Our Teachers
Wayne Bivens-Tatum—Guiding Teacher and Co-Founder
Wayne is a Senior Teacher in the East Mountain Sanghas community and the sangha leader of Scudder Falls Zen. He approaches Buddhism as a philosophical way of life: a humanistic, naturalized variety of modern Buddhism incorporating a range of contemplative and mind-training practices to transform one’s character, take Buddhism out into the world, and help to liberate all beings from suffering by cultivating wisdom and universal benevolence-the Bodhisattva path. It’s a work in progress. In addition to various Chan/Sŏn/Zen masters, he is influenced by the Ancient Greek ethical philosophy, philosophical Daoism, Pragmatism, Existentialism, and a bit of psychology and cognitive science. Wayne studies with Jonson Miller and received transmission from Jonson in 2025. He lives in Trenton, NJ, works as an academic librarian, and volunteers as a college instructor in NJ prisons.
Email: wayne@scudderfallszen.org
Jonson Miller—Senior Teacher and Co-Founder
Jonson is a teacher in the East Mountain Sanghas community and serves as the senior teacher of Scudder Falls Zen. He takes an ecumenical approach to Buddhism, but emphasizes Zen, Pure Land, and Huayan Buddhisms. Daoism and Theravada Buddhism are other important contributors to his thought and practice, He has studied with Venerable Andre Taesan Halaw, the founder and head teacher of the East Mountain Community, since 2014 and received Zen transmission from Andre in 2023. Jonson lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with his partner and works as a history professor.
Email: jonson@scudderfallszen.org
Diane Klein—Dharma Holder, Practice Leader, and Co-founder
Diane Klein has been a member of the Empty Bowl Zendo in Morristown, New Jersey for over 10 years as a student of Roshi Ruzan Cicetti. EBZ is in the Soto lineage of the White Plum Asanga, whose teachers include Roshi Bernie Glassman, founder of the Zen Peacemakers.
Diane has taken the Bodhisattva Vows and in October 2022, after a year of precept study and preparations, she celebrated her Jukai ceremony taking the name DoHo, or Way Walking. In 2025, she became a Dharma Holder (apprentice teacher) at Scudder Falls Zen.
She views Zen as a “doing” practice that includes daily meditation and being of service. She takes refuge in the three treasures: the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha and enjoys sitting and studying with others who want to bring the teachings of Buddhism into their lives. Diane and her husband live in Lower Makefield Township.
Email: diane@scudderfallszen.org
Frank Neill-Dharma Holder
Frank Neill was ordained as a Dharma Holder (apprentice teacher) at Scudder Falls Zen on December 7, 2025, receiving the Dharma name Wan’ Gong, meaning Perfect Openness.
Frank approaches Zen as a lived, relational practice—one that emphasizes honesty, presence, and meeting life exactly as it is. His practice is grounded in mindfulness, koan study, and ethical inquiry, with a particular interest in how Zen teachings show up in work, family life, creativity, and moments of challenge. He is especially drawn to the Bodhisattva path as an ongoing commitment to openness, compassion, and responsibility rather than certainty or attainment.
Influenced by Korean and Soto Zen, koan traditions, and contemporary engaged Buddhism, Frank sees practice less as self-improvement and more as learning how to stop hiding—cultivating the courage to be fully present with oneself and others. He values sangha as an essential container for awakening and believes teaching begins with active listening.
Frank lives in Yardley, Pennsylvania with his wife and three children and works as a Digital Marketing Consultant. He is grateful for the opportunity to practice and serve alongside the Scudder Falls Zen community.
Email: frank@scudderfallszen.org
Scudder Falls Zen Governance Board
Scudder Falls Zen Governance document is located here. It explains our purpose and the structure of our governing board.
Sid Shah—Chairperson of our Governance Board
Our Governance Board for 2025-2027 is:
- Sid Shah: Chairperson (sid@scudderfallszen.org)
- Diane Klein: Secretary (diane@scudderfallszen.org)
- Lee Cutrone: Treasurer
- Alex Koroljow: Member-at-Large
- Frank Neill: Member-at-Large
- Wayne Bivens-Tatum: Guiding Teacher (ex officio) (wayne@scudderfallszen.org)
- Jonson Miller: Teacher Representative (jonson@scudderfallszen.org)
If you have questions, comments, suggestions, etc, about Scudder Falls Zen, please contact the Chairperson, Sid Shah (sid@scudderfallszen.org), or any member of the Governance Board.
Our Sangha
Scudder Falls Zen is a member of East Mountain Sanghas, a community of sibling sanghas and teachers formed in 2022 by the senior teachers (Myeong Jin Eunsahn and Jonson Miller) of Andre Halaw’s Original Mind Zen Sangha, now dissolved but formerly based in Princeton, NJ . We inherited, through Seung Sahn, an Americanized Korean approach to Buddhism, but with a Zen-dominated practice that integrates both the Linji (Japanese Rinzai) and Caodong (Japanese Soto) schools. While not dogmatic about it, we use “sudden awakening, gradual cultivation” as a practical teaching approach. We primarily employ hwadu, sitting meditation, and a koan practice distinct to Seung Sahn.
While similar to and distantly related to the Kwan Um School of Zen, we are distinct from them. Seung Sahn created an Americanized practice of the Korean Buddhism of the Jogye Order. Medieval Korean Buddhism famously integrated the various schools brought to Korea from China, including Pure Land, Huayan, Tiantai, various Zen, and Yogacara schools. Its great teachers of that period included Wonhyo, Chinul, and So Sahn.
The sangha takes its name from Scudders Falls, a small area of white water rapids in the Delaware River between Bucks and Mercer counties. The Scudder Falls Bridge connects our sangha members to each other.
East Mountain Sanghas
Other sanghas within the community of East Mountain Sanghas: One Mind Zen Collective and One Mountain Zen. One Mind meets every Wednesday at 7pm EST for a virtual practice session on Zoom.
Scudder Falls Zen 