A Little About Me

This is a photo of me taken about a year ago when I was in Las Vegas visiting my sister Loretta. We had a blast and I hope to get back there sometime soon. Or, maybe Loretta can come to Knightstown. There's not as much to do, but the real fun is in visiting.

I've been very fortunate...I'm married to the man of my dreams who I affectionately call my "main squeeze." We have two wonderful children and I have three just as wonderful step-children. Altogether there are 9 grandchildren.

I've also been fortunate in the "work place." I graduated from the University of California at Fullerton back in the day when it was still a State College surrounded by fields...and, at a time when my entire tuition for a semester (counting books) was around $150.00! I lived at home, worked part-time for $2.00 and hour and bought gas for 30 cents a gallon! Several years and two children later, I managed a Masters Degree in Human Resources Management from Pepperdine University.

I've had several careers...I spent 20 years in human services developing programs for emotionally/mentally handicapped adjudicated teenagers. Most of this work took place in North Carolina among some of the most talented and compassionate people I have ever known.

Things change. In the 1980's our family made the move to Southern California where I became somewhat of an entrepreneur, learned all I could about computers, and by the early '90's found myself addicted to the Internet. I learned HTML and began writing web pages for anyone who wanted them...which was just about everybody. By 1992 I was hired by a large corporation to be their webmaster and helped develop one of the first totally interactive web sites on the Internet. I was doing what I loved and getting paid for it!

By the late 1990's our children were grown and my main squeeze wanted to move to Indiana (where he grew up). But, that is the simple reason we moved here...the real reason is that we both felt compelled to be here. We always laugh and say in all honesty, "We had to move to Knightstown, Indiana to meet Tibetan Buddhism!"

Today, we are semi-retired and able to dedicate our lives to the people we love and the things we love to do. We live in a cute little house in the middle of 23 acres of fields, streams, and woods about 5 miles from the little town of Knightstown, IN.

We spend a lot of time at the Indiana Buddhist Center where we met our teacher Geshe Jinpa Sonam and another group of wonderful, caring, compassionate people. I suspect we will be spending even more time there...IBC has recently purchased a property with several buildings which will serve as a home for Geshe Jinpa as well as a Dharma Center. There's a lot of work to do...all requiring a lot of money.

Earning a Living and Dharma Work

In addition to Mantras in Wood and other wood projects, I teach computer literacy at IUEast in Richmond, IN. I also maintain the IBC website, transcribe audio teachings, and share my notes on Geshe-la's most current teachings. My husband Walt is the Vice President of the Center and has started two Buddhist Meetup groups - one in Indianapolis and one in West LaFayette. We try to help make the Dharma Center comfortable for everyone. Along with some wonderfully generous dharma brothers and sisters, we try to provide refreshments and a loving environmnet at the teachings.

My goal is to support IBC and Geshe Jinpa Sonam in every way I can. Purchase of a Mantra in Wood will assist in the meeting this goal. If you want to make a donation directly to the Center, click here .

Although I'm still not as successful as I'd like to be, I try to make my life my practice...I try to make my practice my life. I try to remember to set my intention before every activity I undertake during the day and I then try to remember to dedicate the merit of positive activities. Needless to say, I also do my share of purification practices and prayers!

My Root Teachers

I pay homage to my root teachers Geshe Jinpa Sonam; his teacher, Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Samten, Abbot of the Drepung Gomang Monastery; and His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet.

I also pay my deepest respect and gratitude to all those who have assisted me along the path. These wonderful people include (but are not limited to):

My compassionate, loving parents, Anthony and Josephine DeGrandis	My precious friend, Nelle Wheeler	My kind and loving husband, Walt Bush
My first grade teacher who taught me to read	Arjia Rinpoche	Ven. Lobsang Chukyi
Robert Thurman	George Williams	Ven. Lobsang Drolma

Contact Information

JoAnn Bush
6717 S. State Road 109
Knightstown, IN 46148
765-345-2808