Jane and Peter Schneider link page

Jane and Peter Schneider

RIP Peter Schneider

Peter Schneider from Beginner's Mind Zen Center
in Northridge, CA

Peter Schneider, Yozen Taishin (Embracing Zen, Surrender to the Truth), ordained by Shunryu Suzuki and a dharma heir of Sojun Mel Weitsman, was born December 24, 1937.

He passed away Saturday January 4, 2025, around 8 pm. He had been alternating between hospital and a convalescent recovery facility since breaking his femur in a fall a couple months ago. His situation was complicated by a bacterial infection. Even though he was eventually declared free of the infection and taken off antibiotics, it wasn't enough. One of our sangha members said the nurse they spoke with said it was quite unexpected, as she had checked in on him an hour before he passed. It is unclear what the ultimate cause of death was.

He is survived by his wife and co-abbot Jane, and all of us. May we celebrate his life and remember his teaching.

Deep bows,
-Chris B (Myokan Daisho)

***

I've been in touch with Peter and Jane recently and Peter very recently while he was in a convalescent center. We talked a couple of times since he was there. His mind was fine. Heartfelt condolences to Jane. They were a very tight couple. From the time they got together at Tassajara they've been inseparable. They'd get sick together. He said she wasn't well either. We tended to talk the three of us together. I told them to me they were a unit. Farewell dear friend and dharma bro - dc

Peter and Jane Schneider were teaching at the Beginner's Mind Zen Center

Interviews Peter and Jane Schneider

Memorial Podcast for Peter Schneider 2025 🔊
Cuke Podcasts with Peter and Jane: 2020 🔊 | 2024 🔊
Cuke Podcast with Peter Schneider and Fred Harriman 🔊

Peter Schneider began practicing with Shunryu Suzuki in the early sixties then returned to help get Tassajara started. He was ordained as a priest by Suzuki in 1970. He was Zen Center's first historian. Look at Peter's Interviews with Shunryu Suzuki with Shunryu Suzuki in 1969. When Suzuki was dying, Peter and Jane conducted interviews with the Suzuki family and godfather of his temple in Japan, Amano with the assistance of Carl and Fumiko Bielefeldt and Jane. Later this same group did more interviews in Japan - go to interviews and look on the right side to those done with Japanese. The ones Peter and Jane are involved are indicated by three asterisks. ***. - DC

Jane Schneider has been studying Buddhism for the last four decades. She started her studies with Shunryu Suzuki-roshi in 1967 at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center and took her lay Bodhisattva Vows in 1970. Richard Baker-roshi ordained her as a priest at San Francisco Zen Center in 1972. From 1973 to 1995 Jane and her husband, Peter, lived in Japan, where they studied with teachers in the Rinzai Zen, Shingon and Tendai Buddhist traditions, as well as with those in Soto Zen. Jane and Peter returned to Los Angeles in 1995 and in 2003 founded Beginner’s Mind Zen Center (Sho Sin In) in Northridge, California. Jane received dharma transmission in 2009 and was installed as Abbess of Beginner’s Mind Zen Center in 2017.

Jane Schneider's art - the above bio of Jane came from this site

MEMORIES OF SUZUKI Roshi FROM WIND BELL AND DC FILES - #35 - Jane Schneider and Peter Schneider

9-04-14 - An intro to Beginner's Mind Zen Center - in Northridge, LA (CA) - teachers Peter and Jane Schneider - from the SFZC Sangha News.

Peter Schneider was Zen Center's first historian. Look at Peter's Interviews with Shunryu Suzuki in 1969. When Suzuki was dying, Peter conducted interviews with the Suzuki family and godfather of his temple in Japan, Amano, with the assistance of Carl and Fumiko Bielefeldt and Jane. Later this same group did more interviews in Japan - go to interviews and look on the right side to those done with Japanese. The ones Peter and Jane are involved in are indicated by three asterisks. ***. - DC

Peter Schneider interviewing Betty Warren, Della Goertz and Bill Kwong in 1969

9-05-14 - Remembering Suzuki Roshi - A talk given by Edward Brown, Peter Schneider, and Les Kaye in honor of the 50th anniversary of Suzuki Roshi's arrival in America, on Saturday, May 23, 2009, at City Center. (from the SFZC site)