Archives: Authors

Blayne Higa

Rev. Blayne Higa is the minister of the Kona Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, a Shin Buddhist sangha on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Justin F. Miles (MA, NCC, LCPCS, LGADAS) is the head of Miles Institute of Integral Living. He holds an MA in Counseling Psychology, is a Nationally Certified and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, certified LCPC Supervisor and certified LGADC supervisor by the State of Maryland's Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists. He has worked in the field of community mental health and substance abuse for 20 years and provides treatment to men and women of all ages with a variety of challenges. Additionally, Justin has 2nd degree Brown Belt in Judo, teaches and practices preparedness, is a certified Master Gardener, regularly engages in Lakota, Christian, Buddhist and Taoist practices, has 28 years of meditation experience, is a Buddhist seminary graduate and teaches Buddhism and meditation through the Washington DC and Baltimore Shambhala Meditation Center.

Bhante Sumano

Bhante Sumano is a Jamaican American Theravada Buddhist monk. He currently lives in the United States as a wandering contemplative, traveling and practicing with his dharma brother Bhante Tanakaro.

Elizabeth Hernandez-Stomp

Elizabeth Hernandez-Stomp is a certified life coach and mindfulness teacher. She’s part of InsightLA’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.

Dhondup T. Rekjong

Dhondup T. Rekjong is a Tibetan scholar and doctoral candidate in religious studies at Northwestern University. His writings have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, The Journal of Asian Studies, The Treasury of Lives, and elsewhere.

John Lee

Rev. Dr. John Lee is a Buddhist practitioner, spiritual director, musician, and an ordained Christian minister. His dissertation focused on Jazz, Zen,and Paul Tillich’s concept of the courage-to-be in relation to spiritual formation.

Avery Grace

Avery Grace (they/she) is a queer/trans/neurodiverse. multi-genre author and playwright, and is lay ordained in the Soto Zen tradition. They are particularly passionate about the dimensions of vow as a "New Monastic," or a monk in the world. Avery's work is featured in: "Non-Binary: An Anthology of Gender and Identity”, and “All of Me: Stories of Love, Anger, and the Female Body”. You can find more of Avery’s writing in their debut book of poetry, “Laid Bare,” and at <a href="http://www.averybraverygrace.com">averybraverygrace.com</a>. When not writing, Avery co-parents 3 children with their partner on the occupied the lands of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, otherwise known as Bend, Oregon.

Noel Alumit

Noel Alumit is an Associate Editor at Lion's Roar. He has a Master of Divinity in Buddhist Chaplaincy from the University of the West, where he is also an Adjunct Professor. He facilitates meditation workshops for LA Artcore and Meditation Coalition. Noel is also an actor and bestselling author.

Shantum Seth

Shantum Seth has been leading pilgrimages and other transformative journeys across India and Asia since 1988.

Takashi Miyaji

Takashi Miyaji teaches at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California. He’s the minister of Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church, part of the Buddhist Churches of America.