The Life and Lineage of Amchi Thubten Lekshe
Early Roots and Education
The spiritual and botanical education of Bradley Dobos (Amchi Thubten Lekshe) began early under the guidance of his mother and grandmother. By age five, he was already deeply empathic with flowers, "listening" to them to understand relationships in the physical plane.
His formal herbal training began at 16 under the Latvian gypsy Ella Birzneck, founder of the Dominion Herbal College, and he was mentored by the renowned American herbalist John Christopher. Native American elders Rolling Thunder and Oceana Fastwolf also shared their wisdom of the plant kingdom with him. In 1969, he earned his Master’s Degree in Clinical Herbology and Botanical Formulation. He furthered his studies at Western Washington University and the University of British Columbia, focusing on the ethnobotany of the Northwest and the Himalayas.
The Himalayan Journey (1972–1977)
Even before traveling to the Himalayas, Bradley had immersed himself in Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. In 1972, his interests led him to an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It was proposed that, given his prior training and knowledge of medical anthropology, a specialized course of study in Tibetan Sowa Rigpa be created for him.
His root teacher, Lama Thubten Yeshe, personally introduced him to His Holiness, who endorsed the initiative. Bradley spent years at Kopan Monastery and the Tibetan Library, apprenticing with elder physicians including Dr. Yeshe Donden and Amchi Amala Lobsang Dolma, whose lineage of physicians to the Dalai Lamas stretched back centuries.
I hiked all over the Himalayas studying medicinal plants under the tutelage of meditation masters who instructed me for over 12 years. I recall picking Goji berries in the hills around the monasteries—a memory that still brings me great happiness today.
The Lawudo Lama and the Cave at 14,000 Feet
In 1973, I hiked through the Khumbu valley to an area known as Lawudo, situated at 14,000 feet. This was the home of Lama Kunzang Yeshe (1864–1946), a yogi of the Nyingma lineage who spent 20 years meditating in a cave.
Lama Kunzang Yeshe was a great object of devotion. He wore an old white animal skin coat, long hair, and big, round earrings. When visitors came to his cave, he would open his hands in a warm, giving attitude and invite them in. Before passing, he told his daughter he would be born again in a house further down the valley in a year and a half. After reciting the syllable "Ah" three times, he passed away in the lion's posture.
A year and a half later, a boy was born in that small house. At the age of three, he was often found crawling on the path to the cave; he was recognized as the reincarnation of the Lawudo Lama, now known as the celebrated monk Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Image below: Lawudo Lama’s cave with the entrance built under the great rock.
I spent three months in Lawudo and was honored to perform a Vajrasattva retreat in that very cave. I was there to help Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa teach English and water coloring to the 17 young Tulkus living at the monastery.
Image below: Lama Zopa (top) and Lama Yeshe (bottom) in the Solo Khumbu, 1973.
Return to the West and Clinical Legacy
In 1977, Amchi Thubten Lekshe returned to the West to share the science of Sowa Rigpa. He founded the Tenzing Momo Apothecary & Clinic in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, where he practiced for 14 years. During this time, he hosted senior physicians from the Men-Tsee-Khang, organizing clinics and symposiums at Bastyr University to build a bridge between Western and Tibetan medicine.
One of his greatest honors was hosting Dr. Tenzing Choedrak, the supreme head of Tibetan pharmacology. Dr. Choedrak reviewed Amchi Lekshe’s botanical reformulations and expressed delight at his ability to preserve the efficacy of traditional medicines using plant-based alternatives instead of animal products.
Video: The Mani Rimdu Festival at Thangme Gompa
Continuing Work and Recognition
Amchi Thubten Lekshe eventually established the Tanaduk Botanical Research Institute and the Tanaduk Center for Tibetan Holistic Health on Orcas Island, which he directed for over 25 years.
He represents himself as a spiritual practitioner of the art and science of Sowa Rigpa. For over five decades, he has dedicated his life to spiritual practice and botanical research, carrying forward the seeds of wisdom planted by his many teachers.
Gratitude Amchi Lekshe expresses his deepest gratitude to his teachers: H.H. the Dalai Lama, Lama Thubten Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and the many others who shared their wisdom. He feels their presence in every moment.
May all beings find peace, clarity, and ultimate awakening.
Om Ah Hum
