About Sensei Rafe Martin

Sensei Rafe Martin

Roshi Rafe Martin

Sensei Rafe Jnan Martin began formally practicing Zen at the Rochester Zen Center in 1970. In 1989 he became a personal disciple of Philip Kapleau Roshi. After Kapleau Roshi’s retirement in the mid-90s, he practiced with Robert Aitken Roshi, founder of the Diamond Sangha. From 2002-2016 Rafe worked intensively with Danan Henry Roshi founding teacher of the Zen Center of Denver, a Kapleau Roshi Dharma Heir and Diamond Sangha Dharma Master. Rafe received full lay ordination from Danan Roshi in 2009. In 2012 he received inka—recognition of his completion of the Diamond Sangha koan syllabus—and was given sanction to begin teaching as an Associate Zen Teacher authorized to share the Harada-Yasutani koan line and teach Zen through the traditional forms of dokusan (one-on-one spiritual work), teisho (Zen talk), and sesshin (Zen retreat). In 2016 Rafe received Full Dharma Transmission as an independent teacher and Dharma Heir of Danan Henry Roshi. Rafe has a master’s degree in English literature and literary criticism, and is an award-winning author and storyteller. He is married with two grown children. His wife, Rose, former director of Cobblestone School, is also a long-time Zen practioner. If you're interested in finding out about what Rafe was up to before he became a Zen teacher, take a look at this page.

Rafe Martin Telling a Story

Author and Storyteller

Rafe is an award-winning author and storyteller, and a recipient of the prestigious Empire State Award for the body of his work. His most recent book is A Zen Life of Buddha. In it he explores the mythic/legendary/historic life of the Buddha from the ground of Zen practice, revealing it to be our own actual, lived life.

Rafe has given talks at Zen and Dharma centers around the country and his writings have appeared in Parabola, Tricycle, Mountain Record, Zen Bow, Blind Donkey, and Buddhadharma, among other noted journals. His work has been cited in Time, Newsweek, USA Today, and the NYTimes Sunday Book Review.

Rafe's Books

Enlightenment—Rafe Martin

Enlightenment is not a “thing," not something we get. Rather, we realize what has actually always been here through losing not gaining, losing all that ancient, interior, self-centered “stuff” that cuts us off from wind, rain, sun, moon, stars, trees, animals, people.






Stories—Rafe Martin

Storytellers can only make sounds on the air—that’s all spoken words are. A writer can only make squiggles on paper. Yet those who hear or read those words can see, can feel and live, a whole life in their minds.

Lineage Teachers


Roshi Philip Kapleau

Roshi Danan Henry

Michael Danan Henry (born 1939), practices in the Diamond Sangha lineage of Robert Aitken. The founding teacher of the Zen Center of Denver, he received Dharma transmission from Philip Kapleau Roshi in 1989 and was subsequently recognized as a Diamond Sangha teacher by Robert Aitken Roshi.

Roshi Philip Kapleau

Roshi Robert Aitken

Robert Gyoun Aitken Roshi (June 19, 1917—August 5, 2010) was an esteemed Zen teacher in the American Zen community and co-founder of the Honolulu Diamond Sangha. A lifetime resident of Hawai’i, he was a graduate of the University of Hawai’i and a student of Roshis Yamada and Yasutani.

Roshi Philip Kapleau

Roshi Philip Kapleau

Roshi Philip Kapleau (August 20, 1912—May 6, 2004) was one of the pioneers of Zen in the West. After a successful career as a court reporter, he spent thirteen years in Japan training under three Zen masters. In 1966 he returned to the U.S. and founded the Rochester Zen Center, in Rochester, NY.

Yamada Koun Roshi

Yamada Koun Roshi

1907-1989

Yamada Koun Roshi

Yasutani Hakuun Roshi

1885-1973

Yamada Koun Roshi

Harada Sogaku Roshi

1870-1961