Title: Nanna

Gender: Female

Age: Ageless

Sun Sign: Gemini

Chinese Sign: Fire Boar

.I was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and lived in the Midwest throughout my early adult life. After working as a Speech Therapist for Father Flanagan's Boys' Town in Boystown, Nebraska, and the Denver Public Schools I moved westward to San Francisco, met and married John. John and I moved to the Philippines where he attended medical school. While in Manila I was introduced to Zen by an OLM sister who led daily practice and monthly zazenkai in her convent. Sr. Elaine prepared her group to become formal students of her teacher, Yamada Koun (White Cloud) Roshi who led several sesshin there. Yamada Roshi, a lay teacher, was an innovative Zen Master, inviting Christians and other reliogions  in all capacities, nuns, priests, and lay, onto the path of Zen with an emphasis on world harmony and peace.   About to return to the United States, I asked for Sr. Elaine to consult with Yamada Roshi about whom he recommended for continuation of Zen practice. I as well as John wanted to study with someone as open to the changing nature of Zen practice as Yamada had been. Yamada told Sr. Elaine that he had dokusan several times with a very strong practitioner, monk and Dharma successor of Maezumi Roshi who was on his way to New York from California in 1980 to begin a group there. We moved back to New York, met Bernie Sensei as he was called at the time, and recognized that he would be my  teacher. I worked in several job capacities within the Greyston Mandala in Yonkers. I took the lay Buddhist Precepts in 1986, and became a Novice Priest (Tokudo) in 1993. I  took a five year period to study Zen in the Kwan Um School of Zen under Wu Kwang Zen Master (Richard Shrobe). At this time I also received a Masters in Social Work from NYU, and certified in a four year post graduate Gestalt Training program in Manhattan. I  also studied Chinese martial arts with Sifu Frank Allen and  certified to teach Taoist meditation.  I returned to Japanese style Zen, received Denkai in 1997(Priest Vows), and iremain a student of my root teacher, Bernie Roshi and became a Zen Peacemaker priest. I live in Yonkers, and have a small Zendo in my home with John called The Red Thread Zendo. We have three grown children, two recent sons-in-law, and three grandaughters/