Domyo studied and worked as a wildlife biologist before beginning Zen practice at Dharma Rain Zen Center (DRZC) in 1996. She spent five years practicing intensively as a lay person, and then was ordained as a Zen monk in 2001 by Gyokuko Carlson Roshi. The first seven years of Domyo’s monastic training were spent in full-time residential practice at DRZC except for a practice period at Tassajara monastery in California and time practicing at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Oregon.

On October 18th, 2010, Domyo received Dharma Transmission (authorization to teach in the Soto Zen lineage) from Gyokuko Carlson Roshi. Click here to read more about the Dharma Cloud lineage. She was a full-time staff member at DRZC from 2000 until the fall of 2011, when she resigned in order to focus her Dharma work on Bright Way Zen. Domyo is a member of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association (SZBA) and participated in the SZBA Dharma Heritage Ceremony in October 2012. She was a member of the SZBA Board of Directors from 2007 until 2013, and Administrative Coordinator of the SZBA from 2013 until May 2016.

Domyo regards both Gyokuko Carlson Roshi and Kyogen Carlson Roshi, founders of Dharma Rain Zen Center, as her teachers. Her training at Dharma Rain gave her a profound respect for both lay and priest practice, and a passionate curiosity about how to inspire and support deep Zen practice in the midst of lay life. She currently lives in Cedar Hills (Beaverton OR) with her husband John Burk, senior announcer at All Classical Portland KQAC. Their lives are enriched and challenged by two African Grey parrots, Isaac and Ursula, Curly, a cockapoo, and Sukha, a one-of-kind terrier mix. Domyo is the author of Idiot’s Guides: Zen Living, and produces weekly episodes on the Zen Studies Podcast.

Domyo is also Bright Way Zen’s spiritual and executive director, as defined in our bylaws.