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About Us

The Puget Sound Zen Center is a Zen Buddhist practice community rooted in the Rinzai Zen tradition. We are dedicated to the practice of zazen, ritual, and dharma study as ways of cultivating wisdom, compassion, and clarity in everyday life.

From our home temple in the Salish Sea region of western North America, the Puget Sound Zen Center offers a quiet and grounded place for practice in a noisy world. Our sangha is diverse and inclusive, and our practice is shaped by classical Zen forms and by the realities of contemporary life.

The Puget Sound Zen Center practices within the Rinzai Zen tradition as an independent sangha, informed by ethical reflection and by relationships with teachers and communities across Zen lineages.

Our Sangha

Wherever you are in your spiritual practice, you are welcome here.

Located on Vashon Island and in West Seattle, the Puget Sound Zen Center is part of the life of those local communities while serving the wider Puget Sound region. Our community is open to all, regardless of age, ethnicity, religious background, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Some members of the sangha have been practicing Zen for decades; others are just beginning. Some practice Zen alongside participation in other spiritual traditions. What we share is a commitment to practice together with sincerity, care, and mutual respect.

Practice and Engagement

We hold daily practice and offer several retreats each year. Our programs include dharma study classes, discussion groups, community service opportunities, a precepts program, and an ordination path for lay practitioners.

We are members of the Northwest Dharma Association and the Vashon Island Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness.

History and Lineage

Meet Our Teachers & Community Leaders

The Puget Sound Zen Center is guided by dedicated teachers, staff, and community members who help cultivate a welcoming and supportive space for practice. From offering teachings and leading meditation to organizing events and maintaining our Sangha, these individuals play a vital role in sustaining our community.

Learn more about the people who help bring PSZC to life.

Teacher

Teacher

Koshin Christopher Cain

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Associate Teacher

Associate Teacher

Eko Jeff Kelley

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Lay Ordained

Lay Ordained

Shuko Sissel Johannessen

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Lay Ordained

Lay Ordained

Seizan Stephen Black

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Lay Ordained

Lay Ordained

Anshin David Steel

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Lay Ordained

Lay Ordained

Hogen Joshua Lawler

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Chaplain

Chaplain

Jim Chiko Hunziker

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Meet Our Board Members

The Puget Sound Zen Center is guided by dedicated teachers, staff, and community members who help cultivate a welcoming and supportive space for practice. From offering teachings and leading meditation to organizing events and maintaining our Sangha, these individuals play a vital role in sustaining our community.

Learn more about the people who help bring PSZC to life.

Gerrit van Roekel

Gerrit van Roekel

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Cedar Simmons

Cedar Simmons

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Laurie Bardill

Laurie Bardill

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Jude O’Reilley

Jude O’Reilley

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Committees:
Serving the Sangha

The Puget Sound Zen Center thrives through the dedication of its committees, which help support and sustain our community. From organizing events and maintaining our space to guiding leadership and outreach efforts, these volunteer-driven groups ensure that PSZC remains a vibrant place for practice and connection.

Learn more about our committees and how you can get involved.

  • Diane Sweetman
  • Kevin Hoffberg
  • Lauren Forest
  • Kim Kambak
  • Laurie Bardill
  • Sokan Chris Ezzell
  • Kare Strong
  • Kathy Cunningham

The Communications Committee publicizes the events and activities of PSZC with the goal of reaching as many potential stakeholders and attendees as possible. It manages the website, print communication, ads and flyers. Contact: pr@pszc.org.

  • Chair: Natalie Padilla
  • Kevin Hoffberg
  • Lynda Fitzpatrick
  • Jennifer Spinney
  • Christian Spinney
  • Ryushi Todd Walker
  • Shravan Dhakal
  • Seizan Stephen Black
  • Logan Jankauskas
  • Ian Stoba
  • Adam Weisbart
  • Joanna Pawlowska
  • Bob Matthews
  • Spencer Proffit

The purpose of the Ethics Committee is to ensure the ethical conduct of members and teachers in all programs and activities. It is on-call to address any ethical issues that may arise for the sangha, and to provide a yearly ethics review. Email ethics@pszc.org to contact the committee with an ethical concern or issue, or for more information.

  • Sheila Eckman
  • Chair: Rachael Osborn
  • Ryushi Todd Walker

Ethics Committee Charter

Teacher Ethics Policy & Process

The Board and Ethics Committee voted in October 2016 to enact a Code of Ethics and Grievance and Reconciliation Policy for sangha members.

The Membership Committee takes care of sangha members and strives to encourage individuals who are interested in the practice, activities and work of PSZC to join as sustaining members. We welcome people to the sangha and express appreciation to sangha members. Contact: membership@pszc.org.

  • Chair: Robert Rutherford
  • Diane Schairer
  • Cynthia Perkins
  • Joyce Hunziker
  • Jen Lindsay
  • Kylie Flynn
  • Maggie Davis
  • Susan Rogers
  • Suzanne Hubbard

The Programs Committee is responsible for developing the annual program calendar and subsequent monthly schedule of events and activities. Contact: programs@pszc.org.

  • Chair: Shuko Sissel Johannessen 
  • Co-Chair: 
  • Diane Sweetman
  • Stephen Dockter
  • Rachael Osborn
  • Lynda Fitzpatrick
  • Penny Jackson

Created in 2022, the Steering Committee serves to maintain the vision of the Abbot, Board and Sangha in developing the Zen Center and grounds. It coordinates the efforts of the Building Committee and the Grounds Committee so the overall result is comprehensive and meets the PSZC mission, goals and values.

  • Eko Jeff Kelley
  • Lidunn Overdahl Cain
  • Chair: Hogen Josh Lawler
  • Kevin Hoffberg
  • Logan Jankauskas
  • Josh Lawler
  • Chair: Jean Spohn
  • Natalie Padilla
  • Sara Campbell
  • Laurie Bardill
  • Diane Schairer
  • Joanne Loeliger

The Fundraising Committee raises funds to supplement PSZC’s income and meet the annual budget.

  • Chair: Kaia Laursen
  • Berneta Walraven
  • Chris Bauer
  • David Hecht
  • Chad Bishop
  • Kyle Moss
  • Mary Cabaniss-Ballard
  • John Sweetman
  • Anshin David Steel
  • Cedar SImmons
  • Karen Hedlund
  • Patrick Christie
  • Morgan Brown
  • Jim Hunziker
  • Kara Hill
  • Jeff Scholnik
Food Bank Garden

Food Bank Garden

Dirt, sweat, and growing things – we love it. Thanks to the passionate and robust efforts of Shuko Sissel Johannessen the PSZC now supports an impressive vegetable garden for the Vashon Food Bank.

Generally Shuko and others are in the garden every Tuesday and Friday morngings from 9:00-11:00 AM. People are invited to stop by then or work an hour whenever they have time. There are a few tools on site, but feel free to bring your own.

Please contact Shuko Sissel Johannessen at shuko@pszc.org for directions to the garden or to discuss ideas for the garden or any questions you might have.

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Teacher

Koshin Christopher Cain is Abbot of the Puget Sound Zen Center. Koshin was born in 1965 and grew up in London, England, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

He graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, with a BA in American Studies in 1987. In 1990 he moved to Mt. Baldy Zen Center in California, he ordained in 1991, and trained at Mt. Baldy as a monk from 1991 to 1999.

In 1999 he received Temple Dharma Transmission and the title of Osho from Joshu Sasaki Roshi. From 1999 to 2002 he served as Vice-abbot of Mt. Baldy Zen Center. In 2003 he moved to Vashon Island and became the founding teacher of the Puget Sound Zen Center. 

Since 2009, Koshin has been the formal teacher of the Rinzai Zen Center in Oslo.  He is responsible for the direction of the Zen practice there, and visits the center twice a year. In 2024, he received koan transmission from Zen Master Jeong Ji Anita Feng.

Koshin is married to Soshin Lidunn Cain, and they have a son, Lars, born in 2001, and daughter Eva, born in 2004.

Listen to Talks by the Abbot
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Associate Teacher

Eko Jeff Kelley began practicing Zen in 1994 at Clouds in Water Zen Center in St. Paul, MN. He practiced there for fifteen years, first with Dosho Mike Port and then with Byakuren Judith Ragir. He was ordained as a Soto Zen priest by Byakuren in May of 2008 in the lineage of Dainin Katagiri Roshi.

Jeff moved to Seattle in 2009 and began leading the Seattle Soto Zen sangha. In 2013, he received formal Dharma Transmission from Byakuren. He stepped down from leadership at Seattle Soto Zen down in 2019.

Jeff and his wife, Bonnie, moved to Vashon Island in 2022. An on-going friendship with Koshin Cain had resulted in invitations over the years to give talks at Puget Sound Zen Center. The move to Vashon naturally led Jeff to find a practice at PSZC where he continues to offer teachings.

Jeff had a twenty five year career as an architect in Minnesota. He has worked extensively with prison meditation groups, first in Minnesota and then in Washington. He has two adult children.

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Lay Ordained

Shuko Sissel Johannessen moved to Vashon from Minneapolis in 2004, with her two children. She had just become interested in Zen practice, and was so happy to find a new little Zen Center on Vashon.

She has been practicing with the Puget Sound Zen Center for the 20 years since then with Abbot Koshin Chris Cain. She received the precepts (jukai) in 2016 and lay ordination in 2020. She has served in many capacities at the Zen Center: zendo officer, Programs committee and Board member, gardener, and dogged traveller on the Way.

Sangha members introduced her to caregiving early on, and she still loves her work with Island people- the elderly and those on hospice. Her previous life work was in archaeology, specializing for many years in research in paleoethnobotany. She has two children and two grandchildren.

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Lay Ordained

Seizan Stephen Black studied Art, Language and culture at Université de Toulouse Au Mirail,Toulouse, France, and Art and Design at the New School of Visual Concepts. He is a graduate of Whitworth University. He ran his own design firm—Studio Black—for over 40 years, and specialized in wine branding for clients around the world.

Seizan has been practicing Zen for about 20 years. He took the Precepts in 2017, and was lay ordained as a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk in 2021. He did nine months of monastic training at Bodhi Manda Zen Center in NM. He first moved to the island in 1994, where he currently lives with his Cat companion—Frank Martin.

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Lay Ordained

Anshin David Steel’s intro to Zen began while attending the University of Washington, 1958-61. Through the years his teachers have been Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn, Thich Nhat Hanh, Joshu Sasaki, and Koshin Chris Cain.

He moved to Vashon Island in 1970 and through the aughts practiced Zen with John Candy, Mary Belshaw and others upstairs at the Blue Heron Art Center. At the same time time, islander Jeff Tipp introduced him to Zen Master Seung Sahn. He and his sweetheart Kaj Wyn Berry did mindfulness training precepts with Thich Nhat Hanh at Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California.

In 2003 David and Wyn joined the Puget Sound Zen Center, taking precepts in 2016. Anshin was lay ordained by Koshin in 2020. He teaches and leads qigong at the Zen Center.

Anshin has a son and daughter (deceased). He lives and practices at Seal Creek Camp Hermitage on the shores of Colvos Passage, Vashon Island.

He was a copywriter/creative supervisor with Cole Weber, opening his own agency Hinton & Steel Advertising in 1976. He retired in 1989. For 20 years, he has worked as a caregiver and sea kayak instructor, guide and outfitter, retiring in 2012.

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Lay Ordained

Hogen Josh Lawler has been practicing meditation for over 20 years and has been practicing Zen with the Puget Sound Zen Center since 2018. He received the precepts (jukai) in 2022 and lay ordination in 2025.

Hogen moved to Vashon in 2017 with his partner, Anne, and their two boys. He has served on the board of the PSZC as both member and president and has chaired the Center’s steering committee. He is a professor of landscape ecology and conservation at the University of Washington where he teaches and does research on climate change impacts, conservation solutions, and biodiversity.

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Chaplain

Jim Chiko Hunziker, a long-time PSZC member, serves in the role of PSZC Chaplain. He is a graduate of the Upaya Zen Center’s Chaplaincy program and is certified as the Vashon Island Police and Fire Chaplain.

Although the role is evolving, it currently consists of providing support to sangha members when they experience painful or traumatic events, such as the loss of a job, the death of someone close, the loss of a relationship, a distressing medical diagnosis, or bad news of one sort or another. In such situations, having someone to talk to and support you as you process the event can be comforting.

Jim is knowledgeable about the diagnosis and treatment of illness. He works closely with Sangha Care, and it is possible you will receive a call from him after you have contacted Sangha Care. Please do not hesitate to contact him directly if you have experienced something distressing and would like to talk with someone. Meetings with Jim are confidential.

Chaplain@pszc.org

(206) 228-2101

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Gerrit van Roekel

Gerrit’s been sitting since 2019 after a Sam Harris Waking Up introduction to meditation, joined PSZC in 2020. Along with meditation and Zen philosophy, he’s an avid reader of pseudo-science literature on the brain, consciousness, self, and other neuroscience. 

He’s done several Sesshins and Zazenkais and is currently in Jukai training. 

Gerrit’s been active on the PSZC board, in fundraising, as handyman, as treasurer and currently as board chair. His day job is in medical devices for “low resource settings”, currently working in sickle cell disease diagnostics. Gerrit lives on Vashon with his better half, dogs, chickens and many visiting critters, and loves to sail around the sound.

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Cedar Simmons

Cedar discovered the Puget Sound Zen Center in 2020, became a member in 2023, and is currently serving on the board as treasurer. She is on the grounds committee as well.

Cedar grew up on the Oregon coast, working at her family’s oyster farm at the confluence of the Pacific Ocean and Umpqua River since she was thirteen years old. After heading to Golden, Colorado for engineering school, Cedar traveled extensively for work.  Eventually she moved home to Oregon and spent two years as a public school science and math teacher.

Cedar returned to engineering and has served 26 years as an engineering leader in wastewater design, environmental compliance, construction management, and client service leadership. She is a licensed Professional Engineer in both Oregon and Washington, specializing in managing large, multi‑million‑dollar water projects. Her work blends technical expertise with a calm, grounded leadership style.

Cedar lives on the Kitsap Peninsula with her toy Aussie, Zeeky, who keeps her company on trails, ferries, and peaceful mornings by the water. She’s an avid traveler, knitter, yogi, and Toastmasters member who enjoys the quiet confidence that comes from thoughtful communication.

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Laurie Bardill

Laurie grew up in Texas. After graduating from high school, she left the flatlands for areas with more access to mountains, where she could enjoy hiking and appreciate different landscapes. Her first two years of college were in northern Arizona. She then moved to Washington state. She has a degree in communications, but her jobs have been mainly in postal facilities and libraries. She loves art, photography, classical music, and writing.

Laurie first came to the Zen Center for the 2008 all-night sit.  Over the years her involvement has grown, including joining the board in 2024 and taking the precepts in 2025. She lives on the mainland and participates in the West Seattle branch as well as island activities.

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Jude O’Reilley

Jude O’Reilley grew up St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was raised in the contemplative tradition of the Society of Friends. He later became an intern at Pendle Hill, a Quaker study and retreat center in southeastern Pennsylvania and attended a historically Quaker college in the area. 

These experiences left him feeling that he not only did he not have a gift for meditation, but he was also unusually bad at something that seemed to come so naturally to others.

He was led back into the practice out of sheer desperation while balancing two infants at home and a stressful job in high tech.  And this time it stuck.  A private practice of a few stolen minutes each day turned into a central and meaningful part of his life for nearly twenty years.

Jude was introduced to the Rinzai Zen tradition in 2023 and joined the Puget Sound Zen Center in the spring of that year.  He practices and volunteers at both the Vashon and West Seattle zendos.

Professionally, Jude has spent more than 28 years at the intersection of technology, social change, and philanthropy.  He lives with his wife, two kids and countless pets in West Seattle, Washington. During most winter weekends, he can be found ski patrolling in the mountains of the Cascades.

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