Norman Fischer is a poet, author, and senior American Zen Buddhist priest. A former abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center, he is the founder and teacher of the Everyday Zen Foundation, a network of spiritual communities and projects dedicated to sharing Zen and Buddhist teachings widely with the world. A graduate of the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Norman began publishing poetry in the late 1970’s as part of a San Francisco Bay Area group of experimental writers, and has since published thirty books of prose and poetry. He lives in Muir Beach, California, with his wife Kathie, who is also a Zen priest. They have two children and five grandchildren. For more information about Norman Fischer, poetry, essays, talks, downloads, schedules see www.everydayzen.org and normanfischer.org

Les Kaye served as abbot of Kannon Do for 40 years, retiring in 2023 as Abbot Emeritus. No longer active in administrative matters of Kannon Do, he continues to be Kannon Do’s teacher. Les gives occasional Dharma talks and continues to meet with students at his house in Los Altos and virtually. Les was integrally involved in developing an American Zen practice both at Haiku Zendo and at Kannon Do. He was ordained as a Zen monk by Shunryu Suzuki in 1971 and was appointed spiritual leader of Kannon Do in 1982. In 1985, Les received Dharma Transmission – authority to teach and have students – from Suzuki-roshi’s son and successor, Hoitsu Suzuki. Starting in 1958, Les worked for IBM in San Jose for over 30 years. His book Zen at Work includes stories of how his own meditation practice enhanced the quality of his life and work at IBM. Les has also written a book on Oryoki, the traditional way of serving and eating meals in Soto Zen Monasteries. His other two books are Joyously Through the Days and A Sense of Something Greater: Zen and the Search for Balance in Silicon Valley.

Travis is available to welcome and help orient people to our activities and practice. Consider contacting him for help with Zen forms, meditation instruction, questions of Zen practice and its relevance within our modern lives, or for one-to-one practice discussions in-person or via Zoom. Contact Travis in-person or via email at travis at kannondo dot org.

Umar is available to welcome and help orient people to our zendo (meditation hall). Consider contacting him for help with Zen forms and meditation instruction, information about zendo etiquette or questions about Zen rituals, including ceremonies, services, chants and bells.

Misha Shungen Koun Merrill began practicing Zen in 1984, and has been the Guiding Teacher of Zen Heart Sangha in Menlo Park and Woodside, California, since 1993. She was ordained as a Zen priest in 1988 and received Dharma Transmission in 1998 from her teacher, Les Kaye Roshi, the founding teacher of Kannon Do Zen Center in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. She also received Dharma Transmission in 2025 in the lineage of Kobun Houn Roshi, the founder of Jikoji Zen Center from teachers Shoho Michael Newhall and Nenzen Pamela Brown. Misha was a teacher at the Peninsula School in Menlo Park for 33 years before retiring in 2022. She resides in Woodside with her husband, dog, and other wildlife creatures.

Sokaku Kathie Fischer began practicing Zen in 1971 with Sojun Mel Weitsman at the Berkeley Zen Center. She was ordained a Zen priest at San Francisco Zen Center in 1980 by Zentatsu Richard Baker, and continued residential practice at Zen Center for 15 more years. Kathie also studied and practiced with Maurine Stuart Myon Roshi. She received Dharma transmission from Sojun Weitsman in 2011 while in the midst of her 28-year career as a school teacher in Mill Valley. Since retiring from teaching science to adolescents she has turned her attention to studying and teaching Dharma. Kathie and her husband Norman are parents of adult twin sons and grandparents of three tweens and teens.

Ando Jaune Evans was originally ordained as a priest in the White Plum Lineage by Bernie Glassman and Taizan Maezumi Roshi in 1983 at the Zen Community of New York. She is now a priest and senior teacher in the Bay Area Everyday Zen lineage of Zoketsu Norman Fischer, and leads the Heart of Compassion Zen Sangha in Point Reyes, California. Jaune works as the Executive Director of Tamalpais Trust, a philanthropic foundation which supports and helps to protect Indigenous Peoples’ sacred lands and waters, cultural and human rights, gender empowerment, and global justice alliance-building. She serves on the Board of Directors of Commonweal, the leadership team of Healing Circles, and is an Advisor to both the Board of the UC Berkeley Human Rights Center and Mesa Refuge Writer’s Refuge.

Myogen Neal Shorstein is a Zen Buddhist priest in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. He was ordained in 2018 by Zoketsu Norman Fischer and shuso for the spring practice period for Norman and Everyday Zen in 2023. Neal has led meditation groups for physicians and stroke recovery patients at Kaiser Permanente in Walnut Creek, California. Neal is also an ophthalmologist and researcher with Berkeley-based Seva Foundation. He has taught cataract surgery skills to ophthalmologists in the U.S., Europe, Asia and South America since 2005. He is currently Senior Research Advisor with Seva.

Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki arrived in the San Francisco Bay area from Japan in 1958. During the next decade, San Francisco Zen Center and Tassajara Zen Mountain Center were created through his inspiration.

In 1966, Suzuki-roshi established Haiku Zendo Meditation Center in a private home in Los Altos as an affiliate of the center in San Francisco. His lectures at Haiku Zendo are recorded in his book Zen Mind Beginner’s Mind. His biography Crooked Cucumber, was published in 1999.

Here is an example of his wise, direct way of teaching:  A young man came to see Suzuki-roshi wanting to learn about Zen. Roshi said to him,

We sit every morning at 5:30. You can join us.