Here are the teachers of
Inside Dharma and its lineage.
Rev. Kalen Karlene McAllister
Rev. Kalen McAllister was ordained by Rev. Shoken Winecoff in 2007 at Ryumonji Monastery near Decorah, Iowa. She is a long-time practitioner of Zen, and was active in the operation of the Missouri Zen Center for many years. In March, 2009 she received an award from the Women’s Buddhist Council in Chicago for her work with prisoners in several eastern Missouri prisons. In 2004 she co-founded Inside Dharma, an organization dedicated to assisting prisoners in practical matters, as well as supporting their practice of meditation and Buddhism. Kalen received dharma transmission in March 2012 from her teacher, Shoken Winecoff, at Ryumonji Zen Monastery. In April 2012 she traveled to Japan to be formally recognized (Zuise) at the two major temples, Eiheiji and Sojiji, in ceremonies where her robe was officially exchanged to brown and she was recognized as a dharma teacher.
Rev. Shindo Tom Bradshaw
Rev. Shindo Tom Bradshaw was ordained in 2016 by his teacher, Rev. Kalen McAllister, at Shinzo Zen Meditation Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
He served as president of Inside Dharma from 2015-2017 where he focused on a program supplying backpacks to the homeless.
He has enjoyed leading meditation and Dharma discussions since 2012. In 2018 he extended the practice of Shinzo Zen Meditation center into the residential area of South City in St. Louis where he now leads twice a week.
He believes that in order to establish an enduring Zen practice in the US, teachings must focus on modern perspectives, such as lessons that discuss psychology but that maintain deep roots in traditional teachings.
Shoken Winecoff Roshi
Rev. Shoken Winecoff is the founding teacher and abbot of Ryumonji Zen Monastery. He is a Dharma Heir of the late Dainin Katagiri Roshi, founder of the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center. Shoken also received formal training at Zuioji Zen Monastery and Shogoji Zen Monastery in Japan for three years from 1989 to 1992. Since that time he has worked to establish a Soto Zen monastery in the Midwest. He is a frequent visitor to Shinzo Zen Meditation Center, and sangha members from St. Louis attend retreats and teachings at his monastery in Iowa.