Paul Haller
American Buddhist abbot
About Paul Haller
Born 1947.
Ryushin Paul Haller, a Soto Zen roshi, is a former abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center—a position he held from 2003 until February 2012. Leaving his homeland of Belfast in Northern Ireland in the early 1970s, Haller spent time in Russia, Afghanistan and Japan. He then went to Thailand for two years where he was ordained as a Buddhist monk. Coming to California in 1974, he entered Tassajara Zen Mountain Center and was later ordained as a priest by Zentatsu Richard Baker in 1980. He received shiho from Sojun Mel Weitsman in 1993, giving him authority to teach.
Since 2000 Haller has also been the teacher of Black Mountain Zen Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Paul Haller's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Paul Haller's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Paul Haller?
American Buddhist abbot
When was Paul Haller born?
Paul Haller was born in 1947 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Paul Haller. https://biography.guide/paul-haller/
MLA: "Paul Haller." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/paul-haller/.
Chicago: "Paul Haller." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/paul-haller/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:21 UTC