Matteo Pistono

Today is the publication date for 'Fearless in Tibet: The Life of the Mystic Tertön Sogyal' and I bow in gratitude to the many masters who have blessed the project, and especially Sogyal Rinpoche and Khenpo Jikme Phuntsok. May the aspirations of the masters be spontaneously fulfilled!

I'll be speaking at Tibet House in New York tomorrow, May 28th at 7 pm, and then in Washington DC at the International Campaign for Tibet on May 29th at 6:30 pm. Then I take the book to the West Coast. Full dates are above; click on EVENTS.  Read More 

I am looking forward to going out on the road with Fearless in Tibet: The Life of the Mystic Tertön Sogyal which will take me to both coasts the first week. More dates will be announced but here is how it is lining up.

May 28, 7 pm Tibet House, New York City
May 29, 6 pm International Campaign for Tibet, Washington DC
June 2 Santa Barbara, Chaucer’s Bookstore, evening event
June 3 University of California, Graduate Seminar, Santa Barbara
June 5 San Diego, evening event, TBA
June 7 San Franciso, Orgyen Dorje Den, 6 pm
July 19 Washington DC, Politics & Prose, 1 pm

(more dates are being scheduled so check back or  Read More 

Wednesday, May 28, 2014 7-9 pm New York, Tibet House, 22 West 15th Street, New York, NY 10011

Thursday, May 29, 2014 evening, Washington DC, International Campaign for Tibet,
1825 Jefferson Place NW, Washington, DC, 20036

Join author Matteo Pistono for a discussion and photo presentation of "Fearless in Tibet: The Life of the Mystic Tertön Sogyal" (Hay House 2014). Pistono will take you on a visual pilgrimage into the heart of Tibet, featuring stories and photographs from a decade of travels to sacred sites associated with the life of Tertön Sogyal. You will experience what devout pilgrims endure on their arduous outer journey to remote caves, holy mountains, ancient hermitages and Himalayan power places. Pistono will illuminate how the pilgrims’ inner journey creates a shift in their perception of the terrain as wilderness to conceiving of it as a sacred topography in which the mountains and rivers, streams and glaciers, the very pebbles upon which their boots fall, are woven into a blessed landscape.

About the book:
Nineteenth-century Tibetan mystic Tertön Sogyal was a visionary, whose mastery  Read More 

I'm happy to be taking part in an exciting new initiative from TableTribes that is bringing together thought leaders, chefs and mixologists in a collaborative series of stylish picnics. Every Sunday evening from June 24 through August 26, representatives on the forefront of their fields will share their unique insights to a different topic about the collective human experience. I've been asked to lead the discussion on 'Personal Space' on Sunday, August 5th. Check out www.tabletribes.com for more information.

Hosan Lee, Founder and CEO of TableTribes, wanted to build on the ideas of food and community she was exploring through her highly publicized  Read More 

It was a great honor to address the 2012 graduating class of Casper College last Friday. It was especially gratifying to see some of my own professors in the faculty sections as I gave the address. I will paste my commencement speech below and when the college uploads the video, I'll post it here as well.

This year's graduates, who include 16 international students, come from 21 states and 10 foreign countries, with all 23 Wyoming counties represented. A total of 679 students graduated during the 2011-2012 academic year.


Casper College Commencement Speech by Matteo Pistono
May 11, 2012

Thank you very much, President Nolte, for that generous introduction.

Distinguished guests, parents, former professors of mine, friends and fellow Wyomingites, and most of all graduates, I am honored to be with you tonight to give the commencement speech for the graduating class of 2012.

Let me begin by recognizing  Read More 

I was honored last month when President Walter Nolte asked me to give the address for this year's commencement ceremony at Casper College. It will be wonderful to return to Wyoming for the celebration.

Here is today's story in the Casper news:

Casper College Graduation May 11th
by Brian Scott - K2 News
April 26, 2012

The 66th Annual Casper College Commencement Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 11 beginning at 7 p.m. in the Casper Events Center.

Commencement speaker will be Matteo Pistono a writer, photographer, social justice campaigner, and author of “In the Shadow of the Buddha: Secret Journeys, Sacred Histories, and Spiritual Discovery in Tibet.”

Born in Cody, Wyo. and raised in Lander, Wyo., Pistono earned an associate degree at Casper College, where he was also inducted into Phi Theta Kappa. He received his bachelor’s degree in anthropology/political science from the University of Wyoming, and in 1997 obtained his master’s degree in Indian philosophy from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. Read More 

It was a privilege to present “In the Shadow of the Buddha” at the 2012 Tucson Festival of Books. More than 100,000 people attended the Festival to hear and speak with the 450 authors. What an weekend!

Dinner with Tucson mayor, Jonathan Rothschild and Rodney Glassman was a great start for me at The Author’s Table dinner on the night before the Festival. And it was a treat to be on the ‘Eden Seekers’ panel on Saturday with Brook Wilensky-Lanford, author of "Paradise Lust: Searching for the Garden of Eden," and Carolyn O'Bagy Davis, author of "The Fourth Wife: Polygamy, Love & Revolution”. Both Brook and Carolyn spoke eloquently about their writing and journeys. On Sunday morning, Sy Montgomery, a naturalist and author of 17 books including The Good Good Pig, and I had a great time sharing our experiences of travel and adventure around the globe. I highly recommend the books by Brook, Carolyn, and Sy! And thanks to everyone who came out to our panels!

Speaking with and attending sessions by Diana Henriques and Luis Urrea  Read More