Minnesota Zen Meditation CenterTeachers
The guiding teacher, and the 21 priests and lay teachers who practice and teach alongside him.
Ben Connelly
Guiding teacher
Ben Connelly (he or they) began Zen practice at MZMC in 2001, was ordained in 2009, and received dharma transmission in 2015. He has taught mindfulness in a wide variety of secular contexts, including police training and addiction recovery groups.
He works with multifaith groups focused on social and ecological justice, and has served as president of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association and chairperson of the Minnesota Multifaith Network.
Transmitted priests
Priests at Minnesota Zen Meditation Center make a lifelong commitment to teaching and exemplifying the Dharma. Their responsibilities are many and varied, and include much service to the community. They are committed to the Bodhisattva ideal of universal liberation from suffering.
Priests in training
Priest training at MZMC follows the model Guidelines for Training Soto Zen Priests in the West, which was developed by Tim Burkett and others under the auspices of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association.
Thinking about this path yourself? Read about initiation and priest training.
Lay teachers
Lay teachers are long-term Zen Center members who have been recognized as qualified to guide others, because of their years of practice, spiritual depth, and devotion to our sangha (community). MZMC does not offer a program for lay teacher training and does not currently plan to designate more lay teachers.
Emeritus teachers
Hear them teach
The weekly dharma talks, on Sunday mornings and Tuesday evenings, are a chance to get to know the teachers more fully.