​Teachers

​Peter and Jane Schneider were early students of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi in the sixties. Both served as Suzuki-roshi’s jisha (personal attendant) in the early years of the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Peter and Jane also assisted in transcription of his dharma talks for later publication. Following Suzuki-roshi’s death, they accepted scholarships from the San Francisco Zen Center to study Buddhism in Japan. Peter and Jane lived and studied in Japan from 1973 to 1995. They founded the Beginner’s Mind Zen Center (originally the Northridge Zen Center) in 2003. Peter and Jane are members of the American Zen Teacher’s Association and the Soto Zen Buddhist Association.

​Yozen Peter Schneider first studied with Shunryu Suzuki-roshi in 1962 and returned to continue in 1967. He served as the second director of Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, as well as president of the San Francisco Zen Center. Peter received priest ordination from Suzuki-roshi in 1970. In 2002 he received dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman-roshi of the Berkeley Zen Center.

Myokaku Jane Schneider studied with Shunryu Suzuki-roshi from 1967 until his death in 1971. She served as secretary for the San Francisco Zen Center. In 1973 Jane received priest ordination from Zentatsu Richard Baker-roshi. In September, 2008, she received dharma transmission from Myoan Grace Schireson, abbess of Empty Nest Zendo, a dharma heir in the Suzuki-roshi tradition. Jane’s writing has appeared in Seeds of Virtue, Seeds of Change: A Collection of Zen Teachings (Temple Ground Press, 2014) and The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women (Wisdom Publications, 2013).

The paintings featured on this website are Jane’s work. You can see more at www.JaneSchneiderArt.com