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This is a list ofnotableBuddhists or Buddhist practitioners who live or lived in the United States. This list includes both formal teachers of Buddhism, and people notable in other areas who are publicly Buddhist or who have espousedBuddhism in America.

• Dennis Hirota is a professor in the Department of ShinBuddhism atRyukoku University inKyoto, Japan. He was born in Berkeley, California in 1946 and received his B.A. fromUniversity of California, Berkeley. In 2008, he was a visiting professor of Buddhism^[1] atHarvard Divinity School where his studies focused on the Buddhist monkShinran.^[2]
• Seth Evans is a scholar and educator who specializes in theAbhidhamma Pitaka (abhidhammapiṭaka) and theVisuddhimagga. He is known for his work in the phenomenological aspects of Buddhist psychology. Evans also plays bass for the punk-rock band The Out of Sorts.^[3]
• Taitetsu Unno was a scholar, lecturer, and author on the subject ofPure Land Buddhism. His work as a translator has been responsible for making many important Buddhist texts available to the English-speaking world and he is considered one of the leading authorities in the United States on Shin Buddhism, a branch of Pure Land Buddhism.^[4]

• Anthony Lee (1961–2000), American actor and playwright^[5]
• Andreas Katsulas, American film and television actor, most recognized for portrayals of Narn AmbassadorG'Kar on the American science fiction television seriesBabylon 5 andRomulanCommander Tomalak onStar Trek: The Next Generation.
• Benedict Cumberbatch (born in 1976) is an American-British Buddhist actor. He is famous forDr. Strange (2021),The Imitation Game (2014) andSpider-man: No Way Home (2021).(Theravada).^[6]
• Brad Pitt (1963– ) American actor and film producer.^[7][8]
• Celeste Lecesne, American actor, author, screenwriter,LGBT rights activist, founder ofThe Trevor Project^[9]
• Chris Evans (1981– ), American Buddhist actor. He is well known asCaptain America. He is a student ofIndian Buddhism. (Theravada)^[10][11]
• Chris Kattan, American actor, comedian and author. (Tibetan Buddhism)^[12]
• David Labrava, actor, writer,tattoo artist, former member of theHells Angels, and motorcycle enthusiast best known for playingHappy Lowman in the FX seriesSons of Anarchy and its spinoffMayans M.C. (Zen)^[13]
• Drew Carey, American actor, comedian, game show host and photographer.^[14](Theravada)
• Duncan Trusell (1974– ), American actor and stand-up comic, known for his podcast TheDuncan Trussell Family Hour.^[15] (Tibetan Buddhism)
• Elliot Page, American-Canadian actor and activists. (Tibetan Buddhism)^[16][17]
• Garry Shandling (1949–2016), American actor and comedian.^[18] (Zen)
• George Takei, American actor and author^[19]
• Haing S. Ngor, Cambodian-born American actor. He won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Cambodian-American journalistDith Pran in the biographical drama filmThe Killing Fields (1984).^[20][21]
• Harrison Ford (1942– ), American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4 billion in North America and more than $9.3 billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America.^[22]
• Herschel Savage, American actor, director, and stage actor.^[23]
• Jeff Bridges (1949– ), American actor. (zen)^[24][25]
• Jeremy Piven, American actor, comedian and producer. (zen)^[26]
• Jet Li, American-Chinese martial artist,actor^[27] (Tibetan Buddhist)
• John Astin – , American actor best known for playingGomez Addams onThe Addams Family^[28]
• KevJumba (June 12, 1990– ), American formerYouTuber and actor.^[29]
• Mandy Patinkin (1952– ), American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television and film.^[30]
• Martin Starr (1983– ), American actor and comedian. (Theravada)^[31]
• Michael O'Keefe, American actor, known for his roles as Danny Noonan inCaddyshack, Ben Meechum inThe Great Santini, for which he received a nomination for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and Darryl Palmer in theNeil Simon movieThe Slugger's Wife.He has been a practicingZen Buddhist since 1981.^[32]
• Michael Imperioli (1966– ), American actor, writer, director and musician. In 2008, Imperioli became aBuddhist.^[33]
• Mort Thompson (1920–2000), American actor and stunt performer (Nichiren Buddhism)^[34]
• Oliver Stone (September 15, 1946– ), American film director, producer, and screenwriter.^[35][36][37] Stone won anAcademy Award forBest Adapted Screenplay as writer ofMidnight Express (1978), and wrote the gangster filmremakeScarface (1983). Stone achieved prominence as writer and director of thewardramaPlatoon (1986), which wonAcademy Awards forBest Director andBest Picture.
• Orlando Bloom (1977– ), American-English actor. Well known forWill turner inPirates of the Caribbean film series,Elf Legolas inLord of Rings movie series.^[38]
• Pattrick Duffy (1949– ), American actor and director widely known for his role on the CBS primetime soap operaDallas, where he playedBobby Ewing, the youngest son ofMiss Ellie, and the nicest brother ofJ.R. Ewing from 1978 to 1985 and from 1986 to 1991. The actor was brought closer to the teachings ofBuddhism by his late wife, the ballet dancer Carlyn Rosser (1939–2017). He has now been practicing religion for almost 50 years and describes it as an "Essential part" of his life.^[39][40]
• Peter Coyote (1941– ), American actor and author^[41] (Zen, ordained priest)
• Richard Machowicz, was aNavy SEAL and the host of theDiscovery Channel andMilitary Channel showFuture Weapons. He was the newest member onSpike's showDeadliest Warrior.^[42]
• Richard Gere, American actor. He began in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and a starring role in Days of Heaven (1978).^[43] (Tibetan Buddhism)
• Robert Downey Jr. (1965–), AmericanJewish Buddhist who is well known asIron Man. He has said many times that Buddhism has helped him with his drug and alcohol addiction. (Theravada)^[44]
• Ron Glass (1945–2016), American actor and comedian.^[45]
• Steven Seagal, American actor and aikido expert (Tibetan Buddhism)^[46]
• Walter Ho (1923 – March 27, 2020), known in Chinese asHua Da^[47] (when he was in China) andHsia Hua-ta^[48] (when he was in Taiwan), was an AmericanPeking opera actor.

• Angelina Jolie, American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient ofnumerous accolades, including anAcademy Award and threeGolden Globe Awards, she has been named Hollywood's highest-paid actress multiple times.^[7][49]
• Angelica Ross (1980– ), American actress, businesswoman, andtransgender rights advocate andcomputer programmer, she went on to become founder and CEO ofTransTech Social Enterprises, a firm that helps employ transgender people in the tech industry.^[50][51]
• Chantal Thuy, Canadian American actress known for her role asGrace Choi inBlack Lightning.
• Edith Falco (July 5, 1963– ), American actress. She is best known for her roles asCarmela Soprano on theHBO seriesThe Sopranos (1999–2007), and as Nurse Jackie Peyton on theShowtime seriesNurse Jackie (2009–2015). She also playedDiane Whittlesey inHBO's prison dramaOz (1997–2000).^[52][53]
• Emily Donahoe, American actress, producer and model.^[54]
• Goldie Hawn, American actress, producer, dancer, and singer. She has received several awards including anAcademy Award and aGolden Globe Award as well as nominations for aBAFTA Award and twoPrimetime Emmy Awards.^[55]
• Holly Madison, American television personality, best known for her appearance in the reality television showThe Girls Next Door.
• Jennifer Beals,Flashdance (1983), for which she wonNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture and was nominated for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.
• Jessica Lange, American actress known for her roleson stage and screen.Her accolades include theTriple Crown of Acting, in addition to fiveGolden Globe Awards, and nominations for aBAFTA Award and anLaurence Olivier Award.^[56]
• Kate Bosworth, American actress and model. Following minor roles in the filmsThe Horse Whisperer (1998) andRemember the Titans (2000), she rose to prominence with her role as a young surfer in the box-office hitBlue Crush (2002).^[46][57]
• Kiều Chinh (born inHanoi 1937),Vietnamese-American actress, producer, humanitarian, lecturer and philanthropist.^[58]
• Jennifer Aniston (1965– ), American actress and producer. She is famous forFriends (Zen)^[59]
• Kate Hudson (1979– ), American actress and businesswoman.(Zen)^[60]
• Koo Stark (1956– ), American photographer and actress, known for her relationship with Prince Andrew. She is a patron of the Julia Margaret Cameron Trust, museum of the Victorian pioneer photographer.^[61]
• Lindsay Crouse, American actress and producer.^[62]
• Luana Anders (1938–1996), Americanfilm and television actress and screenwriter.^[63][64]
• Lucy Liu (December 2, 1968– ), American actress, producer, director, and artist. Her accolades include winning aCritics' Choice Television Award, twoScreen Actors Guild Awards and aSeoul International Drama Award, in addition to nominations for aPrimetime Emmy Award.^[65][66]
• Maggie Q, American actress and producer.^[67]
• Malin Akerman (1978– ), Swedish-American raised in Canada, actress, producer and model.^[68]
• Marcia Wallace, American actress, voice artist, comedian^[69]
• Ming-Na Wen (November 20, 1963– )^[70] is an American^[71] actress and model. She is best known for voicingMulan in the animated filmMulan and itssequel, and for portrayingMelinda May / The Cavalry inMarvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2020). She was namedTVLine's Performer of the Week for her work in the episode, "Melinda".
• Naima Mora, actress, fashion model and winner ofAmerica's Next Top Model^[72]
• Sarah Jessica Parker (1965– ), American actress and television producer.^[7]
• Sharon Stone, American actress, producer, and former fashion model^[73]
• Susan Damante, American actress who has starred in various films and television programs.^[74]
• Rei Hance, American writer, businesswoman, and retired actress.^[75]
• Vinessa Shaw, American film actress and model. She was raised a Buddhist. She embracedNichiren Buddhist philosophy as a member of theSoka Gakkai International.^[76]
• Uma Thurman (April 29, 1970– ), American actress, writer, producer, and model. She has acted in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films.She was brought up a Buddhist by her dad. Her father was the first westerner to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk.^[49][77]

• Alex Grey, Americanvisual artist, author, teacher, andVajrayana practitioner known for his 21-painting Sacred Mirrors series.^[78]

• Chrisann Brennan, American artist and painter.^[79]
• Paul Reps (September 15, 1895 – July 12, 1990), American artist, poet, and author. He is best known for his unorthodox haiku-inspired poetry that was published from 1939 onwards. He is considered one of America's first haiku poets.^[80]
• Elaine Hamilton-O'Neal (October 13, 1920 – March 15, 2010), professionally known as Elaine Hamilton, was an internationally known American abstract painter and muralist born nearCatonsville, Maryland.^[81]

• George Dvorsky,Transhumanist,Futurist and a director ofHumanity+^[82] (Secular Buddhism)
• Jack Dorsey (1976– ), Americantechnological entrepreneur and philanthropist who is the co-founder and former CEO of Twitter, as well as the founder and CEO ofBlock, Inc., afinancial payments company. (Theravada)^[83]
• Linda Pritzker, American lama in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She is a spiritual teacher, author, philanthropist, and co-founder of the Namchak Foundation and Namchak Retreat Ranch.^[84]
• Nita Ing (born 17 March 1955, inTaipei) is the Taiwanese-American president ofContinental Engineering Corporation and the former chairman of the board of theTaiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, the company which built a high-speed railway system fromTaipei toKaohsiung. A supporter of theDemocratic Progressive Party, she had been an advisor to the former PresidentChen Shui-bian.
• Pierre Omidyar, French technology entrepreneur, software engineer, and the founder ofeBay.^[85][86]
• Priscilla Chan (February 24, 1985– ), American philanthropist and a former pediatrician. She and her husband,Mark Zuckerberg, a co-founder and CEO ofMeta Platforms, established theChan Zuckerberg Initiative in December 2015, with a pledge to transfer 99 percent of their Facebook shares, then valued at $45 billion.^[87]
• Steve Jobs, American businessman, entrepreneur, marketer, inventor and the CEO ofApple Inc^[88][89] (Zen)
• Steve Wynn, American real estate developer and art collector. He was known for his involvement in the luxurycasino andhotel industry, prior to being forced to step down.^[90][91]

• Alan Ball, American writer, director and producer.^[92]
• Abel Ferrara, American filmmaker, known for the provocative and often controversial content in his movies and his use and redefinition ofneo-noir imagery.
• George Lucas (May 14, 1944– ), American film director, producer, screenwriter, and entrepreneur.^[93][94]
• Josephine Decker, American filmmaker. Films she has directed includeButter on the Latch (2013),Thou Wast Mild and Lovely.^[95]
• Richard Martini (12 March 1955– ), American film director, producer, screenwriter and freelance journalist.^[96]
• Shan Serafin (November 18, 1982– ), American film director, screenwriter, and novelist. In both film and literature he is known for his work in the thriller and action genres. For stage, the majority of his productions fall under drama.^[97]
• Michael D. Akers (September 5, 1970, inEphrata, Pennsylvania- ), American film director, producer, screenwriter and Film editor.

• Grace Cavalieri is an American poet and playwright.^[98]
• Albert Saijo (February 4, 1926 – June 2, 2011),Japanese-American poet associated with theBeat Generation. He and his family were imprisoned as part of the United States government'sinternment of Japanese Americans duringWorld War II, during which time he wrote editorials on his experiences of internment for hishigh school newspaper. Saijo went on to serve in theU.S. Army and study at theUniversity of Southern California. Later he became associated with Beat Generation figures includingJack Kerouac, with whom he wrote, traveled and became friends.^[99]
• Allen Ginsberg (June 3, 1926 - April 5, 1997), American poet and writer.^[100]
• Alurista,Chicano poet and activist.^[101]
• Chase Twichell, American poet, professor, publisher.^[102]
• Diane di Prima, American poet, known for her association with theBeat movement. She was also an artist, prose writer, and teacher.^[103]
• Gary Snyder (May 8, 1930– ), American poet, essayist, lecturer, andenvironmental activist.^[104]
• Jack Kerouac, American novelist and poet^[105] who, alongsideWilliam S. Burroughs andAllen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of theBeat Generation.^[106]
• Jane Hirshfield (February 24, 1953-^[107]) is an American poet, essayist, and translator, known as 'one of American poetry's central spokespersons for the biosphere' and recognized as 'among the modern masters,' 'writing some of the most important poetry in the world today.'^[108]
• John Giorno, American poet and performance artist. He founded the not-for-profit production company Giorno Poetry Systems and organized a number of early multimedia poetry experiments and events.
• John S. Hall (September 2, 1960– ), American poet, author, singer and lawyer perhaps best known for his work withKing Missile, anavant-garde band that he co-founded in 1986 and has since led in various incarnations.^[109]
• Steven Sater,Tony Award,Grammy Award, andLaurence Olivier Award-winning American poet, playwright, lyricist, television writer and screenwriter. He is best known for writing the book and lyrics for the Tony Award-winning 2006 Broadway musicalSpring Awakening.^{[110][111][112]}
• Tyler Knott Gregson, poet, author, essayist, and professional photographer.^[113]

• David Ige, American politician. He was the 8th Governor of Hawaii. A Democrat, he served in the Hawaii State Senate from 2003 to 2014 and theHawaii House of Representatives from 1985 to 2003. In the 2014 gubernatorial election, he defeated incumbent GovernorNeil Abercrombie in theDemocratic primary, and won the general election over Republican nomineeDuke Aiona. Ige was reelected in 2018.^[114]
• Colleen Hanabusa,U.S. Congresswoman (2011–), Democrat and lawyer from Hawaii.^[115]
• Kazuhisa Abe (January 18, 1914 – May 18, 1996)^[116] was aDemocratic state senator and justice of theSupreme Court of Hawaii.
• Mazie Hirono,U.S. Senator (2013–),U.S. Congresswoman (2007–2013) and Democrat from Hawaii; first elected female Senator from Hawaii, first Asian-American woman elected to the Senate, firstU.S. Senator born in Japan and the nation's first Buddhist Senator.^[117]
• Hank Johnson,U.S. Congressman (2007–) and Democrat fromGeorgia; one of the first two Buddhists to serve in theUnited States Congress.^[118]
• Derek Tran,DemocraticCongressman fromCA-45 (2025–).^[119]
• Chi Ossé, American politician and activist fromNew York City who serves as a member of theNew York City Council and son ofCombat Jack.
• Irene Shin, American politician and former non-profit executive serving as a delegate of theVirginia House of Delegates since 2022.^[120]

• Chester Carlson, (February 8, 1906 – September 19, 1968), American physicist, inventor, andpatent attorney born inSeattle,Washington.He inventedXerography.^{[121][122][123][124][125][126]}
• Ellison Onizuka, Americanastronaut,engineer, and U.S. Air Forceflight test engineer who successfully flew into space with theSpace ShuttleDiscovery onSTS-51-C. He was firstBuddhists to reach space.^[127]
• Anne Rudloe, American marine biologist. She was the co-founder of theGulf Specimen Marine Laboratory inPanacea, Florida.
• James H. Austin, American neurologist and author. He is the author of the bookZen and the Brain. It establishes links between the neurophysiology of the human brain and the practice of meditation, and won theScientific and Medical Network Book Prize for 1998. He has written five sequels:Zen-Brain Reflections (2006),Selfless Insight (2009),Meditating Selflessly (2011),Zen-Brain Horizons (2014) andLiving Zen Remindfully (2016).^[128]
• Judith Roitman, Americanscientists andmathematician, a retired professor at theUniversity of Kansas. She specializes inset theory,topology,Boolean algebras, andmathematics education.
• James J. Hughes (born May 27, 1961) is an American sociologist andbioethicist. He is the executive director of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies.^[129]
• Joseph Goguen (June 28, 1941 – July 3, 2006), Americancomputer scientist. He was professor ofComputer Science at theUniversity of California andUniversity of Oxford, and held research positions atIBM andSRI International.
• Chade-Meng Tan, American Americancomputer scientist, motivator, and former software engineer.^[130]
• Frederick Lenz, Americancomputer scientists, spiritual leader, writer,software designer, and record producer.
• Mark Epstein (1953– ), American author and psychotherapist who integratesShakyamuni Buddha's teachings withSigmund Freud's approaches to trauma. He often writes about the interface of Buddhism and psychotherapy.^{[131][132][133]}
• George I. Fujimoto (1920–2023)^[134] is an American chemist of Japanese descent.
• Ted Fujita (1920–1998), was aJapanese-Americanmeteorologist whose research primarily focused onsevere weather. His research at theUniversity of Chicago on severethunderstorms,tornadoes,hurricanes, andtyphoons revolutionized the knowledge of each. Although he is best known for creating theFujita scale oftornado intensity and damage.
• Harvey Itano (1920–2010), biochemist and member of theUnited States National Academy of Sciences.
• Mizuko Ito, cultural anthropologist at theUniversity of California, Irvine.
• Akiko Iwasaki,immunologist and professor atYale University.
• Michio Kaku,theoretical physicist specializing instring field theory.
• Akihiro Kanamori, mathematician specializing in set theory.
• Jay Kochi (1927–2008), chemist.
• John Maeda, computer scientist, artist, professor atMIT.
• Syukuro Manabe, 2021 Nobel Laureate in Physics.
• Yoky Matsuoka, computer scientist; 2007MacArthur Fellow.
• Horace Yomishi Mochizuki (1937–1989), mathematician specializing in group theory.
• Shuji Nakamura, 2014 Nobel Laureate in Physics.
• Yoichiro Nambu (1921–2015), 2008 Nobel Laureate in Physics.
• Isaac Namioka (1928–2019),mathematician who worked in general topology and functional analysis.
• Charles J. Pedersen (1904–1989), 1987 Nobel laureate in Chemistry; his mother was Japanese.
• Gordon H. Sato (1927–2017), cell biologist and member of theUnited States Nanal Academy of Sciences.
• Ryuzo Yanagimachi, reproductive biologist and member of theUnited States National Academy of Sciences.

• Adam Yauch, better known under the stage name MCA, was an American rapper, bass player, filmmaker and a founding member of the hip hop groupBeastie Boys.^[135]
• Alanis Morissette (1974– ), Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with two mildly successful dance-pop albums.^[136]
• Aliana Lohan (December 22, 1993– ), American singer, actress, fashion model and television personality. Ali Lohan converted toBuddhism after being raised inCatholicism.^{[137][138][139][140][141]}
• Arthur Russell, American cellist, composer, producer, singer, and musician.^[142]
• Anthony Newman (May 12, 1941– ), American classical musician. While mostly known as an organist, Newman is also a harpsichordist (including the pedal harpsichord), pianist, composer, conductor, writer, and teacher.
• Bennie Maupin, Americanjazz multireedist who performs on various saxophones, flute, andbass clarinet.^[143]
• Belinda Carlisle, American singer^[144]
• Brad Warner (1964- ), AmericanSōtō Zen monk, author,blogger, documentarian andpunk rock bass guitarist.^[145]
• Buster Williams – , American jazz bassist^[146]
• Chi Cheng (July 15, 1970 – April 13, 2013), American musician and poet, best known as the bassist and backing vocalist for the Americanalternative metal bandDeftones.^[147]
• Chynna Rogers, American rapper, disc jockey, and model who was signed byFord Modeling Agency at the age of 14^[148] and affiliated with theASAP Mob.^[149][150]
• Coco Lee, Chinese-American singer and songwriter.
• Courtney Love, American singer-songwriter^[151]
• Duncan Sheik – , American singer-songwriter and composer^[152]
• Combat Jack (July 8, 1964 – December 20, 2017), known professionally asCombat Jack, was a Haitian-American hip hop music attorney, executive, journalist, editor and podcaster.^[153]
• David Bennett Cohen (August 4, 1942– ),^[154] American musician best known as the original keyboardist and one of the guitar players for the late-1960spsychedelic rock andblues bandCountry Joe and the Fish.
• Earl Sweatshirt, Americanrapper, songwriter, and record producer.^[155] (Nichiren Buddhism)
• Eric Erlandson (1963– ), American musician, guitarist, and writer, primarily known as founding member, songwriter and lead guitarist of alternative rock band Hole from 1989 to 2002. Erlandson has practicedBuddhism since 1992.^[156]
• Esperanza Spalding, American bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Her accolades include fiveGrammy Awards, aBoston Music Award, aSoul Train Music Award.
• Jesse Michaels (1969– ), American songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, artist, and author fromBerkeley, California.^[157]
• John Cage, American singer and composer.^[158]
• Joseph Bowie (1953– ), Americanjazz trombonist and vocalist. The brother of trumpeterLester Bowie, Joseph is known for leading the jazz-punk groupDefunkt and for membership in theEthnic Heritage Ensemble.^[159]
• Joseph Jarman (September 14, 1937 – January 9, 2019)^[160] was an Americanjazz musician, composer, poet, andShinshu Buddhist priest.
• June Millington (April 14, 1948– ), Filipino American guitarist, songwriter, producer, educator, and actress.^[161]
• Katy Perry, American singer-songwriter, and television judge. She is known for her influence on the pop sound and style of the 2010s. Pursuing a career in gospel music at 16, Perry released her commercially successful debut album,Katy Hudson (2001), under Red Hill Records.^[162][163]
• Miya Folick, American singer and songwriter. She was raised as aJōdo ShinshūBuddhist.
• Patti Smith, American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, author, and photographer.^[164]
• Paul Masvidal, American musician, best known as the guitarist, singer and a founding member ofCynic.^[165]
• Phạm Phi Nhung (10 April 1970 – 28 September 2021),Vietnamese-American singer, actress and humanitarian. She specialised in Dan Ca and Tru Tinh music. She sang forParis By Night and Van Son and also acted in their plays andTinh production. She also recorded music forLang Van.^[166]
• Phoebe Snow, American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs "Poetry Man" and "Harpo's Blues", and her credited guest vocals backingPaul Simon on "Gone at Last".^[167]
• Peter Rowan (1942– ), Americanbluegrass musician and composer. Rowan plays guitar and mandolin, yodels and sings.^[168]
• Laurie Anderson (1947– ), American avant-garde artist, composer,musician, and film director whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and sculpting. She became more widely known outside the art world when her single "O Superman" reached number two on the UK singles chart in 1981. She also starred in and directed the 1986 concert filmHome of the Brave.^[169][170]
• Li Na, Chinese-American folk singer that gained particular popularity in the late 1980s and the 1990s China.
• Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, American singer, arranger, composer, music director, producer, DJ,orchestral conductor and educator.
• Nikolas Schreck, American singer-songwriter, musician, author, film-maker andTantric Buddhist religious teacher based inBerlin, Germany.
• Roberta Donnay (August 10, 1966, Washington, D.C.- ), American jazz singer.^[171][172] jazz vocalist, composer, and band leader produced byOrrin Keepnews.^[173] She is a practicingBuddhist.^[173]
• Rob Mounsey, American musician,composer, andarranger.
• Rick Rubin American record producer. He is a co-founder ofDef Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former president ofColumbia Records. He practicedBuddhism andmeditation.^[174][175]
• Stacey Q, American pop singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her best-known single, John Mitchell's "Two of Hearts", released in 1986, reached number one in Canada, number three on the USBillboard Hot 100 and the top ten in five other countries.^[176]
• Steven Sater – , American playwright, lyricist and screenwriter best known forSpring Awakenings^[177]
• Suzanne Nadine Vega, American singer-songwriter best known for her folk-inspired music. Vega's music career spans almost 40 years.^[178]
• Tina Turner, American singer-songwriter and received 12Grammy Awards, which include eight competitive awards, aGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award and threeGrammy Hall of Fame inductions.Rolling Stone ranked her among thegreatest artists andgreatest singers of all time. She was the first black artist and first woman to be on thecover ofRolling Stone,^[179] the first female black artist to win anMTV Award.^[180][46]
• Wayne Shorter (August 25, 1933 – March 2, 2023), American jazz saxophonist and composer.^[181]
• Zeena Schreck, American singer, visual and musical artist, author and the spiritual leader of theSethian Liberation Movement (SLM).^[182][183]

• Aidan Delgado, American attorney, author, and war veteran. His 2007 book The Sutras ofAbu Ghraib detailed his experiences during his deployment inIraq.^[184][185]
• Richard Machowicz, AmericanNavy SEAL officer and the host of theDiscovery Channel andMilitary Channel showFuture Weapons. He was the newest member onSpike's showDeadliest Warrior.^[186]
• George Lennon (25 May 1900 – 20 February 1991), American-Irish Republican Army leader during the Irish War of Independence and theIrish Civil War.^[187]
• Edward Snowden, AmericanNSA agent and whistleblower.^[188]
• John David Provoo (August 6, 1917 – August 28, 2001), United States Armystaff sergeant.^[189]
• Peter Matthiessen, AmericanCIA agent, novelist, naturalist, wilderness writer andzen teacher.^[190]
• Lawrence Rockwood, American human rights anddemocratic socialist activist who is a formerU.S. Armycounterintelligence officer.
• Shiro Kashiwa (October 24, 1912 – March 13, 1998), firstAttorney General of Hawaii to be appointed after it became a state in 1959.^[191]
• Ming Chang –rear admiral (upper half),U.S. Navy, retired.Department of NavyInspector General, 1987–1990^{[192][193][194]}
• Dan Choi,first lieutenant, U.S. Army.Gay rights advocate.
• Viet Xuan Luong,Major General, US Army Japan^{[195][196][197][198]}
• Lapthe Flora, Major General, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa^[199]

• Alex Rodriguez, American former professionalbaseballshortstop,third baseman anddesignated hitter and currentbusinessman. Rodriguez played 22 seasons inMajor League Baseball (MLB).^[200]

• Anthony Ervin, American gold medalist swimmer.(Zen)^[201]

• Dave Bautista (January 18, 1969– ), American actor and former professional wrestler.^[202]
• DeAndre Jordan (July 21, 1988– ), American professional basketball player for theDenver Nuggets of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season ofcollege basketball for theTexas A&M Aggies.^[203]
• Josh Scobey (December 11, 1979– ), formerAmerican footballrunning back andkick returner who played seven seasons in theNational Football League (NFL).^[204][205]
• Phil Jackson, American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. Apower forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA, winningNBA championships with theNew York Knicks in 1970 and 1973.^[206] Jackson was the head coach of theChicago Bulls from 1989 to 1998, leading them to six NBA championships. He then coached theLos Angeles Lakers from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2005 to 2011; the team won five league titles under his leadership. Jackson's 11NBA titles as a coach surpassed the previous record of nine set byRed Auerbach.^[207]
• Matt Sydal, Americanprofessional wrestler currently signed toAll Elite Wrestling (AEW).^[208]
• Metta Sandiford-Artest (November 13, 1979– ), American former professional basketball player.^[209]
• Sandje Ivanchukov, (July 23, 1960 – August 29, 2007), American soccerdefender who played professionally in theNorth American Soccer League,American Soccer League andMajor Indoor Soccer League.^[210]
• Tiger Woods (1975– ), Americanprofessional golfer. He is tied for first inPGA Tour wins, ranks second inmen's major championships, and holdsnumerous golf records.^[211] Woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time and one of the most famous athletes in history. He is an inductee of theWorld Golf Hall of Fame.^{[212][213][214]}
• Orlando Cepeda, American former Major League Baseball first baseman and member of theHall of Fame.^[215]
• Willie Davis, American professionalbaseball player. He played inMajor League Baseball and theNippon Professional Baseball league as acenter fielder.^[216]

• E. Hoffmann Price (July 3, 1898 - June 18, 1988),American writer of popular fiction (he was a self-titled 'fictioneer') for thepulp magazine marketplace.^[217]
• Richard C. Morais, American novelist and journalist. He is the author of three books, includingThe Hundred-Foot Journey which is an international bestseller.^[218]
• Jess Row (1974 in Washington, D.C.- ), American short story writer, novelist, and professor.
• Kenneth Pai, Chinese-American writer^[219]
• Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (1949–), known for his translations of almost 1,000 Sutta in all and providing the majority of the sutta translations in a website known as "Access to Insight"
• Jack Kornfield (1945–), American book writer, student of renowned forest monkAjahn Chah, and teacher ofTheravada Buddhism^[220]
• Joseph Goldstein (1944-), one of the first American Vipassana teachers, contemporary author of numerous popular books on Buddhism
• Maya Soetoro-Ng (1970-), Indonesian-American writer, university instructor and maternal half-sister ofBarack Obama, the44th President of the United States^[221]

• Adyashanti (1962–)
• Robert Baker Aitken (1917–2010)
• Anne Hopkins Aitken (1911–1994)
• Reb Anderson (1943–)
• Zentatsu Richard Baker (1936–)
• Joko Beck (1917–2011)
• Sherry Chayat (1943–)
• Issan Dorsey (1933–1990)
• Zoketsu Norman Fischer (1946–)
• James Ishmael Ford (1948–)
• Tetsugen Bernard Glassman (1939–2018)
• Paul Haller
• Ralph Chapin
• Cheri Huber (1944–)
• Soenghyang (Barbara Rhodes, 1948–)
• Philip Kapleau (1912–2004)
• Houn Jiyu-Kennett (1924–1996)
• Bodhin Kjolhede (1948–)
• Jakusho Kwong (1935–)
• Taigen Dan Leighton (1950–)
• John Daido Loori (1931–2009)
• Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen Ji (1954–)
• Heng Sure (1949–)
• Bonnie Myotai Treace (1956–)
• Brad Warner (1964–)

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