Venerable Naomh Tomas O'Flaherty
Venerable Naomh Tomâs Ó Flaithearta was empowered as a Lineage Holder in Celtic Buddhism on June 6, 2012 from a long practice in Japanese and Tibetan traditions. A Soto Zen monk, a Gelong monk in the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition having studied in the Gelupka, Kagyu and Nyingma schools and an ordained minister in the Church of Human Secularism, Venerable Naomh Tomás was ordained and given transmission in the Celtic Buddhist Crazy Heart lineage by H.H. Venerable Seonaidh on June 26,2014.
In the late 1980’s he was a human and civil rights observer in Northern Ireland sitting with a small Buddhist group in North Belfast.
He was a citizen lobbyist before the New Hampshire State Legislature during this time shepherding the passage of the MacBride Principles for Fair Employment for New Hampshire’s investments in companies doing business in Northern Ireland in support of the efforts of workers in the North.
Venerable Naomh Tomás received the Kalachakra Initiation from His Holiness The Dalai Lama in New York in 1991. In 1993 Venerable Tomás attended The Second Parliament of World Religions in Chicago celebrating the centennial of The First Parliament that was attended by his Great Grandfather, Frederick W. Ford.
Naomh Tomás lives a life of simple service working with the disadvantaged, challenged and underrepresented. He has worked with hospice and bereavement groups in New Hampshire and Vermont in the United States, assisting those at the end of life and supporting the families who have had a death of a family member. He is a bereavement volunteer with Brattleboro Hospice and is a spiritual support Buddhist clergy member at Central New Hampshire VNA and Hospice in Laconia and Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. He is clergy member of the Greater Laconia Ministerial Association and has served as a Buddhist chaplain at Lakes Region General Hospital. From 2012 - 2015 he served the homeless elderly at Casa del Asilo, a government run homeless elder centre on Isla Colon in Bocas Del Toro, Panama caring for the residents at the end of their lives and helping the compassionate community on Isla Colon support Casa del Asilo. He found the opportunity to serve the Chinese community in Bocas Del Toro, Panama by restoring the Chinese temple of Jeo Wang Ya working with the Chinese community bringing back to life their popular religion temple. The Chinese Association of Bocas Del Toro gave him permission to use the temple for meditation instruction and as a contemplative space for meditation practice helping people explore moving and sitting meditation. He has taught mediation to individuals, groups and at yoga retreats using mediation practice from many traditions. He developed Fineline Motivation Meditation for athletes and people in crisis, conflict and competition..
He has started working with addiction recovery, teaching meditation as a recovery resource for those challenged by opioid and heroin addictions.
He is the resident monk, director and responsible for community outreach at Anadaire Celtic Buddhist Center in Vermont assisting H.H. Venerable Seonaidh of the Crazy Heart Lineage of Celtic Buddhism.
He can be reached through his email; zenboi65@gmail.com
Celtic buddhism.org
May we serve to be perfect.
May we be perfect to serve
Judy Cook
Judy Cook has been practicing as an Occupational Therapist for over 20 years in the Lakes Region, and over 30 years within the New England area. Recently having gone back to school, to the Institute of Integrative Nutrition Judy has become a Certified IN Health Coach. Judy is trained with a nutritional background and an emphasis on coaching clients to make the desired lifestyle changes to achieve balance, a sense of inner peace and greater health. This is achieved as clients learn to balance their primary and secondary foods: career, physical activity, spirituality, relationships and the food they eat.
Judy’s skills as an Occupational Therapist include working with multiple diagnoses or complaints related to the Upper Body including neck, shoulder, elbow and hand.
The philosophy behind Judy’s practice is grounded in offering her clients a holistic balanced approach. She focuses on the whole person, which is what maximizes the results she assists her clients in achieving. Through her extensive experience in the field of Occupational Therapy she is known to have an amazing ability to see the needs of her clients from varied perspectives. She has a warm, friendly rapport with clients and is willing to meet them where they are at.
Judy is a sought after educator and lecturer to include topics such as body mechanics, ergonomics, nutritional choices, and mindfulness.
When not working Judy continues to give of her time to various programs within the community. As a community volunteer she is a swim coach for Gilford High School and the Lakes Region Wavemakers. She also assists with costuming for the Gilford High School Performing Arts Department, and is a Gilford Community Church Youth Mentor.
Judy enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors.