Dr. Edward W. Bastian, President

Ed Bastian is President the Spiritual Paths Foundation. His Ph.D. is in Buddhist Studies and Western Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin. During the 1970s and 1980s he worked for extensive periods in India at Banares Hindu University and in Tibetan Monasteries conducting research using Tibetan and Sanskrit languages as a fellow with the Fulbright Foundation and American Institute of Indian Studies. He worked as a writer and photographer on the war in Viet Nam and was on the staff of NBC Television as a writer and documentary film maker in Africa, and for other film/television companies in Africa, Asia and South America.

After completing his Ph.D. in 1980, Bastian produced a series of award winning television documentaries on the religions of Asia for the BBC and PBS. He produced three films on Tibetan Buddhism with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. From 1984-89, he served the Smithsonian Institution as a program director on BioDiversity, 20th Century Intellectual History and Tropical Rain Forests. In that capacity, he was responsible for the development of seminars, courses, public programs, exhibitions, books and television. He produced the Smithsonian's first award winning CD-ROM called "Life Story" on the discovery of DNA with Apple Computer, Lucasfilm and Adrian Malone Productions.

Bastian lived in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and studied Indian philosophy and religion at Banares Hindu University. He taught courses and moderated discussions on Buddhism and world religion for the Smithsonian and taught and lectured at a variety of educational venues and presented scholarly papers at academic conferences in the U.S., England, Japan and India.

In his roles as a foundation director, business executive and producer, Bastian has developed strategic plans and budgets, raised substantial funding and managed both staff personnel and boards of Directors. As President of Aspen Interactive Media, he created one of the world's first community web sites in Aspen, Colorado, called "aspen.com." He also consults with spiritual institutions, educational institutions and media organizations and sits on various non-profit and public policy boards. He was a founding teacher of the Aspen Community School.

The Spiritual Paths Foundation is a 501(c)(3)organization that can accept tax deductible donations. It works closely with the Spiritual Paths Institute that organizes seminars, programs and courses. The Institute produces and distributes video and audio tapes and a web site containing a curriculum readings, discussions and general information. Its educational methodology, developed by Dr. Bastian, is based on a mandala of 12 spiritual styles, 12 universal questions and 12 broadly defined groups of spiritual traditions.