Reverend Dr. John Freese is a minister in the Dhamma Vinaya Order and the abbot of Mukti Vihara Temple, the online Buddhist temple of the order. He is a professor in world religions and contemplative studies at University of the West, and a professor in spiritual care and counseling at Naropa University. He was a Buddhist monk for 12 years from 1998-2010. He ordained with Thich Nhat Hanh and trained with him for six years. He then trained with other Buddhist and Hindu teachers in Europe and Asia for six more years. His main research areas are early Buddhism, early Daoism, Yogacara, somatic trauma therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. He maintains a private practice in Buddhist counseling, edits The New Order on Substack, and is the host of Down with the Dharma podcast. His Dharma name is Dhammabodhi.