Teachers

Founding Teacher of the Kwan Um School of Zen: 

The Zen Master Seung Sahn, who was called Dae Soen Sa Nim (Great Honored Zen Teacher) by his students, was the 78th Patriarch in his line of Dharma transmission in the Chogye order of Korean Buddhism, and founded temples in Japan and Hong Kong. In 1972 he came to the United States and started what became the Providence Zen Center, the first center in what is now the Kwan Um School. Dae Soen Sa Nim gave dharma transmission to Zen Masters and “inka” teaching authority to senior students called Ji Do Poep Sa Nims (Guides to the Way, or Dharma Masters). The Kwan Um School of Zen currently has 44 teachers throughout the world.

Host of Tea House Zen:

Nancy Hathaway is a Senior Dharma Teacher (SDT) in the Kwan Um  School of Zen (KUSZ) and has been studying Zen in the KUSZ since 1977. She lived at the Providence Zen Center for 5 years with her family. She began her studies in Kopan Monastery in the Himalayas in 1974 and has studied in the Tibetan Buddhist and Insight Meditation traditions. For her livelihood she teaches Integrating Mindfulness, Social, & Emotional Skills into Education as well as Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction and founded Mindfulness-based Compassionate Communication. She has taught internationally, mostly in Maine on the college level, especially with educators and has a private therapy practice in person or on ZOOM working with couples, individuals, and workshops for groups. 

Visiting Teachers:

Barry Briggs, JDPSN, received inka in 2013 and has taught at Zen centers around the world. He now lives in the borderlands region of southern Arizona and serves as guiding teacher of Bisbee Lotus Sangha

Matt Keeler JDPSN, has been practicing Zen meditation for 34 years and lived at the Chogye International Zen Center in New  York City for 7 years. He received inka from Zen Master Wu Kwang at the Providence Zen Center on April 2, 2017. Matt has extensive retreat experience, including 2 three-month winter Kyol Che retreats and a 90-day solo retreat in Blue Hill, Maine. In addition to being the director of the Family Program at Redding Meditation Center in Redding CT, Matt is a certified high school math teacher. Previously he was a professional musician. Matt lives in Ridgefield, CT where he is a single father with a 19-year old son.

Nancy Brown Hedgpeth, JDPSN,