Artist Lon Brusselback, Bellevue Botanical Garden
Currently Katsuryu Bill is providing individual mentorship in Zen Buddhism for newcomers to Zen and anyone looking to begin Zen practice. Bill is a novice priest in STO. To find out more, visit his website and feel free to email him.
Email – BellevueDharma@gmail.com
Website – Bellevuedharma.com
Katsuryu, or Sensei, is currently offering individual mentoring in Zen Buddhism to people new to Zen, or wanting support for their Zen practice. Sensei received shukke tokudo ordination from his Guiding Teacher, Zenku Jerry Smyers, in May 2025 at Mission Mountain Zen. And he also receives guidance from Rev. Taiun Elliston, Roshi of the Atlanta Soto Center as well as members of the Silent Thunder Order. He abides by the STO code of ethics.
Katsuryu began Zen training with Matsuoka Roshi at the Zen Buddhist Temple of Long Beach in March, 1981. He was ordained as a Zen priest by Matsuoka in April, 1986. And he received Dharma Seal from Matsuoka Roshi in July, 1992. He was a regular student of Joko Beck, of San Diego Zen Center from 1989-1993.
After Matsuoka disbanded the group in Long Beach, Sensei led a Zen group in Signal Hill CA from 1993 to 1998 under supervision of Robert Moore (Ji Bong) Kwan Um tradition.
1998, Sensei relocated to NW. He then studied/practiced with Jack Duffy and Sangha of Three Treasures, Seattle (2003-2008).
In 2009 or so, Sensei attended a retreat with Jason Siff, who teaches Recollective Awareness, which is derived from Early Buddhism. Sensei participated in several retreats of the Skillful Meditation Project Teacher Training program, and for a few years he years he taught Recollective Awareness Meditation under the guidance of Linda Modaro of Sati Sangha, Nelly Kaufer of Pine Street Sangha and Jason Siff.
In 2018-2020 he regularly attended Wat Atam in Woodinville, WA.
2020 Pandemic. Closed.
Reached out to STO Spring 2020, Elliston Roshi. And so it goes.
Personal: My wife, Ellen, and I have been married, together for over thirty years. We’ve been in the NW for over 25 of those and she attended all of our group meetings from 2013-2025.
Professionally, I’ve been a licensed/certified psychotherapist, LICSW, since 1992. When living in southern California, I worked in the Orange County Alcohol and Drug Program from 1988 to 1998 as a clinician and manager.
Dana is greatly appreciated. This is generosity to the teacher, not a charge for the teachings. Generosity is essential to developing an ongoing sangha (community, friends in the Dharma).
Feel free to reach out to Katsuryu and discuss your thoughts or concerns about the Zen Dharma:
Katsuryu Bill Cooper
(425) 894-7199, or BellevueDharma@gmail.com
Novice Priest
This work by the Silent Thunder Order is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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