Trainer List

Peter Bursky began serious meditation practice in 2007. His initial dive into the Insight and Tibetan traditions was followed with the intention to become a Buddhist monk, and he soon found himself wandering from monastery to monastery throughout Vietnam, Thailand and India. Upon discovering Dogen 'Mountains and Waters Sutra' and Robert Aitken's 'Taking the Path of Zen' in a far away library in India, he soon found himself back in Australia looking up the Sydney Zen Centre, a place that finally felt like home. Beginning koan practice in 2010 with Subhana Barzaghi Rōshi, he has since studied primarily with Subhana Barzaghi Rōshi and Allan Marett Rōshi. He was invited to become an apprentice teacher in 2019. He is also a musician, has a degree in music, runs a record label and is a student in the Ueda Sōko-ryū tradition of Chanoyu (Japanese Tea Ceremony). He lives amongst the mountains and rivers of the Hawkesbury river with his wife, two boys, two dogs and four lazy chickens.

Will began his Zen practice in the mid-eighties and attended his first sesshin when Robert Aitken visited Australia in about 1985. He began practice with the Sydney Zen Centre around the same time. In 1989 and 1991 he went to Hawaii and participated in the training periods held during these years with Robert Aitken at Koko An Zendo. During this time, he worked on the building of the Palolo Zendo. He moved away from actively participating in Zen practice with the Sydney Zen Centre from 1997, returning in 2006. He began koan study initially with Robert Aitken, then John Tarrant, and then worked with Subhana Barzaghi, Gillian Coote, Paul Maloney, Maggie Gluek and Robert (Bob) Joyner during a 6 month stay in Adelaide. Will has spent many years pursuing activities in the outdoors including bushwalking, sea kayaking, mountain biking, climbing, skiing and canyoning. He developed an interest in the Aboriginal archaeology that was present in all of the remote areas he visited, and from this he pursued studies in archaeology and went on to complete a Masters in Archaeology and Heritage Management at Flinders University. He presently works as a consulting Archaeologist. In 2019 Will became an apprentice teacher with Gilly Coote, roshi as his supervisor. And in October 2025 he received transmission as a Diamond Sangha teacher from Gilly.

Maggie Gluek has been a dedicated member of the Sydney Zen Centre for many years and is part of the collegial teaching team. She received Dharma transmission from Subhana Barzaghi roshi in April 2015, after being an apprentice teacher in the Diamond Sangha from 2003. She has co-taught sesshin with Subhana and Gillian Coote, offers dokusan at Annandale when the opportunity presents itself and gives dharma talks at zazenkai, including with the Canberra Zen Group. She began Zen practise in 1983 at the Minnesota Zen Meditation Centre, while on leave in her home town. Upon returning to Australia, she found the Sydney Zen Centre and took up formal koan study with Robert Aitken Roshi. She continued her study with John Tarrant and completed it with Subhana Barzaghi. She has long experience of leadership in the sangha. Maggie has degrees in literature and psychology. She is married with two adult children and several grandchildren.

Jane began Zen practice in 2006 and took up koan study with her teacher Paul Maloney. She has attended sesshin led by SZC teachers, Allan Marett and Jeff Shore. In 2011 Paul Maloney was invited to be teacher for the Blue Mountains Zen sangha, and since then Jane has been co-ordinator for the group. She has given dharma talks for the Blue Mountains group, and for the SZC in Annandale and online. In 2018 Jane was invited to become an apprentice teacher, and in 2022 she received Dharma transmission from Paul Maloney. Jane has a BA(Asian Studies) from A.N.U., but has devoted her working life to music as a pianist and composer in both Latin-American and Classical styles.

Paul Maloney is a Sydney Zen Centre teacher who practises mostly in the Blue Mountains. Paul began his Zen studies in the late 1950s, and formal zazen in 1966. He went to Japan in 1968 and attended his first sesshin under the direction of Nakagawa Soen Roshi in December 1968. He continued his Zen daily zen practice while studying Aikido and the classical Japanese martial art of Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo, and attended weekend zazenkai at Engakuji in Kita Kamakura. Returning to Australia in 1973 he, together with Leigh Davison and others, formed a sitting group that evolved into the Sydney Zen Centre sangha. He began formal koan study with Robert Aitken Roshi in 1979, and after continued with John Tarrant Roshi and Subhana Barzaghi Roshi. He retired, in 2008, from the Faculty of Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, where he had been a Senior Lecturer and Director of the International Engineering Program since 1995. Prior to that, he had held the position of Assistant Director of the Japan Information and Culture Centre of the Consulate-General of Japan in Sydney since returning from Japan in 1973. He has degrees in Asian history and Western philosophy. He has been a student of classical Japanese martial arts for over forty years. He now teaches Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo, Kasumi Shinto Ryu Kenjutsu and related weapon systems in Sydney and Canberra. His wife, Yayoi, is a teacher of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, chanoyu, which she has been practicing for over fifty years. Paul is the teacher of the SZC Blue Mountains group and is supervising Apprentice teacher, Jane Andino.

Gillian Coote, a senior resident teacher of the Sydney Zen Centre, met Robert Aitken Roshi in 1980, regularly attending his annual sesshin in Sydney as well as training periods and sesshin in Hawai'i. She also studied with John Tarrant and Subhana Barzaghi, from whom she received dharma transmission in June 2004 at Kodoji, Temple of the Ancient Ground. Gillian has been involved with developing sangha at Sydney Zen Centre since the early '80's - organising sesshins, editing SZC's journal, Mind Moon Circle and being involved in sangha ceremonies and activities. Inspired by their experience of sangha building at the Ring of Bone Zendo in California in 1982, Gilly and her architect/builder husband Tony, have built and maintained, with the help of the sangha, our bush zendo Kodoji at Gorricks Run. She trained with environmental activist and Buddhist scholar, Joanna Macy, and for fifteen years was the co-ordinator of the Sydney branch of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. She has practised with Thich Nhat Hanh, attending his artists' retreat in Ojai, California and joined his pilgrimage to Buddhist sites in India and Nepal. She directed and produced 'The Awakening Bell', a documentary film made during his visit to Sydney. Gillian is a social documentary filmmaker, writer, grandmother and bush regenerator. She is supervising apprentice teacher, Will Moon.

Subhana Barzaghi, a senior resident teacher of the Sydney Zen Centre, has been practising meditation for over 40 years. She has studied in Australia and California with John Tarrant Roshi, in Japan with Yamada Koun Roshi, and in Australia and Hawaii with Robert Aitken Roshi, the founder of the Diamond Sangha. Subhana received Dharma transmission in 1996 from Aitken Roshi and John Tarrant Roshi at our bush zendo, Kodoji Subhana Barzaghi is a qualified and experienced psychotherapist, a mother of two children, and a grandmother. She was a founding member of the 'Bodhi Farm' community in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, where she lived for 20 years. She was also the founder of the Kuan Yin Zen Centre in Lismore. Subhana is a Registered Religious Marriage Celebrant, and also teaches in the Vipassana Insight Meditation tradition. She leads workshops, Zen sesshins and Vipassana retreats at a variety of centres in Australia and New Zealand. Subhana has mentored and appointed eight Apprentice Teachers in the Diamond Sangha tradition.