Our Team
Describe your team here.
Venerable Burin Thitakusalo (Monk Burin) is the Executive Director of The Middle Way Meditation Institute, a New York-based global non-profit organization that focuses on the promotion of inner peace education as a means to attaining world peace. Ordained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand since 2000, his quest is to bridge Eastern wisdom and Western science to serve humanity. Through his “World Peace through Inner Peace” project, he has touched people from all walks of life. He also travels globally to teach thousands of meditators from 30 countries on 6 continents.
Rev. Tenku Ruff, MDiv, BCC is a Soto Zen Buddhist priest currently serving as Head Priest of Beacon Zen Temple. Rev. Ruff’s novice training took place in Zen monasteries in both Japan and North America, giving her a unique perspective on how Buddhism is practiced in different cultures. Rev. Ruff is the former President of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association, holds a Master of Divinity degree from Maitripa College, and is a board-certified chaplain. She has strong interest in ethics, inter-Buddhist / interfaith dialogue, and ways people can support each other and grow through challenges in life.
Rev. Doyeon Park is a Kyomunim, literally meaning one who devotes oneself to teach Buddha dharma in the Won Buddhist tradition. She has served as a minister of the Manhattan Won Buddhist Temple and a representative of Won Buddhism to the United Nations since 2008. Also, she serves as the Buddhist chaplain at Columbia University and New York University and the co-chair of the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations.
Rev. Doyeon focuses on creating a sangha (spiritual community) where various individuals and groups can cultivate their inner wisdom and compassion to live with peace and dignity based on the teachings of Won Buddhism. Realizing the interconnectedness of all through her spiritual practice, she is also actively engaged in interfaith dialogue and cooperation to promote mutual understanding and respect among different religions.
Inspired by the Buddhist idea of inner freedom and happiness, Rev. Park started her monastic training in 1998. She graduated from the Dept. of Won Buddhism, Won Kwang University, Iksan, Korea, and earned an M.A. of Won Buddhist Studies from Won Institute of Graduate Studies, Glenside, Pennsylvania, USA. She received full ordination in 2007.
Read Rev. Doyeon’s blog on Huffington Post and Lion’s Roar.
Rev. Daiken Nelson, Roshi began Zen Practice 34 years ago in Iowa, where he was born.
Since that time, he has practiced with several Teachers within the White Plum Zen Lineage of Taizan Maezumi Roshi & Zen Peacemaker Order of Roshi Bernie Glassman.
In October 2013, Daiken received Shiho (Dharma Transmission/Authorization To Teach) from Roshi Francisco "Paco" Genkoji Lugoviña, a Successor to Roshi Bernie Glassman.
In November 2021, Daiken received Inka from Roshi Paco, the final authorization in one's Zen Training, by which one becomes a Roshi (Japanese: "old/venerable teacher"; "old/venerable master").
Roshi Daiken is the Founder & Guiding Teacher of the Pamsula Zen Center in W. Harlem (pamsulazen.org).
Prior to focusing on Zen, Daiken was a Social Worker; working with the homeless plus those with Chronic Mental Illness & Substance Abuse issues.
Currently, Daiken is Founder of The Mandala Café, a Nonprofit which provides Culinary Training to those needing job training & placement due to challenges to finding and keeping a job, a Catering business offering part-time employment and Training for individuals in those groups plus a weekly Community meal in Central Harlem & a twice monthly meal in Manhattan Valley/UWS for anyone (mandalacafe.org).
In addition to Zen, Roshi Daiken is a Reiki Master, Yoga Instructor, Photographer & Writer.
Rev. Chimyo Simone Atkinson was ordained by Rev. Teijo Munnich in 2007 and received Dharma Transmission in 2015. She received her monastic training at Great Tree Zen and completed Sotoshu International training periods (Ango) in Japan in 2010 and 2011. She completed additional training periods at the Aichi Senmon Nisodo in Nagoya in 2012 and Ryumonji Monastery in Iowa in 2014. Chimyo served as Head of Practice at Great Tree Zen Women’s Temple and volunteered with the sangha at Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institute until 2020.
Master Ken Kessel is a guiding teacher for many different Zen centers around the country, and also teaches at the Chogye International Zen Center in New York. He is also a licensed Clinical Social Worker and a psychotherapist, specializing in infant and early childhood mental health.
Fr./Sensei Michael Holleran is a Catholic priest, Sensei (Zen Teacher) and a former Carthusian Monk.
He is a follower and advocate of what his friend, the internationally renowned theologian of interfaith understanding, Prof. Paul Knitter, calls "double belonging".
According to this, we can be rooted in one particular religious tradition, especially by cult and upbringing, but also receive "substantial nourishment" from another tradition.Thus, we not only experience the abundant treasures of the religions of humanity, and thereby further the global civilization that is a mark of our times; but, we also are led to penetrate into aspects of the mysteries of our original tradition that we would never have perceived without this new angle of light's being shed on them.
Bhikkhu Santi is a monk (bhikkhu) ordained in the Thai forest tradition. He writes and teaches on the intersections of early Buddhism, science, Western philosophy, and modernity; on renunciation and monasticism in contemporary contexts; on the conscious use of technology; and on other spiritual and practice-related themes. More at findingsanti.org.
Bart van Melik has taught Insight Meditation and Insight Dialogue since 2009, with a focus on working with diverse populations include youth in secure detention, veterans with PTSD and corporate executives. He teaches classes and workshops in the New York area and residential meditation retreats worldwide.