As Buddhism came to the United States in the Twentieth Century, one of the major shifts was the empowerment of women as teachers and leaders. These women pioneers founded some of the most vibrant temples in the United States today and have expanded the dharma in new directions, and yet their contributions remain under-documented.

The Women in Zen Working Group came together to celebrate these pioneers in modern Zen practice and to offer archival research valuable to contemporary practitioners. As a pilot project we profile Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara who co-founded the Village Zendo in 1986 with her partner Roshi Barbara Joshin O’Hara.

The Women in Zen Working Group is a project of the Village Zendo.

This project was supported by The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.