SOMETIMES I LOOK BACK at the beginning of the Tergar Puebla Community, and I have to laugh. Fifteen years ago, my husband and I were so blissfully unprepared! 

I’m going to be honest: building this community has been one of the hardest things we’ve ever done. 

It all started a few months before Mingyur Rinpoche’s first visit to Puebla, Mexico. We thought, “Wouldn’t it be absolutely fantastic to have a cozy space where we could meet up, practice, and chat about meditation with other people?” We genuinely pictured this seamless, effortless place full of immediate joy and perfect harmony.

Building Tergar Puebla didn’t follow a sleek, well-thought-out plan; it was a constant, messy, dynamic process of trial and error.

We navigated so many things with this community that we didn’t expect. There were those awful logistical headaches, those unexpected disagreements that made us scratch our heads, and just the sheer effort required to keep the lights on and the momentum going year after year. 

There was the time when the community adopted Ziji, a stray dog that was biting everyone, yet over the years, has transformed into the sweetest cuddle-beggar. Or the time that our shrine hall was set on fire… in the middle of a session. Or the time when the hotel we’d booked for Rinpoche declared bankruptcy a month before Rinpoche’s arrival! 

But here’s the unexpected upside: difficulty has been our best teacher. 

It’s given us a huge dose of humility and so much learning. We understood quickly that Rinpoche’s teachings aren’t just for when you’re sitting on the cushion. They’re for navigating the little daily friction, the shared space, and the complex personalities that make up a real group.

As Rinpoche always reminded us: “10 yaks have 20 horns” — meaning that everyone has their own, often differing, opinion about how things should be done. Working with a group of sincere individuals, no matter how genuine the purpose, will inevitably bring a multitude of ideas and sometimes conflicting points of view.

Our initial vision of a simple peer-to-peer discussion group quickly matured. Over the first few years, we realized the greatest need was fundamental support. We shifted our focus to becoming a foundational learning spot for people new to meditation, offering practice sessions alongside core Buddhist teachings. From this foundation, we offered ongoing Joy of Living courses year-round and retreat days, anchored by the joy of hosting Rinpoche’s recurring visits.

Speaking of Rinpoche’s visits: they are the highlight of our cycles, an incredible source of inspiration, joy, and a wonderful opportunity for our community to serve and be together for several days. They are also, without fail, periods of stressful work preparation, but we wouldn’t trade those exhausting, exhilarating experiences for anything.

Perhaps the most significant realization is that the Tergar Puebla space has genuinely become a family. It is a place where we share both suffering and happiness — where we grow together, and yes, sometimes we even argue and disagree.

This rich, messy reality is where we can really practice the teachings. We have the opportunity to apply compassion and awareness directly, in the moment of difficulty, rather than waiting for an idealized setting.

An incredible reward of this journey has been the privilege of witnessing powerful, quiet transformation in others. Some get through depression. Others find greater peace. For some, it’s about a change in perspective. Observing others recover a life that seems happier and more meaningful — this may be the true and beautiful measure of our 15 years. 

So many people have benefited from Tergar Puebla. The love, the friendships, and the shared commitment to living consciously make every effort worthwhile. 

Our difficult, unplanned, and beautiful community is the result of — as Mingyur Rinpoche often says — a lot of letting go but not giving up.

As we look back over these 15 years, perhaps the most personal and precious benefit is the circle of people who surround us today. Through the fights, vulnerability, and genuine connection built within Tergar Puebla, the people who now stand as our dearest and most trusted friends all came to us, one way or another, through the doors of this very community. 

Building this space has offered us a place to practice and has given us a wonderful family of friends. The next chapter for Tergar Puebla begins now, with many changes ahead, but our community will surely remain imperfectly beautiful and dear to many. Fifteen years of growth have prepared us well. 

December 2025