Sarah Bender, Roshi

Sarah Bender, Roshi is resident teacher for Springs Mountain Sangha, a Koan Zen practice community in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA which is part of Cloud Gate Zen, an Open Source community in the line of Joan Sutherland, Roshi.   SMS is in the Harada-Yasutani lineage of Zen Buddhism.

Sarah began her practice of Zen Buddhism with the Honolulu Diamond Sangha in1979, with Robert Aitken, Roshi. In 1984 she moved to Colorado Springs, where she practiced with a couple of other people for a few years, attending retreats when she could while her children were very small.  After a few years a group coalesced, and Springs Mountain Sangha was formed in 1998, with holding teacher Joan Sutherland, Roshi. In 2006 Sarah received authorization to teach from Joan Sutherland, becoming a sensei with Sutherland Roshi’s Open Source and resident teacher for the sangha. From 2007 to 2013 Sarah also served as Cadet Chapel Buddhist Program Leader for the United States Air Force Academy. She received full transmission from Joan Sutherland, Roshi in June, 2017.   Sarah offers teachings, retreats and individual koan practice.

She also holds a Masters degree from Northwestern University in Learning Disabilities, and held a  private practice for diagnostic and specialized educational work with children for twenty years.