Linda Pritzker | |
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Born | September 1953 (age 70) Oberlin, Ohio, U.S. |
Other names |
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Occupation(s) | Tibetan lama, author [1] |
Known for | Inheritance, Buddhism |
Children | 3 |
Parent | Robert Pritzker (father) |
Linda Pritzker (born September 1953 [2] ) also known by the name Lama Tsomo is an American lama in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She is a spiritual teacher, author, philanthropist, and co-founder of the Namchak Foundation and Namchak Retreat Ranch [3] in Missoula, Montana. She is a member of the Pritzker family, known for the Hyatt Hotel fortune.
Pritzker was born in 1953 in Oberlin, Ohio, the second of three children born to Jewish-American businessman Robert Pritzker [4] [5] and Audrey Gilbert. [6] [7] She has two full siblings: Jennifer N. Pritzker (b. James, 1950), [8] a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and founder of the Pritzker Military Library, [9] and Karen Pritzker (b. 1958).
Her parents divorced in 1979. [5] In 1981, her mother remarried Albert B. Ratner, the co-chairman of Cleveland-based real estate developer Forest City Enterprises. [6] [7] In 1980, her father remarried to Irene Dryburgh with whom he had two children, her half siblings: Matthew Pritzker and Liesel Pritzker Simmons. [5]
After earning a master's degree in Counseling Psychology and working as a psychotherapist for several years, Pritzker began a spiritual path to Tibetan Buddhism. [10]
Pritzker was ordained a lama [11] in February 2005 by Tulku Sangak Rinpoche, a Tibetan meditation master and world holder of the Namchak Lineage, a branch of the Nyingma path of Tibetan Buddhism. [12] She began studying with Rinpoche in 1995 and became fluent in Tibetan. [13] Her journey to Buddhist practices has been documented by ABC News' Dan Harris in his podcast 10% Happier. [14]
She is the author of the Ancient Wisdom for our Times Tibetan Buddhist Practice Series, [15] including Book 1 Why Bother: An Introduction, [16] Book 2 Wisdom and Compassion (Starting with Yourself), [17] and Book 3 Deepening Wisdom, Deepening Connection (to be released on October 11, 2022) [18] She also authored Why is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling? A Westerner's Introduction and Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Practice [19] and The Princess Who Wept Pearls: The Feminine Journey in Fairy Tales [20] and is the co-author of The Lotus & The Rose: A Conversation Between Tibetan Buddhism & Mystical Christianity [21] and a contributor to The Dharma of Dogs: Our Best Friends as Spiritual Teachers edited by Tami Simon. [22] Why is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling? has a foreword written by the Dalai Lama and was a 2016 silver medal winner in the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY Awards). [23]
Today, Lama Tsomo's work revolves around the initiatives of the Namchak Foundation. While the Namchak Retreat Ranch is still under construction, [24] Namchak has several offerings for students looking to begin or strengthen their meditation practice including two online courses, guided meditations, Learning Circles, and several live events per year. [25]
As of July 2018, her net worth was estimated to be $1.77 billion. [11]
Pritzker is divorced and has three children: Rachel, Roland, and Rosemary. [26] She lives in Missoula, Montana. [1] She is a Tibetan Buddhist. [11]
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