TEACHERS
Sensei Ryuko 竜虎 (Ven. Dr. Jinhye Soendo Tim Langdell 眞惠先道; Thích Hiền Thành) is originally from Oxford, England, and has resided in the Pasadena area of Southern California since around 1990. He was awarded the title of "Soensanim" in the Korean tradition (literally "Zen Master" in English, "Roshi" Jp) and is both a Christian Priest and a Zen Priest.
He has been practicing Zen since his late teens, having been introduced to Zen through the writings of the likes of Alan Watts, DT Suzuki, and Christmas Humphries, and the teaching of the British Zen Master Douglas Harding. His early exposure to Zen was also impacted by the time he spent at Zen Center of Los Angeles in the early 1970s where he first met with Maezumi Roshi. Additionally, he has maintained a parallel practice in the Christian faith, becoming a life-professed Third Order Franciscan when he was in his early 20s. Growing up as an Anglican, he transferred to the Episcopal faith in 1990, and then eventually became ordained as an Ecumenical (independent from Rome, liberal) Catholic Priest. He was also accepted as a member of a Thomasine Order of priests and monks. Further, he also took precepts in the Soto Zen lineage of Maezumi Roshi (White Plum Asanga), receiving the Dharma name Tetsudo at the Zen Center of Los Angeles which he first attended in 1973 and receiving the Dharma name Ryuko in Matsuoka Roshi's Zen lineage (Order of Clear Mind Zen: Soto based but not Soto Shu recognized) having received transmission as a full Zen Priest.
He is married with two children, a daughter who is an Episcopal Priest and a son who is an English Professor and specialist in both medieval and modern literature. His wife is a university professor of English, a Sufi and an author of various books on poets and poetry.
Ryuko is a Board Certified Palliative, Hospice and Pediatric Chaplain, being certified both as a Christian and Buddhist chaplain; he ministers to patients in the greater Los Angeles and Orange County areas of Southern California. He holds a Doctorate in Psychology from University College London as well as an M.Div. from Claremont School of Theology. He continues to be very active in both Zen and Christian practice, and remains passionate about the parallels between Buddha's teachings and the Wisdom teachings of Jesus. He is currently the head priest at a liberal, inclusive independent Catholic Church in Hollywood, CA. Sensei Ryuko is a teacher and an author of various books, including "Beginner's Mind: An Introduction to Zen Buddhism," and "Christ Way, Buddha Way: Jesus as Wisdom Teacher and a Zen Perspective on His Teachings." He maintains various websites and blogs such as Still Daily - Musings of a Christian/Zen Buddhist Priest www.christbuddha.org and www.kids-rights.org
Master Solitary Pine (Ven. Jingak Go'san, Mike Ford) was granted authority as a Hwasangnim in April 2017.On the 16th day of April in the year 2016, Michael Ford (Original Name), Go’son Prajna 成道智 Buddhist Name), Solitary Pine of Wisdom (Translation), Thích Hiền Côtòng took Brahmajala Precepts at Danhwa Soenwon as a Pujari. He was also ordained a Priest by Egyoku Roshi of ZCLA in the Soto Zen lineage of the White Plum Asanga; his Soto Zen dharma name is Solitary Pine. He has received Final Dharma Transmission in the Korean and Vietnamese traditions.
After finishing his enlistment in the military, Ven. Jingak took a class on Zen Buddhism at the University of California at Los Angeles where he met his first Zen Master Thich Thien An who was teaching the class he was taking. Ven. Go'son, being intrigued by the practice of meditation eventually was ordained in the White Plum Asanga at the Zen Center of Los Angeles where he studied Soto Zen Buddhism for 20 years.
He has recently been studying Zongmi and "The Avatamsaka Sutra". Touched by Dogen's "Uji" and Linji's shout. Master Lone Pine lives with his wife, daughter and pet dog in Los Angeles, CA.
Jeff Tairen Albrizze
Unsui Priest
Rev. Jeff Tairen Albrizze is a Los Angeles native son. Tairen studies with Sensei Ryuko Langdell and was made an Unsui (Novice Priest in the Soto tradition) by Ryuko in 2022. Tairen’s dharma name means Peaceful Lotus. Brought up Roman Catholic as a young boy, like many teens in the ‘70s he ran the streets during the “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” new wave. In his 20’s he became an evangelical Christian, went to bible school, was a licensed Pentecostal minister, and preached all over America. Feeling he was a round peg trying to fit in a square hole, he deconstructed his faith and found Zen through a Thomas Merton book. Zazen worked for him to experience his life as the awakened way.
He studied Soto Zen at the Zen Center of Los Angeles starting in fall of 1988 and took Jukai in 1997. He lived at ZCLA as a resident in the late 90’s. He has practiced in the Taizan Maizumi White Plum lineage, and the Shunryo Suzuki San Francisco Zen lineage. Jeff has years of experience as a volunteer Buddhist prison Chaplain, and leading a neighborhood Zen sitting group in Pasadena, California. He has done dozens of sesshins, has held many service positions, and aspires to keep practicing the Buddha Way in serving his community.
Jeff has been married for 19 years to his wife Amanda, and they have a 10 year old son Grayson. Jeff has been a Warehouse Manager for the Pasadena K-12 school district for 26 years, and lives in Arcadia, California.
(c) 2022 Still Center Zen Order (a California Non-Profit Religious Organization)