Who We Are 

Snow-covered mountain peaks under a blue sky with clouds.

Our Mission

We are a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of sacred Buddhist treasures. We work directly with monastics, artists, and community members who are the daily caretakers of these treasures, respectfully offering low-cost and practical tools that combine evolving science and technology with traditional methods and materials.

Current Services Offered:

The four main activities of Treasure Caretaker Training (TCT) are:

  • Preservation training workshops
  • Hands-on conservation projects for lay and monastic communities
  • Virtual webinars and consultations
  • Online preservation resources on our website

Our History

TCT History Registered as non-profit in 2015, Treasure Caretaker Training (TCT) registered as non-profit in 2015, and continues the hands-on preservation and educational activities in nunneries, monasteries and lay communities that had begun in 1970 in India and Nepal with the Founder/Executive Director, Ann Shaftel.

In 2014, Treasure Caretaker Training (Digital Monastery Project) won the prestigious Chairman's Choice award from the international Digital Empowerment Foundation for innovative work teaching documentation on cellphones to prevent theft and to preserve the history of sacred art in lay and monastic communities.

We aim for the highest standards of professional and organizational activities. For example, TCT uses Network for Good to collect and process donations for accountability and transparency and has Candid GuideStar Silver Transparency.

TCT constantly updates team members according to the project/venue. Our Advisors include Buddhist teachers such as Ani Pema Chodron, who is a long-time supporter and donor.

Young monks reading and studying together in a colorful temple.

Board Members

Headshot of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche is acknowledged as one of the foremost scholars and meditation masters of his generation in the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche grew up in Rumtek Monastery, and is a poet, photographer, accomplished calligrapher, and visual artist.

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Man with glasses, colorful background mural.

Lok Chitrakar

Lok Chitrakar was born into a lineage of traditional artists, and is one of Nepal's most respected painters. The rich art, culture and architecture of Nepal is his constant inspiration. He lectures at universities in Nepal and abroad, and teaches in his open studio. His work is found in museums and private collections internationally. Photo credit: MONA

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Headshot of Tashi Chödrön

Tashi Chödrön

Tashi Chödrön is a lay Buddhist practitioner, and Museum Educator at the Rubin Museum of Art. Tashi leads online and in-person meditation and cultural programs, and is a leader in the Buddhist community.

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Headshot of Alexander Halpern

Alexander Halpern

Alex Halpern is an attorney in private practice in Boulder, Colorado, specializing in nonprofit, corporate, and education law.

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Headshot of Ann Shaftel

Ann Shaftel

Since 1970, Ann has worked in conservation of Buddhist treasures for monasteries and their communities, museums, universities, dharma centers internationally. She founded Treasure Caretaker Training, and Digital Monastery Project.

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Headshot of Aishwarya Mehta

Aishwarya Mehta

Hindi Translation and India TCT Team Leader

Aishwarya works with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Ministry of Culture, on the New India Garden Project under the Central Vista Redevelopment Project of the Government of India. Academically, she is trained in Ancient Indian History, Art and Cultural Heritage of India. She participated in a Preservation of Monastery Treasures workshop and appears in Treasure Caretaker Training zooms.

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Our Team

Headshot of Birat Raj Bajracharya

Birat Raj Bajracharya

Nepal TCT Team Leader

Birat Raj Bajracharya is a rising researcher who has expertise in various tangible and intangible heritage. Being gold medalist of Lumbini Buddhist University, he is equally active in non academic field and grounded to culture. He is a translator of Tibetan, Nepali, English and Nepal Bhasa, art promoter and Nepalese manuscript transcriber.

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Man posing indoors, colorful artwork behind.

Azad Thapa

Architectural Conservation Advisor

Azad Thapa is an architect with a Master’s in World Heritage Studies. He has contributed to heritage interpretation and conservation through roles at the J. Paul Getty Museum and ICOMOS. With academic and professional engagements across Europe, North America, and Asia, he brings a global perspective and expertise in cultural heritage research, interpretation, and architectural conservation.

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Young person in a formal meeting room.

Bulgan Ochirsukh

Mongolia TCT Team Leader

Bulgan is a versatile professional with a rich background in event coordination and journalism. With experience spanning multiple industries, Bulgan excels in communication, project management, and organizing large-scale events.

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Smiling person with colorful graffiti background.

Dr. Patricia Smithen

Art Conservator

Dr. Patricia Smithen is an Art Conservator, specialising in Paintings, Painted Surfaces and Contemporary Art. She is an Associate Professor at Queen’s University in Kingston, teaching Paintings Conservation, and has been accredited with ICON since 2015. Her current research interests include practical conservation treatments, advanced non-destructive imaging of art, and the materials and techniques of modern and contemporary painters.

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Person in blue robe beside wooden shelves.

Pemakhadro

Translator

Pedmakhadro is a trilingual translator fluent in Tibetan, Chinese, and English. She majored in English translation and has experience as an English teacher, interpreter, and teaching assistant. Passionate about language and cross-cultural communication, she is dedicated to delivering accurate and nuanced translations.

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Smiling woman with curly blonde hair and patterned top.

Elisabeth Gold

Elisabeth Gold is a physician and editor living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She loves arranging words clearly and succinctly. She does psychotherapy, meditation and music when not dancing with words. She teaches mindfulness and is an Associate professor in Family Medicine and Continuing Professional Development at Dalhousie Medicine in Halifax.

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Headshot of Lama Ngodup Dorji

Lama Ngodup Dorji

Bhutan TCT Team Leader

Lama Ngodrup Dorji is the XVth lineage lama of Shingkhar in Bumthang, Bhutan. Shingkhar Dechenling is one of the eight important places established by Omniscient Longchenpa in Bhutan in the 1350s. He also graduated in 1995 with a Master’s Degree in Buddhist Philosophy from Ngagyur Nyingma Institute, established by H.H. Penor Rinpoche in India. He is the founder and chair of the Anti Foundation and Longchenpa Center. At present, he is also the National Nyingma Representative to the Commission for Religious Organizations of Bhutan (CROB).

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Swosti Rajbhandari Kayastha

Vietnamese Translation

Nguyen Thao Nguyễn was born in Vietnam and has an interest in Buddhist philosophy. She lives in Canada with her family, and works and a financial analyst.

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Middle-aged man with glasses outdoors, trees in background.

Craig Deller

Art Conservator

Craig Deller is a Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC-FAIC). He was Lecturer of Conservation Practices at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 1999-2021. Participant in the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) awarded to Silpakorn University for the conservation of ancient log coffins of Phi Man Long Long Rak Cave, Thailand, February 2023.

Worked with Treasure Caretaker Training on the conservation of artifacts in three projects in remote Tsum. Nepal.

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