Tempel Smith began practicing vipassana and metta meditation in 1989 within the Theravada Buddhist tradition at Insight Meditation Society, and focused his early service and activism on nuclear disarmament, environmental protection, and working in crisis shelters for homeless and abused youth. In 1997 he spent a year in Burma as an ordained monk, and later practiced vipassana for a year at the IMS in Massachusetts under the guidance of Michele McDonald and Joseph Goldstein.

Since 2001 Tempel has begun to teach meditation and Buddhist psychology to a wide variety of people including prisoners, activists, youth, service providers, and those with severe and chronic illnesses.  He founded the BASE House in San Francisco - a residential community dedicated to living a socially engaged Buddhist life, spent a year in volunteer service for Zen Hospice, and led the Teen Program for Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA.

Tempel currently works for the Buddhist Peace Fellowship in Berkeley coordinating the Young Adults program, and teaches in Northern California.  He serves on the Spirit Rock Teen Counsel, and is in the Spirit Rock/Insight Meditation Society's teacher training program.

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