Vincent Horn is a Buddhist Geek, meditation teacher, and explorer. He began his study and practice of Buddhist meditation at age 19, and over the next several years spent nearly a year doing intensive retreat practice in the Insight Meditation tradition. He has received a tremendous amount of guidance and support from teachers Trudy Goodman and Jack Kornfield, and in 2010 Jack Kornfield and other insight meditation teachers encouraged he and his wife Emily to begin teaching. He has also been fortunate to study with two pragmatic dharma teachers named Kenneth Folk and Daniel Ingram, both of whom gave Vincent permission to teach their unique style of pragmatic and uncompromising dharma—what some have called “hardcore dharma.” While continuing to teach and practice in the Thai Forest and Burmese Theravada tradition, Vincent has also done some intensive practice in the Zen tradition, and finds tremendous value also in the teachings of Advaita Vedanta.
In 2006 Vincent combined his passion for Buddhist practice with an ongoing obsession with technology and media. The result was a Buddhist media project called Buddhist Geeks. One of the first offerings was a weekly audio program, which is now downloaded over 70,000 times each month. In addition Buddhist Geeks has launched a digital magazine and a host of online learning programs with some of today’s most innovative Buddhist teachers. During this time he also pioneered a form of fundraising that uses a “micro-patronage” model to offer key digital content freely. Buddhist Geeks has become an important resource for practitioners around the world.
Vincent is currently living in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. There he has helped start a practice community called Blue Ridge Meditation. Vincent is also offering meditation mentoring for those seeking support in waking up, and learning how to embody that realization in their daily lives. His focus is on awakening as something that’s completely achievable, and which is our birthright. At the same time he holds awakening as just one crucial aspect of becoming a more whole, sane, and loving human being.