Roger Bischoff was born in 1955 in Lausanne, Switzerland. His interest in Buddhism started very early and by 18 he had accumulated a collection of antiquarian books on Buddhism. After the baccalaureat in Switzerland he travelled extensively in the Middle East and eventually India and Burma. He encountered Vipassana meditation and began to study the Burmese language as well as Pali and Sanskrit at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
After the completion of the degree in Burmese language and Pali, he worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Afghan conflict. In 1989 he was asked by Mother Sayamagyi, his lifelong teacher, to assist her in teaching meditation at the International Meditation Centre UK in Heddington, and on her travels. He has been assisting Mother Sayamgyi ever since.
