Linda Pritzker (born September 1953) also known by the name Lama Tsomo is an American
lama
Lama (; "chief") is a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term ''guru'', meaning "heavy one", endowed with qualities the student will eventually embody. The Tibetan word "lama" means "hi ...
in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She is a spiritual teacher, author, philanthropist, and co-founder of the Namchak Foundation and Namchak Retreat Ranch in
Missoula, Montana
Missoula ( ; fla, label=Salish language, Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula Cou ...
. She is a member of the
Pritzker family
The Pritzker family is an American family engaged in entrepreneurship and philanthropy, and List of wealthiest families, one of the wealthiest families in the United States of America (staying in the top 10 of ''Forbes'' magazine's "America's Riche ...
, known for the
Hyatt
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacat ...
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, the second of three children born to
Jewish-American
American Jews or Jewish Americans are American citizens who are Jewish, whether by religion, ethnicity, culture, or nationality. Today the Jewish community in the United States consists primarily of Ashkenazi Jews, who descend from diaspora J ...
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
and founder of the
Pritzker Military Library
The Pritzker Military Museum & Library (formerly Pritzker Military Library) is a non-profit museum and a research library for the study of military history on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The institution was founded in 2003, and its spe ...
Karen Pritzker
Karen L. Pritzker (born 1958) is a documentary film producer, investor, and philanthropist. She is a member of the Pritzker family, the granddaughter of A.N. Pritzker and daughter of Robert Pritzker.Forest City Enterprises
Forest City Realty Trust, Inc. was a real estate investment trust that invested in office buildings, shopping centers and apartments in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and the greater metropolitan areas of New York ...
. In 1980, her father remarried to Irene Dryburgh with whom he had two children: Matthew Pritzker and
Liesel Pritzker Simmons
Liesel Pritzker Simmons (born Liesel Anne Pritzker), stage name Liesel Matthews, is an American heiress and former child actress. She starred as Sara Crewe in '' A Little Princess'', a 1995 film adaptation of the Frances Hodgson Burnett classic, ...
.
Career
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.
Pritzker was ordained a
lama
Lama (; "chief") is a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term ''guru'', meaning "heavy one", endowed with qualities the student will eventually embody. The Tibetan word "lama" means "hi ...
Nyingma
Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...
path of
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
. She began studying with Rinpoche in 1995 and became fluent in Tibetan. Her journey to Buddhist practices has been documented by ABC News' Dan Harris in his podcast 10% Happier.
She is the author of the Ancient Wisdom for our Times Tibetan Buddhist Practice Series, including Book 1 ''Why Bother: An Introduction'', Book 2 ''Wisdom and Compassion (Starting with Yourself)'', and Book 3 ''Deepening Wisdom, Deepening Connection'' (to be released on October 11, 2022) She also authored ''Why is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling? A Westerner's Introduction and Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Practice'' and ''The Princess Who Wept Pearls: The Feminine Journey in Fairy Tales'' and is the co-author of ''The Lotus & The Rose: A Conversation Between Tibetan Buddhism & Mystical Christianity'' and a contributor to ''The Dharma of Dogs: Our Best Friends as Spiritual Teachers'' edited by Tami Simon. ''Why is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling?'' has a foreword written by the
Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...
and was a 2016 silver medal winner in the
Independent Publisher Book Awards
The Independent Publisher Book Awards, also styled the IPPY Awards, are a set of annual book awards for independently published titles. They are the longest-running unaffiliated contest open exclusively to independent presses. The IPPY Awards ar ...
(IPPY Awards).
Today, Lama Tsomo's work revolves around the initiatives of the Namchak Foundation. While the Namchak Retreat Ranch is still under construction, 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.
As of July 2018, her net worth was estimated to be $1.77 billion.
Personal life
Pritzker is divorced and has three children: Rachel, Roland, and Rosemary. She lives in
Missoula, Montana
Missoula ( ; fla, label=Salish language, Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula Cou ...
. She is a
Tibetan Buddhist
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
.
Publications
*''Deepening Wisdom, Deepening Connection (Ancient Wisdom for Our Times Tibetan Buddhist Practice Series)''
*''Wisdom and Compassion (Starting with Yourself) (Ancient Wisdom for Our Times Tibetan Buddhist Practice Series)''
*''Why Bother?: An Introduction (Ancient Wisdom for Our Times Tibetan Buddhist Practice Series)''
*''Why is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling? A Westerner's Introduction and Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Practice''
*''The Lotus & The Rose: A Conversation Between Tibetan Buddhism & Mystical Christianity'', co-author with Matthew Fox
*''The Dharma of Dogs: Our Best Friends as Spiritual Teachers'', contributing author, edited by Tami Simon
*''The Princess Who Wept Pearls: The Feminine Journey in Fairy Tales''
*"10% Happier with Dan Harris" Podcast, August 2017
*"Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg" Podcast, October 2018
*"Buddha at the Gas Pump" Podcast, May 2018
*"The Secular Buddhist" Podcast, June 2016
*"Synchronicity podcast" May 2016
*"Ani Tsering Wangmo: A Life of Merit" in Lion's Roar Newsletter, March 2010.
*"Coming Home" in Originally Blessed. Oakland, CA: Creation Spirituality Communities, 2008.
*"Dharmasala" in Lion's Roar Newsletter, August 2007.
*"Shedra" in Lion's Roar Newsletter, February 2006.
Linda Pritzker
Linda Pritzker (born September 1953) 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 ...