Our guides

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Rev. Kuwahara has served as the Buddhist Temple of Marin's supervising minister since December of 2020. Besides also serving as supervising minister for the Berkeley Buddhist Temple, Rev. Kuwahara is the program director for the Jodo Shinshu International Office. Rev. Kuwahara was the co-director for the BCA Center for Buddhist Education, and was on the adjunct faculty of the Institute for Buddhist Studies (IBS). Earlier in his career, Rev. Kuwahara served as the program director and staff member for the Hongwanji office.

Rev. Kuwahara has a BA in English Education from Hiroshima University, an MA in Jodo Shinshu Studies from the IBS and Ryukoku University, and has completed his PhD coursework at Ryukoku. Originally the eldest son from a temple family in Kure City, Hiroshima, Rev Kuwahara is married, and has three sons.

Ronald Y. Nakasone, born and raised in Hawai‘i, studied at University of Hawai‘i, Ryūkoku University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Harvard University. He is a member of the Core Doctoral Faculty at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley, and a long-time faculty at the Stanford University Center for Geriatric Education (1990-2012). He has authored more than 150 scholarly publications on Buddhist doctrine, ethics, and aesthetics, Aging and Spirituality, and Ryūkyūan (Okinawan) Studies. Students and colleagues contributed essays to Memory and Imagination, Essays and Explorations in Buddhist Thought and Culture (Nagata, 2010), a festschrift that commemorated his completion of one life cycle (60 years) according to the Chinese zodiac. 

He is an ordained Jōdo Shinshū (Pure Land) priest and a skilled sho- (calligrapher) artist. His most recent solo exhibits are: Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Museum, Santiago, Chile, 2017; Hammerfrair Gallery, Healdsburg, California, 2019; Dharma Realm Buddhist University, Ukiah, California, 2020; Fukunishi Honten, Aizuwakamatsu, Japan, 2020. A short video, “A Calligrapher’s Pilgrimage” can be seen at the following site: vimeo.com/106988457. 

His views on aging and spirituality are articulated in an “Spiritual Genealogy Inspires Gratitude,” Aging Horizons, September/October; it can be accessed at http://aginghorizons.com/2013/09/interview-spiritual-genealogy-inspires-gratitude/. The following link opens a 11 September 2016 Interview on Mosaic: https://www.facebook.com/MosaicKPIX/?fref=ts

Catherine Shaw is a member of the Buddhist Temple of Marin. Her first encounters with Buddhism were in books when she was in high school in the 1950's. In 1974, Catherine attended the first session of the Naropa Institute in Boulder Colorado. Returning to the Bay Area, she began her studies of Nyingma Buddhism under Lama Gonpa Tseden, Rinpoche. In 2000 Catherine completed her Masters in Buddhist Studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies. She loves discussing Buddhadharma with anyone and everyone.

Yoga - Instructor Leigh Threlkel provides a safe and friendly environment for students to explore their breath, deepen their yoga experience and nourish their soul while developing strength, flexibility and calmness of mind.  Levels 1-3 Tuesday and Thursday, 9:15-10:30 am. $15 donation per class. For more information go to the instructor's website: http://www.leighthrelkel.com.