Dōshin Dan Gudgel has been practicing in the Soto Zen lineage of Shunryu Suzuki since 2006, when he first connected with Mountain Source Sangha in Marin County, California. After years of steady neighborhood and householder practice alongside the teachers and members of Mountain Source, he entered residential practice with San Francisco Zen Center in 2019, spending time at both Green Gulch Farm and Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.
He was ordained as a priest in December 2019 by Shinko Rick Slone. During his three years at Tassajara, Dan’s practice centered largely on the kitchen, where he served first as a crew member and fukuten, and later as tenzo, or kitchen manager, in 2022. Shaped by both residential monastic Zen and parish church Zen, his current work focuses on bringing the teachings into everyday life and infusing daily activities with the spirit of ceremony. He now serves as Director of Online Content for San Francisco Zen Center.