Founders Page
Nicolee Roshi
Barry Roshi
In 1986, Taizan Maezumi Roshi, one of the seminal founders of Zen Buddhist Practice in the West, urged his senior student, Nicolee Jikyo Miller, to start a Zen Center in the San Diego area. She, along with Jake Jiyu Gage, founded the Jo Ren Zen Center (JRZC) in Vista California. Maezumi Roshi asked Nicolee to begin giving interview as the center grew. JRZC later incorporated as a 501(c)3 and the Sangha voted on an English name, thus we became the Three Treasures Zen Community (TTZC).
In 1996, Nicolee and Barry Kaigen McMahon married and opened their home temple as a second Center for TTZC in Rancho Penasquitos. In 2004, when Jake Jiyu Gage Sensei received Dharma Transmission from Nicolee, he left TTZC to establish the Vista Zen Center (VZC). When Jake Roshi retired, Annie Purna Pirruccello Roshi took over as lead teacher at VZC and is currently assisted by Steve Aishi Sarian Sensei.
Nicolee Roshi received Dharma transmission from Maezumi Roshi in 1995 and Inka (final seal of approval) from Dennis Genpo Merzel Roshi in 2006. Barry Roshi studied in Japan for 5 years with Koryu Roshi, Maezumi Roshi's Rinzai Teacher. He continued his studies with Maezumi Roshi from 1993 until Maezumi Roshi's death. Barry then continued to study with Charles Tenshin Fletcher Roshi and received Dharma Transmission from him in 2003 and Inka in 2011.
Nicolee Roshi has 7 Dharma Successors listed in order of Transmission:
​
Robert Joshin Althouse Roshi, Zen Life and Meditation Center, Chicago.
www.althouseart.com
Bill Yoshin Jordan Roshi, retired, Santa Monica Zen Center, San Clemente, CA.
bijor@aol.com
Jake Jiyu Gage Roshi, retired, Vista Zen Center, CA.
https://vistazencenter.com/, https://jmgage.com/
Joan Hogetsu Hoeberichts Roshi, Heart Circle Sangha, New Jersey, & Tiburon, CA
heart-circle-sangha@googlegroups.com
Annie Purna Pirruccello Roshi, Vista Zen Center, San Diego, CA.
annpster@gmail.com, https://vistazencenter.com,
https://www.surfphotolajolla.com
Marzena Ryonen Rey Roshi, Zen Sangha Mainz, Germany.
https://zen-sangha-mainz.de/,
info@zen-sangha-mainz.de
Rev. Steve Aishi Sarian Sensei, Vista Zen Center, San Diego, CA.
Vista Zen Center | Hotei Zen Temple,
sarians@aol.com
1-619-889-8380
​
Barry Roshi's Dharma Successors in order of Transmission:
​
Steve Konshin Gelb Sensei,
Steve Joshin Hicks Sensei,
shicks@cox.net
Becca Shosin Topol Sensei,
As Nicolee Roshi and Barry Roshi retired from Zen teaching in 2021, Becca Shoshin Topol Sensei has taken over the responsibility of running the Three Treasures Zen Community in Southern California, assisted by her dharma brothers Konshin Gelb Sensei and Joshin Hicks Sensei. Prospective Zen students can access these fine teachers through the links provided.