Dokusan and Practice Discussion

​Rev. Hōgetsu Laurie Belzer is the Guiding Dharma Teacher at Ancient Dragon Zen Gate and succeeds our founding guiding teacher, Taigen Dan Leighton.   She is a lineage holder in the Soto zen tradition of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi, and received dharma transmission from Rev. Taiyo Lipscomb. Since 1989, Hōgetsu has trained intensively at all three of San Francisco Zen Center’s temples, where she served as Shuso (Head Monk) with Tenshin Reb Anderson at Green Gulch Farm.  A founding member of ADZG, Hōgetsu has supported the evolution of our practice center since its genesis.  As guiding teacher, Hogetsu joyfully serves the wonderful ADZG community in many ways, including as dharma teacher, sangha leader, board member, Thursday morning zazen host,  and sewing practice mentor.

Rev. Taigen Dan Leighton is a Soto Zen priest and Dharma successor in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. He was the guiding teacher of Ancient Dragon Zen Gate from 2007 to 2024. Click here to read a full bio of Taigen, to see the all of Taigen’s teaching offerings, and to visit Taigen’s website.

Douglas Floyd is a lay entrusted Dharma teacher, the former Temple Director and President of Ancient Dragon Zen Gate, and a former member of the board of directors. He received Lay Entrustment from Taigen Dan Leighton in 2021. He also has served as ADZG’s Ino, or meditation hall supervisor, and was lay ordained by Taigen in 2011. He has practiced at Ancient Dragon since 2007, served as head monk (shuso) for the 2016 spring practice period, and is available for Zen practice discussion. Introduced to Buddhist practice in the 70s at Tail of the Tiger, a Tibetan center in Vermont, Douglas also has practiced Zen at Maria Kannon Zen Center in Dallas and at the Missouri Zen Center in St. Louis. He is married, with two adult sons.

Rev. Eishin Nancy Easton is an authorized Dharma Teacher in the Shunryu Suzuki-roshi Lineage and nyoho-e sewing teacher at Ancient Dragon Zen Gate.  She was formerly Director for many years as well as  Tenzo (head of the kitchen) and Tanto (Temple Practice Head). She was priest ordained by Taigen in 2011, and has attended Green Gulch January intensive practice. In 2018 she served as head monk (shuso) for the Ancient Dragon Zen Gate spring practice period.  And in 2019, Eishin received dharma transmission from Taigen. She is available for Zen practice discussion. Eishin is a retired clinical psychologist.  She lives with her husband on the north side of Chicago and also works part of the year in national parks.  She has two young adult step-daughters. Eishin is also an urban bicycle advocate, and can be found biking to work, sangha, or other daily life activities.

Rev. Nyozan Eric Shutt is an authorized Dharma Teacher in the Shunryu Suzuki-roshi Lineage and has served in various temple positions at Ancient Dragon Zen Gate.  For many years he offered meditation at our affiliated weekly group at the University of Chicago’s Rockefeller Chapel in Hyde Park,  He is also on our Ethics and Reconciliation Council, previously served as chair of our board, and is available for Zen practice discussion. Nyozan taught zazen at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago for five years and has helped construct community gardens on the South Side.He was introduced to Tibetan practice at Naropa Institute in 1974 but by the mid-1980s felt more of an affinity to Zen. He has now had many years of practice with both Korean and Japanese Zen teachers. Nyozan attended a Tassajara practice period in the spring of 2009 and was ordained as a priest by Taigen in 2011. In 2014 he served as head monk (shuso) for our spring practice period. And in 2019 Nyozan again attended ango at Tassajara, and later that year received dharma transmission from Taigen.