Michael Jaquish is spiritual guide and life coach and a practicing Buddhist of the Tibetan Mahayana tradition following the path of the Bodhisattva. He has spent a very diverse life observing the human condition and pondering life from a spiritual perspective. He is the author of over fifteen books including; NAMASTE (Greeting The Light Within), THE BUDDHA AND THE BADGE, BEYOND COURAGE (Tales of a Country Cop in Africa), and Where Did We Come From? (And Where Are We Going?) Following a career as a peace officer in Washington State, Michael traveled to West Africa in 1989 and spent the next eight years running security operations for the US State Department, often in the midst of civil war and political unrest. He survived three African civil wars and emerged with a deep awareness of how much human suffering is self-inflicted. He now resides in the Pacific Northwest area of the United States where he studies spiritual philosophy, writes and mentors fellow seekers of truth while practicing compassion for all beings.