Eric Kolvig was a teacher in the Vipassana Buddhist tradition from 1985 through his retirement in 2015. A gay man, he was one of the first teachers to foster queer sanghas, and he was also one of the first teachers who was open about using Dharma to cope with severe mental illness. Eric had a particular interest in “grassroots dharma,” building spiritual community in democratic, non-authoritarian ways, and he led retreats in the wilderness. He worked with many teachers but primarily with Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg in the lineage of Mahasi Sayadaw of Burma, and also with Richard Clarke in the Zen lineage of Roshi Philip Kapleau. After retiring as a dharma teacher, he moved to rural New Hampshire where he leads a contemplative lifestyle.
A friend and mentor to Tucker, he gave Tucker permission to re-publish some of his works which had been online during his career.
Crazy and Free: Dharma Practice and Severe Mental Illness
Mediation in the Dharma (note it says “mediation” not “meditation”)