TEACHERS
Roshi Anshin Ryuko Langdell 妥心 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 is a Roshi and fully transmitted Priest in the Clear Mind Zen Order in Soyu Matsuoka Roshi's lineage. He received the Dharma name Ryuko (Dragon Tiger) in Matsuoka Roshi's Zen lineage (Order of Clear Mind Zen) having received transmission as a full Zen Priest. He then received the final transmission (gago) name of Anshin (妥心, Peaceful Heart) upon being made a Roshi by Daiho Hilbert Roshi (disciple of Shozen McGuire Roshi, who was a disciple of Matsuoka). Daiho Roshi authroized Roshi Ryuko to form Still Center Zen Order.
In addition to his transmissions in the Soto tradition, Ryuko was awarded the title of "Soensanim" in the Korean tradition (literally "Zen Master" in English), transmission in the Vietnamese Zen tradition and is both a Christian Priest and a Zen Teacher in the White Plum lineage through Al Rapaport Roshi, Open Mind Zen.
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.
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 Soensanim ("Zen Master") by Ven. Wonji Dharma. He was previously granted authority as a Hwasangnim (Senior Teacher / Preceptor) 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. Like ZM Ryuko, 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.
Rev. Solitary Pine lives with his wife, daughter and pet dog in Los Angeles, CA.
PRIESTS
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.
Rev. KaiUn, Luis Lista, has studied Buddhism since he was 14 years old, when first entering a Buddhist Temple following a Vietnamese girl he had fallen for. He is a Portuguese married man living in Belgium with his wife and two kids. A social worker and a specialist in education. He ordained as a Priest (Dharma Teacher) in 2011 (as Yaoxin Shakya) and was received as a Transmitted Head Priest (Chan Teacher) in the Linji Lineage of the Zen Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun (founded by WeiMiao JyDin Shakya) in 2015. He founded "Dharma Winds Zen Sangha" (dharmawindszensangha.org) in September 2015. KaiUn also had the pleasure to study Korean Zen as a Formal Student of Venerable Wonji Dharma. Venerable Wonji sadly entered emptiness unexpectedly in December 2021. In January 2022, KaiUn continued his study of Wonji’s Dharma with one of Ven. Wonji's main Transmitted Heirs, Tim Jinhye Songdo Langdell, (Ryuko Sensei). In October 2022, following a long-lasting link with the Zen Dharma of Matsuoka Roshi, and a deep spiritual brotherhood with Ryuko Landgell Sensei, he entered Priest Training in Matsuoka Roshi’s Soto Zen lineage through Landgell Roshi, receiving Unsui Priest Ordination as Rev. KaiUn. KaiUn’s Dharma Winds Zen Hermitage, in Belgium, is an affiliated group of Ryuko Landgell's Still Center Zen Order.
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Rev. Dr. Ian GenKyu Cyrus is a native of Trinidad and Tobago, and studies with Sensei Ryuko Langdell. He was made an Unsui (Novice Priest) in the Soto Zen tradition of Matsuoka Roshi by Ryuko in 2022. He began his Buddhist path 30 years ago with the Nichiren Tradition and later with the Sokka Gakai. GenKyu was ordained as a Noviate in the Korean Zen tradition of ZM Seung Sahn by Ven. Wonji Dharma on July 23, 2016. He was ordained by Ven. Wonji as a Buddhist Pujari (Priest) on May 30, 2020. He currently leads a Sangha (Meditation and Buddhist studies Group) in Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania.
Rev. GenKyu is a former U.S. Marine and FBI Special Agent. He has earned a B.S. in Sports Medicine and a M.S. in Biomechanics from Temple University and is a certified Athletic Trainer (ATC). Since young adulthood, he has had several long-term apprenticeships under some well-known masters. He is a graduate of the International School of Shiatsu (ISS) and was graduated with honors from the Tri-State College of Acupuncture, New York, NY, where he earned a M.S. in Acupuncture Oriental Medicine and is a member of the advisory board. He was also graduated from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine where he earned a Doctorate of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine-Integrative Medicine (DACM). He is currently a faculty member at The Won Institute of Graduate Studies. He is the founder and innovator of Oriental Medicine – Physical Medicine (OM-PM), a unique approach to myofascial pain and dysfunction and musculoskeletal pain. He is board certified by the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). He has been in practice for over 20 years.
GenKyu is an internationally known martial arts master. He is the lineage holder of Choson Kwon Bup. He has achieved the highest possible ranking (9 th Dan) in Hapkido. He is the founder of Yu Shin HapGi Mu Yae, a unique system of martial arts. He also holds mastership levels in Taekwondo (8 th Dan), Chen Tai Ji Chuan, Yin Fu Ba Gua Zhang, Itto Tenshin Ryu Ken Jitsu.
(c) 2023 Still Center Zen Order (a California Non-Profit Religious Organization)