Receiving the Lamp at Plum Village: Eight New UK Dharma Teachers
From 20th–27th March 2026, the international multifold Sangha gathered at Plum Village, France, for a deeply moving week of Lamp Transmission ceremonies. Held in the Dharma Cloud Temple at Upper Hamlet, the week brought together monastics, lay practitioners, and members of the Order of Interbeing to witness and support a new generation of Dharma Teachers stepping forward into the stream of the lineage.
Eight aspirant Dharma Teachers from the UK who received the transmission, along with their Dharma Names:
- Lindsay Lumsden – True Flower of Happiness
- Sita Brand – True Lotus Wisdom
- Lorraine Sherman – True Cloud of the Nectar of Immortality
- Anthony Leete – True Gentle Oak
- Harry Bradshaw – True Pure Peace
- Jane Ellen Combelic – True Lotus Meditation
- Lauri Bower – True Mountain of Non-Fear
- Rehena Harilall – True Deep Source, nominated by Tshedisa Sangha and endorsed by Plum Village monastics to join the UK training programme, became the first African-rooted Dharma Teacher.
Each teacher now carries the flame of the Dharma into the world, continuing a lineage that stretches back to the Buddha.
A Ceremony Rooted in Lineage and Insight
The Lamp Transmission ceremony is both intimate and vast in its significance. Each practitioner offers an Insight G?th? – a short poem carrying the wisdom of their own personal experience of transformation and healing. These poems were offered to our ancestral teachers and the Sangha, and read in front of Sr Chan Duc and Thay Phap Ung, who were leading the Ceremony.
As Sita reflects in her writing, this offering is made “through an unbroken chain of teachers to the Buddha himself.” In return, each aspirant receives a Transmission G?th? – a four-line poem from their teacher that names the qualities they are being called to embody and share.
Kneeling before the altar, the moment of transmission unfolds quietly yet powerfully: the ancestral lamp is invited, and the flame is passed from teacher to student. With this gesture, a new Dharma Teacher enters the lineage – not as an individual achievement, but as a continuation.
A Week of Depth, Joy, and Collective Practice
For the eight aspirants receiving the transmission, the week was marked by a profound depth of practice and connection.
“The week was one of the most profound of my life – the depth of practice, the beauty of the teachings… the support of the monastic sangha all around us. The power and joy increased day by day.” – Jane Ellen Combelic
Spring sunshine, the presence of beloved teachers, and the steady rhythm of Plum Village practice created a container in which both stillness and joy could flourish. The eight aspirants trained together as a close-knit group, flowing as a river, supporting one another through study, practice, and the vulnerability of stepping into a new role.
“8 of us together… each offering our own ‘branch’ of the UK Sangha tree… a focus on inclusion, representing Colours of Compassion, Rainbow Sangha and different nations of the UK.” – Lorraine Sherman
This sense of shared journey and diversity of expression reflects the living nature of the Dharma rooted in tradition, yet responsive to the needs of our time.
“My gratitude is brimming over”
New Dharma Teachers shared a collective sense of deep gratitude: to the teachers on the path, to dedication and depth of practice of the Plum Village Monastics, the Sanghas that nurtured practice, the Dharmacharya mentors who offered care, love and energy, and the spiritual friends who walked alongside.
“I felt my gratitude growing day by day… for Thay, the monastics, Plum Village… and then a wave of profound gratefulness to my home sangha Heart of London… for inclusivity, courage, open-heartedness and beloved community.” – Anthony Leete
This gratitude becomes a foundation for teaching. One of the teachers shared how their transmission gatha spoke of “holding the sangha in our two hands,” bringing a powerful image of responsibility, care, and continuity.
The Personal and the Universal
Though steeped in ritual, the ceremony is also deeply personal. Each aspirant receives not only the lamp, but a uniquely crafted teaching – an “individual mini Dharma talk” offered during the ceremony.
“So personal and also universal… we read our personal gatha out and it was received, commented on and accepted by Sr Chan Duc… so graciously on behalf of the Sangha and the lineage.. then we were offered a practice gatha in return which includes our True name. Something so special to take home and reflect on and practice with.” – Lauri Bower
Some moments during the ceremony touched something beyond words: the sound of chanting, the presence of ancestors, the felt sense of belonging to a lineage.
“As we sat at the front of the Dharma hall before our transmissions and joined in the chanting I experienced a great wave of love and support in that strong sound, not only from those present but all those in the lineage who have walked the path before us. Until that point I don’t think I connected so strongly with my spiritual ancestors.” – Lauri
A Beginning and a Continuation
One of the Teachers reflected that the ceremony felt like a wedding day: “everything will change and nothing changes.” This captures the essence of transmission. While a new role is formally recognised, the path itself remains an ongoing practice.
Many journeys to this moment span decades – beginning with early encounters with meditation, deepening through the 5 and the 14 Mindfulness Trainings, and unfolding gradually into a calling to teach. As Lauri shared: “I didn’t realise then where this path was leading me, I just knew I had to follow it.”
Looking back on the journey leading to transmission, rehena spoke movingly about what it represented:
“So many tears, breaths, and smiles across generations of ancestors, and countless hours of practice by so many, have made this moment possible. I accepted the transmission as a recognition that I have embodied transformation through the practice and am now entrusted to carry forward the continuation of the teachings, supporting others on the path. Transmission is continuation; while I receive this lamp, I do so knowing that, though I carry it, it is not mine.” – rehena Harilall
As the eight new Dharma Teachers have returned to the UK, their aspiration is clear: to serve their communities, both in the UK and internationally, nurture inclusive and compassionate sanghas, and respond to the suffering of our times with presence, understanding, and love.
Each Ceremony was recorded and available to watch via this link, if you’d like to witness this deeply moving experience: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaX_vxbhs8fief6Vhe32KBnqlS_zAFq92&si=eYUaWgWBQ9hrMmiG
Meeting the New UK Dharma Teachers
In the spirit of continuing connection and shared practice, there will be opportunities to meet and practice alongside some of the new UK Dharma Teachers in the coming months.
Some will be offering in-person retreats at the Being Peace Centre and others online. There will also be two Mindful Mornings on Sundays: June 7th and July 5th, offering a space to practice together, listen deeply and get to know those who have just received the Lamp.
These gatherings will be an opportunity to hear reflections from their journey and also to experience the living continuation of Thay’s teachings. Each teacher brings their own insight and lived experience, like different branches of the same tree, rooted here in the UK.
You are warmly welcome to join these events and practice together in our growing community. More information about these events will be available on our events calendar plumvillage.uk/events
