Matthew Zalichin began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate in 1971. His teachers include many of the past and current century’s most eminent Tibetan lamas of all main lineages, but principally the Kagyu and Nyingma through his two root gurus Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, whom he met in 1977. In July 2009 he accepted Phakchok Rinpoche’s appointment as meditation instructor and teacher in residence at Rangjung Yeshe Gomde Cooperstown.