Conversations with North American Zen Teachers
Ed Brown
Peaceful Sea Sangha – When we begin our conversation, Ed Brown tells me that the circumstances of his birth are a significant part of his Zen story. “I was born prematurely, and I was in the incubator for three weeks, and that has come to be a subject of my Zen practice. Because if you’re…
Norman Fischer
Everyday Zen Foundation – While at college, Norman Fischer came upon an anthology of essays by D. T. Suzuki. “It was introduced by a professor who was an expert on existentialism, and he presented Zen Buddhism in the light of existentialist philosophy, which was very current in the late ’60s. So that was what I…
Martine Taikai Palmiter
Joyful Mind Zen Community, Rockville, Maryland There are factions in the US currently resisting the concept of political “wokeness,” in the sense of being “awakened” to racial or gender injustices inherent in societal structures. But for Martine Palmiter spiritual and the political “awakening” are intertwined. “I was raised American Baptist, and I actually loved going…
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Richard Bryan McDaniel 