Bob Sharples has been meditating and using Buddhist principles in his work since 1975 and since 1991 has been a therapist in private practice. He is a trained lawyer and former school teacher, and he has studied Buddhist meditation extensively with Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Since 1991 he has led stress-reduction and healing courses for the seriously ill and their families as well as for Vietnam veterans. He is married with three children and lives in Melbourne, Australia.