Ryotan Cynthia Kear

Cynthia serves as Guiding Teacher for Great Spirit Sangha and Women of the Way Sangha, and is a senior teacher in Meditation in Recovery. She received Jukai from Paul Haller in 2004, was ordained in 2008, and received Dharma Transmission in 2010 from her heart teacher, Darlene Cohen.

Great Spirit Sangha meets twice a month at HSZC, both in person and on Zoom, and offers two annual practice periods along with frequent zazenkais and sesshins. Its subgroups include Precepts Study, Zen Foundations, Bodhisattva Sangha led by students, Dogen study, and priest training. Sewing is also available with teacher approval.

Cynthia also serves as Visiting Teacher for Upaya Zen Center, where she co-leads the spring practice period. She teaches throughout the Bay Area with sanghas including the Sacramento Buddhist Meditation Group. Her book, Alive for It All, exploring Darlene’s wisdom and teachings, will be published in 2026.

Her practice is rooted in skillfulness, vow, freedom, joy, peace, and ease—right here, right now, just as the world is and just as we are.