David Berry first studied with Namgyal Rinpoche in 1971 and traveled with him to Antarctica, the Arctic, and to Indonesia scuba diving. In 1996, Rinpoche asked David to teach at the Dharma Center in a program called “Bridges to Transcendence.” David has taught here many times since. He was ordained by Rinpoche in 2003 at the end of the “Teaching Dharma” courses that Rinpoche gave six weeks before he died.  

David is a past president and chair of the Dharma Centre. He is a co-gatherer, contributor and publisher of the book “Tales of Awakening,” recollections of 68 students of moments with Namgyal Rinpoche which had a profound impact on them. 

For 20 years David conducted ceremonies at the Prayer Vigil for the Earth he co-founded on the National Mall in Washington DC. The Vigil drew many religions and traditions including Tibetan and Theravadan monks and Indigenous Spiritual Leaders from many countries. David weaves Dharma into his public speaking, facilitating and consulting. He has taught and spoken in the US, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and South America. He was active on the Board of the Balaton Group, an international gathering on systems and sustainability and was invited to the Russian Academy of Science four times to speak on spirituality and sustainability.

David’s early explorations included work as camp counselor, construction worker, nickel miner and paper mill worker. He worked his way across the Atlantic on a Swedish cargo liner. He was an economist at Resources Canada in Ottawa and later served at the White House Council on Environmental Quality chairing groups he founded on Sustainable Development Indicators and on Industrial Ecology. The groups raised awareness and encouraged creative action. Later he co-founded the Sustainable and Resilient Resources Roundtable where government, academics, companies and NGO’s work on natural resources topics.

In the 1970s and 80s, David performed on Korean and American television and radio including National Public Radio’s "The Prairie Home Companion." His historical fiction novel “Gate in the Fence of Time” includes many spiritual and sustainability themes and has been a best seller at Historic Williamsburg bookstores for several years.