Jose Shinzan Palma Sensei was born in Veracruz, Mexico, He is an ordained Zen priest and Dharma successor of Joan Jiko Halifax, roshi. In 1996 in Mexico City, he met a Korean Zen teacher, Ven. Samu Sunim and trained in the Buddhist Maitreya Seminar while living in the Toronto Zen Buddhist Temple until 2005. He was ordained as a Zen Buddhist priest by Ven. Samu Sunim in 2004. Shinzan arrived at Upaya Zen Center in 2006 where he lived and trained for over 8 years as a resident and student of Joan Halifax, Roshi. He received Dharma transmission from Joan Halifax, Roshi in January 2015 before relocating to San Diego, CA. He is the founder of the Open Gate Zen Collective in San Diego, CA. He co-teaches teen retreats in the US for IBME, and is a guest teacher at Upaya Zen Center in New Mexico, the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, and Zen Groups in México City and Bogotá, Colombia. His vision is to continue to mentor and teach young men and women and to create a Zen Hispanic community in the USA and Mexico.