John Yates, PhD
1945-2021
Introduction
Culadasa (John Yates, PhD, 1945-2021), author of The Mind Illuminated (TMI), devoted much of his life to understanding the mind and helping others train it through diligent meditation.
Since his support led to the establishment of Mind Muar and his work inspired our meditation method, this article celebrates his life and honors his legacy.
A Life of Study and Practice
John Yates was born in Ogden, Utah, on June 28, 1945, and grew up in Arizona and Texas. He moved to Winnipeg for his education, later living in Calgary and Vancouver as his academic career and Buddhist practice developed.
In 1976, he took Upasaka vows under Kema Ananda. Upasaka means a committed lay Buddhist practitioner, and Culadasa used this designation in his teaching and writing. He trained in both Theravāda and Tibetan Buddhist traditions.
In 1996, he retired from academia and moved with his wife, Nancy, to Cochise Stronghold in southeastern Arizona. Their home became a place for sustained practice and for teaching students from around the world. By the time TMI was published in 2015, he had been meditating for over four decades.
He founded Dharma Treasure Buddhist Sangha and served as its spiritual director from 2008 to 2019. He also received ordination in the International Order of Buddhist Ministers in December 2009.
Culadasa died in Tucson on September 12, 2021, aged 76
Scientific Background and Teaching Credentials
Culadasa held a PhD in physiology from the University of Manitoba. He taught physiology and neuroscience and also worked in complementary healthcare. His scientific background informed his interest in understanding the mind and explaining meditation.
He conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Calgary and served as a lecturer and research associate at the University of British Columbia. Most of his 16 years of professional teaching were spent at smaller private and public colleges.
His doctoral research examined structural and functional changes in isolated rat hearts exposed to catecholamines and related substances.
As a meditation teacher, he drew on decades of personal practice, years of instruction from his teachers, and extensive work with students. Their questions and experiences helped him refine the explanations and techniques that became The Mind Illuminated.
Culadasa’s Teachers and Lineage
Culadasa’s two principal teachers were Upasaka Kema Ananda and Joti Dhamma Bhikkhu.
Upasaka Kema Ananda
Kema Ananda introduced him to the Buddhadhamma and inspired him to take Upasaka vows and dedicate himself to meditation.
Joti Dhamma Bhikkhu
Joti Dhamma, also written Jotidhamma, guided Culadasa’s study and practice over many years. They spent thousands of hours in discussion and instruction, shaping the understanding he later shared with his own students.
Namgyal Rinpoche
Kema Ananda and Joti Dhamma both studied under Namgyal Rinpoche, also known as Karma Tenzin Dorje and, earlier, the Venerable Ananda Bodhi. Namgyal was Culadasa’s teachers’ teacher.
Namgyal studied with the Burmese teacher U Thila Wunta Sayadaw and received higher ordination as Bhikkhu Ananda Bodhi in 1958. He also trained in Tibetan Buddhism, receiving Karma Kagyu teachings through his relationship with the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa.
Through these teachers, Culadasa inherited both Burmese Theravāda and Tibetan Karma Kagyu traditions. His approach drew on this breadth of training.
Classical Influences
Culadasa also drew on an extensive Buddhist textual inheritance: the Ānāpānasati Sutta, Asaṅga’s stages of meditative development, Kamalaśīla’s Bhāvanākrama, and Buddhaghosa’s Visuddhimagga. These classical works helped shape his approach to meditation.
The Mind Illuminated
First published by Dharma Treasure Press in 2015, The Mind Illuminated was co-authored by Culadasa, Matthew Immergut, and Jeremy Graves. An Atria Books edition followed in 2017. His coauthors helped shape the manuscript through repeated revisions.
Culadasa’s distinctive contributions include his formulation of the Mind-System model, which describes the mind as interacting conscious and unconscious processes. Drawing on Yogācāra Buddhism, he combined ideas from cognitive psychology with his own concepts. His account of attention and peripheral awareness also gives meditators a precise language for examining experience. Our article on The Mind Illuminated introduces the book and its relationship to Mind Muar’s work.
Culadasa’s Wider Written Work
A Meditator’s Practice Guide to The Mind Illuminated was published in 2019 by Dharma Treasure Press. This companion volume offers concise reminders and visual references for use during practice.
His earlier professional writing includes A Physician’s Guide to Therapeutic Massage: Its Physiological Effects and Their Application to Treatment, published in 1990 by the Massage Therapists’ Association of British Columbia. A third edition followed in 2004 through Curties-Overzet Publications. The book explains the physiological effects of massage and their application to treatment.
His other writings include Meditation Manual for Tranquility and Insight, The Path to Awakening in Daily Life, and shorter discussions of mindfulness, meditative joy, and the relationship between concentration and Insight.
He also prepared a translation and commentary on the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta in 2007. It draws extensively on earlier translations by Maurice Walshe, Soma Thera, and Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Sources
Culadasa (John Yates), Matthew Immergut, and Jeremy Graves. The Mind Illuminated. Dharma Treasure Press, 2015. Main source for this article: Acknowledgments, About the Authors, Introduction, and the First and Fifth Interludes.
Yates, John, Matthew Immergut, and Jeremy Graves. The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science for Greater Mindfulness. Atria Books, 2017. ISBN 9781501156984.
Culadasa and the Yates family. “About,” “Obituary,” and “Culadasa’s wishes and his legacy.” Culadasa.com.
Culadasa. “Culadasa’s response to doubts about his academic teaching credentials.” Personal response reproduced with permission by SilaSamadhi, r/TheMindIlluminated, 2017.
Yates, John Charles. Structural and Functional Changes in the Isolated Rat Heart Following Perfusion with Catecholamines, Their Metabolites and Oxidation Products. Doctoral dissertation, University of Manitoba, 1975/1976.
Dharma Centre of Canada. “Special Announcement: Commemorate Rinpoche’s 20th Anniversary of Passing.” Biography of Namgyal Rinpoche.
Planet Dharma. “Lineage: Our Spiritual Roots.” The Origins Centre. “Namgyal Rinpoche.”
Culadasa (John Yates). A Meditator’s Practice Guide to The Mind Illuminated. Dharma Treasure Press, 2019. ISBN 9780990847731.
Yates, John. A Physician’s Guide to Therapeutic Massage: Its Physiological Effects and Their Application to Treatment. Massage Therapists’ Association of British Columbia, 1990. Third edition: Curties-Overzet Publications, 2004.
Culadasa. “Writings.” Culadasa.com. Collection of manuals, retreat handouts, and shorter articles.
Culadasa, translator and commentator. Mahāsatipatthānasuttam: The Greater Discourse on the Applications of Mindful Awareness. Retreat handout, 2007.
