Paul has been practicing Buddhist meditation for more than twenty five years, and with the sanction and encouragement of Zen Master Sŭngsan, founded the Huntington Beach Zen Center on August 14th of 1993 where he was installed as Abbot of the Zen Center by Zen Master Sŭngsan during the opening ceremony. The Huntington Beach Zen Center was originally a residential Zen Center where up to eight students lived and practiced. Paul faithfully served as the Abbot for fifteen years from 1993 until the summer of 2008. The Zen Center eventually moved to Stanton and later to Long Beach when it became a non residential Center in 2000. Throughout the late 1980's and into the early 1990's Paul had the opportunity to practice with Zen Master Sŭngsan; and although his grand-teacher was retired from formal teaching at the time, the monks at Dharma Zen Center would frequently request him to host kōan interviews with the students during his frequent long stays in Los Angeles.
Paul Lynch, JDPSN received Inka from Zen Master Jibong of the Golden Wind Zen Order in April of 2006. Paul is no longer associated with the Golden Wind Order and has since founded the Five Mountain Sangha. Additionally he entered into Zen studies with James Ford Roshi in the Harada/Yasutani Lineage of Japanese Zen as transmitted through John Tarrant Roshi who was the first Dharma Heir of Robert Aitken Roshi. Besides having a practice location in Huntington Beach, California, we also have Zen Centers located in Berkeley, Californa, and Cincinnati, Ohio.
Paul has traveled extensively throughout the US and Asia sitting retreats with many of the Zen Masters both inside and outside of the Kwan Um School of Zen. He is also a Poet and Author and was encouraged by Zen Master Sŭngsan to write poetry and was counseled by his grand teacher in the proper use and function of Zen Poetry in practice and teaching. Paul, JDPSN has written many books; including Cold Heart Thawing, a collection of his earlier poetry, Peering Through the Cloud, a collection of his latter poetry,and A Path to Christ Consciousness was co-authored with his long time Dharma friend Robert Harwood. Pŏpsanim has also written Five Mountains - a Practice Guide to Sŏn Buddhism, Zen Liturgy - Korean Sŏn Practice Forms, Buddhist Precepts - a Guide for Western Buddhist Lay Practitioners along with Translations of The Barrier That Has No Gate, Wú Mén Guān and The Blue Cliff Record. These books are available from the Zen Center, at Before Thought Publications or any of your local booksellers. If you'd like to read some of Pŏpsanim's work visit his blog site at Zen Mirror and Chán Poetry.
