At the age of twenty-two, Stephen Schettini was ordained as a Buddhist monk in the Tibetan tradition and lived for eight years in Northern and South India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Switzerland. He was a found-ing member of Tharpa Choeling Centre d'hautes etudes Tibetaines in Mont Pelerin, Switzerland, where, following his training, he served as a translator and instructor in language, philosophy, and meditation. In 1982 he cut his ties with institutional Buddhism and struck out on his own. Since then, working in Canada as a graphic artist, writer and publisher, he has authored, edited, and illustrated articles and books on health science and stress management. He took up his teaching career again in 2002 with the inauguration of mindful reflection workshops and Quiet Mind Seminars and is highly regarded for his ability to interpret traditional Buddhism in terms of everyday Western life. He lives in Montreal, Canada, with his wife and children.