Ted O’Toole

Biography

Ted O’Toole first became interested in Buddhism in 1973, and began his formal practice in 1992 at the Zen Buddhist Temple in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The following year he moved to Minnesota and became a member of MZMC, where he received the precepts from Shohaku Okumura.

He was ordained as a priest by Tim Burkett in 2005, and received dharma transmission (permission to teach independently) from Tim in February of 2012. He served as MZMC’s Guiding Teacher after Tim. He frequently leads practice periods and meditation retreats, and has taught various classes, including Basics of Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths, Creative Writing as Buddhist Practice, and Zen and the Art of Public Speaking.

Ted grew up on a farm in North Dakota, and often incorporates his early experiences into his dharma talks. He has done construction, packing plant, and factory work, and currently works in the legal profession.

He and his wife Kathy Guthrie live in St. Paul, and enjoy their extended family, as well as gardening, house projects, biking, cross-country skiing, and writing. It is a great joy, Ted says, to teach the dharma and build sangha, and to be supported in turn by a kind, vibrant, and exciting community.