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.