Our Founder

Cynthia Jurs, Executive Director

Cynthia Jurs is a Buddhist teacher in the Order of Interbeing who received Dharmacharya transmission to teach from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in 1994. Also a practitioner of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, for 30 years she has studied and practiced with many great masters and spent much time in retreat. In 2018 she was made a Lama by Ngawang Tsultrim Zangpo Rinpoche at his seat, Tolu Tharling Monastery in Nepal, in recognition for her many years of dharma practice and dedication to the work of global healing through the Earth Treasure Vases. She is the guiding teacher at the Open Way Sangha in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she leads meditation groups, retreats and pilgrimages offering a unique blend of engaged buddhism and sacred activism.

In 1990 Cynthia undertook a pilgrimage that transformed her life when she met a 106 year-old Sherpa lama living in a cave high in the Himalayas. When she asked the old wise man, Charok Rinpoche, ‘What can we do to bring healing and protection to the Earth?’ he instructed her in the practice of the Earth Treasure Vases – a practice dedicated to bringing healing and protection to the Earth by filling consecrated clay vessels with prayers and offerings and burying them in places of need around the world. She was given 30 of these consecrated clay vessels and told to fill them with offerings and prayers, take them to places in need of healing and bury them according to the tradition.

Inspired by her travels with this practice, in 2008 Cynthia founded Alliance for the Earth, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the emergence of a global community committed to the healing and renewal of the Earth. As the Executive Director of the Earth Treasure Vase Global Healing Project, Cynthia has facilitated collaborations with young activists and indigenous elders in communities all around the world in ceremonies that strengthen community, invite prayers from everyone and catalyzes unpredictable solutions.

Now a second generation of Earth Treasure Vases (ETVs) are being distributed to those who want to learn the practice and steward an ETV themselves. Cynthia leads the monthly full moon ETV meditation via conference call — reaching around the world to all who wish to participate in the practice.  The Earth Treasure Vase “mandala” is expanding as new locations are being included and Alliance for the Earth is facilitating the emergence of a global community committed to planetary healing and collective awakening.

Cynthia continues to lead pilgrimages and teach wherever she can and is at work on a book and documentary film.