It is with a sad heart that I am writing to let you know that our friend Ish died yesterday (December 6th, 2025). He passed “very quickly and peacefully” at 2:40 pm.
Ish was a long-time student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and also a close friend and student of the Vajra Regent. He attended the first two Profound Treasury West Retreats in Crestone in 2017 and 2018, and was a frequent participant in our study groups. The enclosed photo shows him proudly holding his memoir, “Don’t Die Wondering,” which arrived on November 10. My last communication with Ish was three days ago, letting him know that the e-book version of his memoir is finally available.
🙏🏻 ❤️
– Jeff Fuller
Tributes
I wrote this about a dream when I woke this morning. Then, I saw about Ish, so, it’s for him.
Reality Bleeds A Dream
A dream I just had so long and complex,
with my Buddhist sangha in surreal environs,
together again as we once were, mixed with
the hippie milieu in a structure that was more
than a tent but less than a building, communing
together, why was I there? I moved through the
dream fascinated by what I was seeing, got some
good food awkwardly on small dishes and sat
down at a table with Ken Campbell, a dude long
gone that I hadn’t seen for decades, he said my
name and I woke up.
I just wrote this, after I saw about Steve, so I guess it’s for him:
Reality Bleeds A Dream
A dream I just had, sooo long and complex,
with my Buddhist sangha in surreal environs,
together again as we once were, mixed with
the hippie milieu vibe in a structure that was more
than a tent but less than a building, communing
together, why was I there? I moved through the
dream fascinated by what I was seeing, got some
good food awkwardly with small dishes, and sat
down at a table with Ken Campbell, a dude long
gone that I hadn’t seen for decades, and he said
my name and I woke up.
I knew Steve from the old days in Boulder. He was always there at gatherings and at RMDC. A good guy, great sense of humor, clear mind.
Frankly, I’m a little surprised and delighted that he lived this long, since I remember him as a somewhat physically overly large person. A unique character and always a valuable asset to the community. Sayonara and sweet travels, my friend.
