venerable Bodhidharma from West India, who first brought the Dharma to East China and initiated Zen Buddhism, of which he is the 1st Patriarch.
He studied both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism at the College of Buddhist Studies under the late Venerable Dr. Havanpola Ratanasara and with venerable masters at temples and in Buddhist institutions in Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Korea, and Taiwan. Currently, he is President of the American Buddhist Congress, which in 1999 presented His Holiness the Dalai Lama with its Bodhi Award in ceremonies produced by the World Institute for Social Enlightenment (WISE, Inc.) at the Wilshire Temple in Los Angeles. Dr. Deepak Chopra was the 2003 recipient of the award, which was presented to him in Thousand Oaks, California.
A dozen years ago, Glenn established WISE, Inc., a California nonprofit corporation dedicated to fostering and promoting spiritual enlightenment of individuals and society for the benefit of all through sharing those perennial truths and philosophies inherent in all the world’s great religions.
Prior to his ordination, Glenn specialized in International Relations, focusing on Asian cultures, religions, and philosophies. His past associations include the City and Port of Los Angeles, the Port of Long Beach, Sister Cities International, Sister Cities of Los Angeles, Inc., Los Angeles-Jakarta, Indonesia Sister City Association, Bangladesh-American Buddhist Organization, International Visitors Council of Los Angeles, United Thai Council, Catholic-Buddhist Dialogue, Episcopal Seamen’s Center, United States Propeller Club, 32nd Congressional District Congressional Youth Award Council, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Westin International Hotels, the Music Corporation of America, and Paramount Television Productions.
Glenn has traveled in more than a hundred countries, including explorations in the jungles and remote areas of Borneo, Brazil, and Bhutan, and has been teaching the dharma of Buddhism for more than two decades in the United States and in Asia. He has taught both American and foreign Asian youth in Los Angeles and Taiwan Bengali villagers in Bangladesh, and he conducts dharma classes at a variety of international locations, including churches, temples, libraries, and other venues.
Glenn’s psychological and Western interpretations of Buddhism and its dharma are the subjects of his teachings, writings, lectures, and personal appearances. His essays and columns on Buddhist concepts appear frequently in a variety of publications and on a semi-regular basis in the Thousand Oaks Star, a Southern California newspaper.
About Charlie
Charlie is a tech leader at the world’s largest cloud computing company by day and a passionate Life Coach and Buddhist teacher by night. He hails from the sunny shores of Huntington Beach, California, now calling San Antonio, Texas, home. Charlie is a seasoned Emotional Intelligence (EQ) teacher, speaker, coach & inner peace advocate dedicated to help students unlock and expand inner peace for a more meaningful, stress-less and authentic life.
Charlie was first introduced to Buddhism by Glenn as a teenager. Fast forward to 2005, Charlie turned to Buddhism to find solace from stress, anxiety, and sleep deprivation while working as Director of Sales Operations for a media giant in Los Angeles, California. He discovered the practical insights and practices that Buddhism offers to address dissatisfaction in one’s life.
In 2006, Charlie took refuge in the Triple Gem and the Five Precepts, formalizing his commitment to the Buddha’s teachings and the Noble Eightfold Path. In 2023, and Charlie was honored to receive the Dharma Lamp from his teacher, the Rev. Anagarika Vimalakirti. He has since entered the esteemed Dharma Teacher Order to continue his Buddhist teaching studies.
Parallel to his spiritual journey, Charlie has been a tech leader for nearly 20 years in Silicon Valley, Washington, DC and Texas from startups to tech giants. Today, Charlie heads the regional Cybersecurity practice for a leading public cloud provider. Amidst the high pressure to innovate and deliver, he draws upon ancient Buddhist wisdom and techniques to discover inner peace and joy, and he is eager to share this joyful journey for your benefit.
Charlie’s unique teaching approach fuses ancient Buddhist wisdom with science-backed emotional intelligence techniques. He draws upon the ancient wisdom of the Theravada, Mahayana, and Plum Village traditions of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Charlie is dedicated to meeting you where you are at on your journey today and honored to walk with you on your path to peace, calm, joy, and happiness. Whether you’re “Buddha-curious” or seeking deep knowledge, he is here to customize a path that resonates with you. Let’s embark on this journey together!