Our Teachers
Temple Founder: Butsugen Joshin Daiosho (1927 - 2023)
Keira-Rōshi was born September 5, 1927, at Kōmyō Temple in Iwate Prefecture, Northern Japan, where his father was abbot. In 1930, when Keira was only 2 years old, the family moved to Taiwan. He grew up there and didn’t return to Japan until after the Second World War. In 1946, his family moved to Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, Northern Japan so his father could take over the abbotship of Shurinji, “Excellent Forest Temple,” the temple where he had trained as a young monk. After his father died, Keira decided to succeed to Shurinji’s abbotship.
He became the student of a nearby abbot, Kenshō Gishu-Rōshi and trained at Sōjiji in Yokohama, one of two main Sōtō Zen training monasteries in Japan. Keira-Rōshi then received certification as a fully-empowered priest. In 1953, he formally succeeded to the abbotship of Shurinji as its 32nd abbot. Keira-Rōshi remained in this position for more than sixty years, retiring finally in 2015 just shy of his 90th birthday. “When you think you understand,” he says, reflecting on many years of zazen practice, “you are only half-way there. When you think you have understood, it doesn’t help you at all. Training is a life-long practice.”
Keira-roshi passed from this world on May 6, 2023. We are forever grateful for the wisdom and compassion he shared so freely.
Abbot: Ejo McMullen
Ejo Patrick McMullen is the current Abbot of Buddha Eye Zen Community Temple. Ejo was ordained as a Soto Zen priest in 1995 and completed his monastic training at Daijoji Monastery in Kanazawa prefecture, Japan. In 1998, he received Denpo (Dharma Transmission) from Joshin Kiera Roshi, the founder of Buddha Eye Temple and the previous Abbot of Shurinji temple in Sendai, Japan. Joshin Kiera Roshi passed away in May of 2023.
Committed to the flourishing of Soto Zen in North America, Ejo is currently the Assistant Director of the Soto Zen North American Office, a Full Member of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association, at which he served as Board Member from 2007 - 2013, and is a member of the American Zen Teachers Association. His teachings and writing have appeared in Lion’s Roar Magazine and Buddhadharma, leading periodicals of Buddhist news, thought, and research.
Ejo also holds a BA in Japanese and Social Science, and completed the Graduate Teaching Education program at Portland State University. He has taught extensively in public schools and Japanese immersion programs in the Pacific Northwest.
He currently lives in Eugene, Oregon with his wife Azusa.
Sanzen
Tuesday & Thursday Mornings, 6:00am (during Zazen)
Monday & Wednesday Afternoons (Sign-up in front of Abbot’s office).
Meet our teachers!
At Buddha Eye Temple, Dharma Teachers, Koji, and Sangha Elders are available to meet with the community on a one-on-one basis through Practice Discussion. Please click on the images below to learn more about our teachers, and to find out how to contact them in order to schedule a Practice Discussion.
Zen Teacher Myōbun
Myōbun grew up with a deep respect for the life of the mind – and its capacity for curiosity, authenticity and the search for meaning. At a same time, a yearning for deep mystery has also always called her. Early on the work of philosopher and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl captivated her; her parents were themselves refugees from Nazi Germany. Frankl wrote: “We need to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who are being questioned by life.”
Sanzen
Friday Mornings, 6:00am (during Zazen)
Practice Discussion
Monday Afternoons, 4:00pm - 6pm
by appointment, please click here for scheduling.
Zen Teacher Kogen
Kogen is an artist, master builder, and wood-worker. Kogen’s Dharma is deeply rooted in physical practice and the living world, especially it’s trees. Kogen received Dharma Transmission from Ejo McMullen in 2024.
Practice Discussion
By appointment, please contact Kogen directly by emailing him at krummholzpine@gmail.com
Koji Anyu
Anyu formally committed herself to the Buddha Way in 2001 when she received the precepts from Chozen Bays, Roshi. She ordained with Ejo McMullen in Zaike Tokudo in 2010 and is currently in training as “koji” (lay dharma leader). Professionally, Anyu made a major career change when she returned to school in 2010 for her Master of Divinity degree as part of her training to become an interfaith chaplain. She has worked as a chaplain at PeaceHealth since 2014 and has recently started teaching introductory Buddhist meditation once a month at Serenity Lane.
Practice Discussion
Sunday Mornings, 8:00am - 9:30am
Koji Shin’ei
Shin’ei Alison Brown is an artist and poet whose writing and visual work is integral to her life and practice. She says, “I have personal and archetypal interest in the wounded healer, and would like to share my insight into this true path of healing. Seeming to circle back again and again toward acceptance and relinquishment, the double-edged sword of karma.” Shin’ei entered formal Zen practice in 1997, becoming a disciple of Kyogen Carlson in 2001. Shin’ei remained a close disciple of Kyogen’s until his death in September, 2014. Moving to Eugene in 2017, she began practicing at Buddha Eye Temple. She became a formal student of Ejo McMullen’s in 2020. Shin’ei completed her Koji training in May, 2023.
Practice Discussion
By appointment, please contact Shin’ei directly by emailing her at shineialison@yahoo.com
Koji Jikie
Jikie has been part of the Buddha Eye community for over 20 years. Her Zen practice is deeply informed by her love of Aikido, yoga, and other somatic exploration as well as a passion for gardening and things that grow. Jikie works in behavioral health and is currently working on an Masters of Social Work. Jikie completed Hossenshiki and became a Koji at Buddha Eye Temple in 2024.
Practice Discussion
Tuesday Afternoons, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
By appointment, please contact Jikie directly by emailing her at jikiepeterson@gmail.com
Sangha Elder Jun-e
Jun-e has been a long time practitioner of Zen and a key figure in Buddha Eye Temple since its founding over 20 years ago. She has dedicated her life to the service of others, both in her work with Civil Rights and in mental health. For her long time service, practice, and leadership in the community, Jun-e was named Sangha Elder in 2019 and became the first Buddha Eye Temple community member to hold that title and the responsibilities of that position.
Practice Discussion
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (in person or on-line)
By appointment, please contact Jun-e directly by emailing her at carmelitajune@gmail.com
Sangha Elder Issei
Issei has led a life of service and leadership, both at Buddha Eye Temple, and in the community at large. She has worked with NGOs including the American Refugee Committee in Rwanda in 2009-2010. From 2011 - 2015, she worked with the Center for Renewable Energy and Technology for the Environment in Senegal, at their Eugene, Oregon office. Issei has served on the Board of Directors at Buddha Eye Temple, acting as its Treasurer. Since then she has continued to steward the temple’s financial security, and in 2017 became a member of the temple’s Sustainability Team.
In recognition of her years of service, diligent practice, and the deep insight of her experience, Issei was named Sangha Elder in 2023.
Practice Discussion
(in person or on-line)
By appointment, please contact Issei diretly by emailing her at weil.robin7@gmail.com