Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most revered Zen teachers in the world today. In addition to authoring over 100 books and founding the largest Buddhist monastery in Europe, his teachings are responsible for bringing mindfulness to the West. He lives in Hue in Central Vietnam.

Jack Kornfield was trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma, and India and has taught around the world since 1974. He also holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. He is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society and of the Spirit Rock Center and has written several books.

Mayumi Oda (Illustrator) was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1941. Her paintings are exhibited internationally, and her recent work as an activist includes coordination of the World Court Project, an effort to make nuclear weapons illegal, and helping to establish a women s refuge center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Mayumi currently lives, farms, and swims in Kealakekua, Hawaii.

Arnold Kotler (Editor of First Edition) was an ordained student at the San Francisco and Tassajara Zen Centers from 1969 to 1984. He was the founding editor of Parallax Press and now resides in Hawaii.