Nov. Bŏnjōk Chris Hoff
Abbot
Meditation Practice is led by Rev. Chris Bŏnjōk Hoff, MFT who is currently a Novice Priest in the Five Mountain Zen Order. Chris began meditative practices in the Vedanta Tradition more than fifteen years ago. Having studied with a variety of teachers he is currently engaged in practice with Rev. Yuanzhi and has taken ten precepts in the Five Mountain Zen Order.
He is also an M.A. IMF #66002, is a Registered Marriage & Family Therapist Intern with the Project. Chris' work is grounded in Narrative theory, an evolving collection of ideas and practices that inform a respectful, collaborative and non pathologising approach to working with people and communities.
Chris works with young people, women, men, couples and families in response to a wide range of concerns. Chris has a particular interest in the meanings that people develop from their life experiences. Through the Narrative Project, Chris also provides a wide range of executive and organizational development consulting services. Chris' organizational work is based on Appreciative Inquiry, a body of work that focuses on developing an organization's positive core to inspire collaborative action that serves the whole system. AI is the powerful new paradigm for strength-based organizational transformation. Chris also blogs for OC Metro magazine, writing about leading edge postmodern collaborative practices.
Prior to joining the Project, Chris co-founded Two Roads Professional Resources Inc., a full-service engineering and information technology staffing company, in 1996. He helped grow the business to eight figures in sales and over 200 employees. Chris successfully exited the business in January 2010. Chris has also been an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award finalist, and has over 20 years of experience in human resources.
Chris currently serves on the California state board of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and is a member of several other nonprofit boards serving both the arts and issues of social justice. He has also presented across the country on topics such as Social Justice and Social Entrepreneurship. Chris has also been a guest lecturer at Pepperdine University.
Chris Hoff, California Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Intern #66002, Supervised by Anne Arnold, MFT, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #34382..
Interests
travel, art, buddhism, entrepreneurship, poetry, surfing
Abbot
Meditation Practice is led by Rev. Chris Bŏnjōk Hoff, MFT who is currently a Novice Priest in the Five Mountain Zen Order. Chris began meditative practices in the Vedanta Tradition more than fifteen years ago. Having studied with a variety of teachers he is currently engaged in practice with Rev. Yuanzhi and has taken ten precepts in the Five Mountain Zen Order.
He is also an M.A. IMF #66002, is a Registered Marriage & Family Therapist Intern with the Project. Chris' work is grounded in Narrative theory, an evolving collection of ideas and practices that inform a respectful, collaborative and non pathologising approach to working with people and communities.
Chris works with young people, women, men, couples and families in response to a wide range of concerns. Chris has a particular interest in the meanings that people develop from their life experiences. Through the Narrative Project, Chris also provides a wide range of executive and organizational development consulting services. Chris' organizational work is based on Appreciative Inquiry, a body of work that focuses on developing an organization's positive core to inspire collaborative action that serves the whole system. AI is the powerful new paradigm for strength-based organizational transformation. Chris also blogs for OC Metro magazine, writing about leading edge postmodern collaborative practices.
Prior to joining the Project, Chris co-founded Two Roads Professional Resources Inc., a full-service engineering and information technology staffing company, in 1996. He helped grow the business to eight figures in sales and over 200 employees. Chris successfully exited the business in January 2010. Chris has also been an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award finalist, and has over 20 years of experience in human resources.
Chris currently serves on the California state board of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and is a member of several other nonprofit boards serving both the arts and issues of social justice. He has also presented across the country on topics such as Social Justice and Social Entrepreneurship. Chris has also been a guest lecturer at Pepperdine University.
Chris Hoff, California Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Intern #66002, Supervised by Anne Arnold, MFT, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #34382..
Interests
travel, art, buddhism, entrepreneurship, poetry, surfing
Ven. Paul Yuánzhì Lynch
Guiding Teacher
Ven. Yuánzhì 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 Seung Sahn during the opening ceremony. The Huntington Beach Zen Center was originally a residential Zen Center where up to eight students lived and practiced. Ven. Yuánzhì 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 Seung Sahn; 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. Ven. Yuánzhì 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 Zen Order. Besides having a practice location in Huntington Beach, California, we also have Zen Centers located throughout the US.
Ven. Yuánzhì 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. Rev. Yuánzhì 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. Soensanim 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 would like to read some of Ven. Yuánzhì’s work visit his blog site at Zen Mirror and Chán Poetry and his new blog for the Blue Mountain Chán Project before thought.
Guiding Teacher
Ven. Yuánzhì 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 Seung Sahn during the opening ceremony. The Huntington Beach Zen Center was originally a residential Zen Center where up to eight students lived and practiced. Ven. Yuánzhì 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 Seung Sahn; 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. Ven. Yuánzhì 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 Zen Order. Besides having a practice location in Huntington Beach, California, we also have Zen Centers located throughout the US.
Ven. Yuánzhì 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. Rev. Yuánzhì 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. Soensanim 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 would like to read some of Ven. Yuánzhì’s work visit his blog site at Zen Mirror and Chán Poetry and his new blog for the Blue Mountain Chán Project before thought.
