Ani Dechen Zangmo or as everyone affectionately calls Ani Dechen is a Vietnamese born in 1955 in a Buddhist family in Saigon, known as the "Pearl of the Far East". From a young age, she received a Western education at Notre Dame Lam Vien School, Da Lat, where Phuoc aunts raised her in the love and moral traditions of Asian families.
In 1975, due to historical circumstances, she and her family left Vietnam and settled in Florida, USA. After completing her undergraduate degree in Business Management, she worked in several media companies and businesses in Houston, Texas.
When her mother died of heart disease when she was 30 years old, Ani Dechen went to the temple to take refuge in the Three Jewels and receive the Bodhisattva vows. At the same time, she was introduced by Master Phap Quang to the Tantra Pitaka Maha Dharma King Kusum Lingpa, the first teacher who led her into Tantra and the most important teacher in her journey to find enlightenment.
Through nearly 40 years of practice, Ani Dechen has had the blessing of learning and receiving initiations and oral transmissions of the four levels of tantra and sadhana of dharmas such as Vajrakilaya, Kalachakra, Yamantaka, Hayagriva, Zambhala, Chakrasamvara, Amitabha, Phowa , Shitro, Tara, and Avalokitesvara in the form of Don Yod Shakpa (Amoghapasa). She also learned enlightenment songs and essential teachings on bodhichitta, emptiness and Buddha nature from many masters such as Dodrupchen (Kusum Lingpa's original teacher), HH Dalai Lama, HH Karmapa 17th Ogyen Trinley Dorje, HH Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche, HH Rigzin Dorjee Rinpoche, HH Chetsang Rinpoche, Hungkar Rinpoche, Tulku Jigme Rinpoche, Garchen Rinpoche, Ayang Rinpoche, and Lho Ontul Rinpoche.
His Holiness Rigzin Dorjee Rinpoche, the current Patriarch of the Dzongchen Rigzin Sogdrup lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, has given permission and certification for Ani Dechen to teach Buddhism all over the world.
In August 8, through a wonderful fate, Ani Dechen received ordination at Minh Dang Quang Temple, Houston, USA. On February 2012, 23, at Dorjee Dak Monastery, Shimla, India, she was officially certified by HH Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche (the sixth Patriarch of the Co Mat lineage) and ordained as a monk in the Vajrayana tradition. .
Currently, Ani Dechen and a group of practitioners practice daily at The Dharma Institute of Houston (The Dharma Institute), a Vajrayana Buddhist center established in 2011 under her guidance and administration. The principles of the Buddhist Institute are:
- Provides a pure practice environment
- Instructions on practice methods and precepts for Vajrayana practitioners
- Research, learn, and think about Vajrayana Dharma
- Practicing the wish for liberation into the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss of Amitabha Buddha
- Conduct regular retreat programs
