Ryushin Paul Haller served as Abiding Abbot at City Center from 2003 to 2012 and now teaches there as the Urban Temple Dharma Teacher. He has lived and practiced at San Francisco Zen Center since the 1970s, holding many roles at Tassajara and City Center. Given Dharma Transmission by Sojun Mel Weitsman, he has been teaching for more than 30 years. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, he teaches across the US and Europe and has led mindfulness programs supporting depression and recovery. Paul has also taught in prisons and been closely involved with the Zen Hospice Project. In addition, he has practiced yoga for over 30 years. He teaches at the Black Mountain Zen Centre in Belfast.
As founder and former Director of Outreach at SFZC, Paul is committed to exploring how practice can be expressed in society through compassionate service and shared as widely as possible.