Sanat Kumara, is known by many in the East and West as The Buddha Maitreya or by his honorific Tibetan title, His Holiness Jetsun Gyalwa Jampa Gonpo. He has been enthroned and given many ceremonies of recognition in every lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He is the incarnated Living Buddha Maitreya, the Medicine Buddha and was born in Oregon in 1951.Maitreya comes from the sanskrit word "Maitri" meaning unattached and unconditional loving kindness. Buddha Maitreya is the reincarnation of God on Earth, the Planetary Logos, who has many previous lives and incarnations that include Krishna, Gautama Buddha, Jesus The Christ, Babaji and several recognized incarnations within Tibetan Buddhism including the Tibetan Yogi Saint Milarepa, Padmasambhava and Je Tsong Khapa.

Buddha Maitreya and his wife Mandarava Tara have always taught that wisdom comes from giving and has made the support of Tulkus, living saints within Tibetan Buddhism, one of their main focuses as well as helping westerners to learn deep meditation and further their own self-healing through the transmission of his blessings. Through reincarnation, all the Saints of all the religions reincarnate and are always with us. Tibetan Buddhism supports and furthers this Tulku reality. Buddha Maitreya and Mandarava support many of these Saints so that through the blessings of their relationship with him, they can recapitulate their true nature and have their practical and spiritual needs taken care of, allowing them to fully incarnate who they truly are from previous lives and live healthy, happy lives in this life so they may better serve and further humanity.

Buddha Maitreya and Mandarava Tara consolidated their work of helping exiled Tibetan Refugees and Tibetan Monasteries in 1994, when he established the first Dharma Center in Kathmandu, Nepal. In 1996, they founded and established the Church of Shambhala Vajradhara Maitreya Sangha, a 501c(3) Non-Profit American Buddhist Church offering the opportunity for westerners to become monks and nuns and lead more spiritual and service orientated lives here in the West. The church represents both East and West and the tenets of Christianity and Buddhism, with a focus on charitable activity as one of the fundamental necessities of personal and planetary healing.

The Church raises funds by handcrafting and selling the Buddha Maitreya Shambhala Healing Tools used for meditation, self-healing and healing others. Designed by Buddha Maitreya, these tools transmit his blessing as a healing and transformative Buddhaic force of Light, creating a telepathic bridge that heals and brings spiritual blessings that help establish anyone who uses them on the Path of the Soul. They apply sacred geometry using energetic vibrational medicine for Soul Therapy, transmuting negative energies by increasing nature's Chi and correcting energetic imbalances in the Etheric Field. Several of the Monks and Nuns dedicate their daily meditation to the making of these forms while others focus on fundraising through educational fundraising and sharing the tools.

Buddha Maitreya and his wife Mandarava Tara offer weekend Dharshan teachings, spiritual retreats, and pilgrimages in the United States, United Kingdom, Tibet China, India and Nepal. Today, the Church has dharma centers in India, Nepal, Tibet China, United Kingdom and the USA. They are currently furthering their work of personal and planetary healing by overseeing the development of a large Monastery, teaching center and longevity retreat program – The Church of Shambhala Vajradhara Maitreya Sangha Monastery & Soul Therapy Retreat® in Northern California.

Buddha Maitreya and Mandarava Tara are creating a Monastic Community that includes a Life Extending Wellness Center and combines developing technologies for harmless living to sustain and heal humanity such solar and wind power, sustainable housing and recycling, together with aquaponic and hydroponic farming.

The Church of Shambhala Vajradhara Maitreya Sangha Monastery is an ecological center, but the main reality of the monastery is the sacred design used in every aspect of the monastery: the phi ratio from the central pyramid, the pyramid being 51 degree, the 6 dome circles placed around the pyramid in a 6 pointed star, the 51 degree pyramids placed over each dome and the fact that all residential and retreat rooms have 51 degree pyramids facing north, all based on the sacred human form and its relationship to sacred forms that help the soul to awaken and transform lower mind and lower emotions to become more spiritually incarnated on the physical level for both the person and for the planet, as the sacred temples built all over the world are universally connected. This helps the United States in becoming healed as nation. This awakens the nations to Love and Healing to avert wars and the political support of these wars.