Tim Burkett

Biography

Tim Burkett began Zen practice in early 1964 with Shunryu Suzuki Roshi.

At Suzuki Roshi’s urging, Tim began a weekly meditation group on the San Francisco peninsula later that year. Suzuki Roshi regularly attended this group, and as it grew it moved to the converted garage of a sangha member. Suzuki Roshi’s talks to that group were later edited and published as Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, a now-classic text and a gateway to Zen practice for many westerners.

After completing his BA at Stanford University, Tim attended the maiden practice period at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in 1967. In 1970, Tim and his wife Linda moved to Minnesota. He was an early member of MZMC and was ordained by Dainin Katagiri Roshi in 1978.

Tim served as board president of MZMC from 1978 to 1983, received dharma transmission from Sekijun Karen Sunna in the Katagiri lineage in 2000, and succeeded Karen as Guiding Teacher in 2002.

Tim is a licensed Ph.D. psychologist whose doctoral work focused on neo-shamanic practice. He is also the retired CEO of People Incorporated, one of Minnesota’s largest non-profit agencies, which provides community-based service to individuals with mental health concerns.

Tim and Linda live in Minneapolis and have two grown children and two grandchildren.