Dhammadipa is the founder of Dassanaya Buddhist Community. She has been practicing Buddhism since 1987. She is a Dharma Transmitted Teacher in the Suzuki Roshi lineage of Soto Zen and was previously ordained in the Theravada tradition for 5 years. In addition to English, Dhammadīpā teaches in Spanish, an expression of her Latin heritage. She is an author whose work has appeared in the Buddhist publications “Lion’s Roar” and the “Buddhadharma” magazine. Dhammadīpā is the mother of a lovely adult daughter, and enjoys sewing and watercolor painting.

Learn more about her and her teachings at: Dassanaya.org

Ben Connelly is a Soto Zen teacher and Dharma heir in the Katagiri lineage. He also teaches mindfulness in a wide variety of secular contexts including police training and addiction recovery groups. He works with multifaith groups focused on intersectional liberation, racial justice, and climate justice. Ben is based at Minnesota Zen Meditation Center, travels to teach across the United States, has written for Tricycle and Lion’s Roar magazines, and is author of Inside the Grass Hut, Inside Vasubandhu's Yogacara, Vasubandhu's "Three Natures", and Mindfulness and Intimacy.