Onryu Mary Stares

Onryu Mary Stares first arrived at Tassajara as a full summer student in 2000 after a year of residential practice at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia, Canada. For several years, she moved between her home in Canada and Tassajara before requesting priest ordination, at which point she committed to living and working in residence at San Francisco Zen Center. Since 1999, Mary has lived and practiced at all three SFZC temples and has also completed residential practice in several other Buddhist communities. Trained as a carpenter, Mary was ordained as a Zen priest in 2010 by Arlene Lueck and Myogen Steve Stücky. She was Shuso (Head Student) for the Winter 2015 Practice Period at Tassajara. In July 2024, Mary received Dharma Transmission from Rinso Ed Sattizahn at Tassajara. She currently works for SFZC on the Enso Village and Enso Verde Senior Living projects.