Mr. Teal left his home in Vermont to train at a Japanese Buddhist monastery when he was 19. As a child, seeing people create such suffering in the world tore him apart. He wanted to face the problem directly, and upon learning that monasteries are built for that purpose, he began searching immediately. After visiting teachers for some time, H found a true Zen Master, Shodo Harada Roshi, with whom he was fortunate enough to train for four years, and under whom he was ordained. He also trained, and served as head monk, at Sariputta Boudh Vihar, an Ambedkar Buddhist monastery in southern India, where he worked for the rights of those born into the lower castes and helped to raise thirty boys with the understanding that we are all inconceivably valuable, regardless of family circumstances. He led peaceful protests and organized community efforts to overcome the injustice of the caste system. He further trained at Hemis Gompa, a Kagyud Tibetan monastery in the far north of India, and Xue Feng Si, an ancient Ch’an monastery in eastern China. Since returning to the US, he have had the honor of participating in several Native American ceremonies, including the Sun Dance and a cycle of vision quests. He taught mindfulness techniques at King St Center to a group of inspired, and inspiring teenagers. He is the founder of The Center for Mindful Learning. In 2010 he was honored to join the board of DOF which he described the opportunity as follow. “It is a blessing for me to have the chance to work with Peter on this excellent project to bring education to children with the greatest need.”
Teal Forall Scott
