Home | Teachers | Centers | Members Area

LZTA Member

Al Rapaport


Name:    Al Rapaport
Dharma Name:    Fusho
Title:    Sensei
Organization:    Open Mind Zen
Lineage:    White Plum Asangha
Al Fusho Rapaport, Roshi, has studied meditation since 1970 with a variety of teachers, including Kozan Roshi, Maezumi Roshi, and Genpo Roshi, and received Dharma Transmission from Shuzen Sensei in 2008. During this time he was trained in both Soto (Shikantaza) and Rinzai (Koan) methods of Zen and has maintained this dual focus in training his students. Until 2007 he worked as a layperson in business and now devotes himself totally to teaching in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

In 1996 Al produced the first Buddhism in America Conference in Boston. This landmark event brought together Buddhist meditation teachers from all schools for the first time in the U.S. This was followed by a conference in San Diego, Estes Park, CO (with Naropa Institute) and New York (with Tricycle Magazine).

Al founded Open Mind Zen Meditation International in Melbourne, FL in 2002, which currently has affiliates in Naples, FL, Bloomington and Columbus, IN, Louisville, KY, Dubuque, IL, Washington, DC, France and Germany. He integrates traditional Zen techniques with methods such as Zen Dialogue and Zen Breathwork.