It Shows Us Where We're Caught Then It Sets Us Free with Mitra Bishop, Roshi

Mitra Bishop Roshi began practicing Zen in 1974 while living in Turkey and soon after began training at the Rochester Zen Center with Roshi Philip Kapleau. In 1986, Mitra-roshi was ordained by Roshi Kapleau and after completing her formal training in 1992, she moved to Sogen-ji, a Rinzai Zen temple, in Okayama, Japan, to train under the guidance of the Ven. Harada Shodo-roshi.

Mitra-roshi returned to the United States in 1996 was formally sanctioned to teach by Roshi Kapleau as one of his dharma heirs. In that same year, she was asked to guide the Hidden Valley Zen Center in San Marcos, California, and as well, established Mountain Gate Sanmonji, a monastic practice center in the mountains of northern New Mexico.

Mitra-roshi is an accomplished calligrapher and her writings have appeared in the books Mu, Zen Teaching, Zen Practice, Blossoms of the Dharma, and in Record of the Hidden Lamp, as well as numerous websites and magazines. A number of videos of her teisho [Zen talks] are available on YouTube.

You can find out more by visiting the website for Mountain Gate Sanmonji at https://www.sanmonjizen.org/

She also works with the Regaining Balance Program which offers retreats for women veterans with PTSD. You can learn more by visiting https://www.regainingbalance.org/

And Hidden Valley Zen Center at https://www.hvzc.org