For years, Khentrul Lodrö Thayé Rinpoche has been teaching Buddhism around the world – and on Orcas Island.

“I love visiting Orcas because of the clean and pure environment,” he said. “With the water surrounding it and all of the natural vegetation and wildlife, as well as the weather, it is a very special place.”

Rinpoche will present a weekend seminar called “Transforming Happiness and Suffering” on Feb. 17 and 18 at the Deer Harbor Community Club. Teachings are from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5 p.m. The teaching is based on a pith instruction written by the 3rd Dodrubchen Rinpoche, Jigme Tenpe Nyima (1865-1926), a Tibetan saint and teacher.

“We can enjoy much greater well-being in our lives by sharing some remarkable and little -known tools for transforming adversity,” said Rinpoche. “The vast majority of us have never considered this method for transforming our experience. It is an unparalleled approach which directly pertains to the modern challenges we face. It is a mind training technique for transforming adversity into positive conditions through changing our way of thinking and training in loving kindness and compassion.”

The cost is $40 to $70 per day or $80-$140 for the weekend. To sign up, contact Sharon Douglas at nakedlamb@rockisland.com.

Rinpoche has taught at monasteries in Tibet and India and is the abbot of Katog Mardo Tashi Choling in Eastern Tibet, where he established a retreat center, library and philosophical institute. He studied dharma intensively for more than 30 years, and received the scholarly title of Khenpo (equivalent to a doctor of philosophy) three times, making him a triple Khenpo. Rinpoche travels the U.S. every year to offer teachings through his non-profit organization Katog Choling, and built a retreat center in Arkansas. Throughout his decades of teaching in the U.S., Rinpoche says he has “learned how the Western mind thinks” and is able to give “very good” advice.

Rinpoche first came to Orcas Island in 2003 for a meditation group hosted by Sallie Bell. Since then, he has offered teachings twice a year and holds an annual meditation retreat at Four Winds Camp. Previous seminar topics have included calm-abiding meditation, which is the practice for sitting still with a quiet and clear mind, profound insight meditation, the cultivation of wisdom insights into the true nature of your mind and of reality, and mind training, a comprehensive practice of love and compassion.

“I think of Orcas as a sacred spot because just being there my mind is more clear and meditation is much easier,” Rinpoche said.