David Schneider

David Schneider began to practice Zen meditation with a local group at Reed College, in Portland, OR, in 1971. Later that year he did several retreats under Suzuki Roshi. IN 1972, he saw Suzuki Roshi and Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche together at the San Francisco Zen Center.
David moved into the San Francisco Zen Center where he was ordained by Richard Baker Roshi in 1977, and where he lived for 13 years, practicing, studying and doing many academic and practical jobs as part of community life.
In 1985 David was formally accepted by Trungpa Rinpoche as a student, and attended Vajradhatu Seminary in 1986. David wrote „Street Zen“, a biography of Issan Dorsey, published in 1993 by Shambhala Publications, and in 2000 by Marlowe. „Street Zen“ won several prizes, included “Best Buddhist Book of the Year” in 1993. David is also co-editor of Essential Zen
In 1995, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche appointed David Director of Shambhala Europe by, a position he held until 2003. The Sakyong also appointed David to the post of Acharya in 1996. Acharya Schneider now works and an editor for Shambhala Media, and teaches meditation programmes around Europe. He continues as well to pursue writing projects and calligraphy exhibitions.