
Appreciation for Zopa Herron ~ KCC’s Kalyanamitra – Spiritual Friend
Our dear dharma sister, teacher, and friend, Zopa Herron, is in the final stages of this life.
Let us appreciate one of KCC’s gems. Zopa stepped onto her dharma path in the 1990’s when contemplating life’s perplexing questions. Many of us have received invaluable benefit by knowing and learning from her.
Before coming to the dharma, Zopa trained as an attorney specifically to help others and to work for social justice. She went on to offer mediation and trainings in inequality and the “isms” with passion, strength, and conviction. She also emerged with a loving family, with her son and her former husband’s son and family, so 3 grandchildren.
We have many newer sangha members who only know Zopa from her presence on Sunday mornings and her steady leadership of the Equanimity and Inclusion Group. Zopa continued to feel passionate about social justice in her dharma work.
Zopa studied with Gelukpa teachers for many years. She was instrumental in helping establish Sravasti Abbey with one of her main teachers, Ven. Thubten Chodron. Zopa lived, volunteered, trained and taught for five years at the Abbey.
Zopa was part of the one-year retreat in 2012-13, led by Lama Michael and Lama Tara at SCOL. A fellow retreatant says:
Zopa’s unfailing good humor, equanimity, devotion to the Dharma and to practice sparkled as a bright light through the many “storms” inevitable during long retreat. She was a gentle, kind and thoughtful arbitrator for many of our relationship struggles. I’m so grateful for her presence during our retreat!
After completing the retreat, Lama Michael asked her help with teaching at KCC.
Zopa was a wonderful addition to the teaching staff and Program Council from then until 2020. Notably, with Lama Michael’s declining capacity after the three-year retreat and the challenges around the transition, much responsibility for holding and guiding the sangha fell to Zopa. Zopa’s steadiness, wisdom, and commitment to the dharma through that time was instrumental in guiding KCC.
Though she has not been leading on Sundays for several years now, Zopa continued until just recently to be part of the Sunday teachers’ group, offering her voice and support. A key focus of Zopa’s has been “how to use all circumstances—the pleasant and the challenging—to deepen our practice and insight.” Zopa demonstrated this intention by using a terminal illness as an opportunity to deepen practice and insight. She has taught us acceptance of impermanence and confidence in the dharma.
We offer this with deep appreciation for all you have given to us, Zopa. May we meet again.