In 1989, having just moved to the Chicago area with his young family, Jim Graham took his search for direction in his budding meditation practice to the Yellow Pages (kind of like the internet, but tree-based), and found the Chicago Zen Center. He’s been there ever since.

 

Jim took on lay ordination (a formal commitment to greater service) in 2004, followed by full ordination by his teacher, Sensei Sevan Ross, in 2010. At that time, he received the ordained name Yusan. Later that year Yusan succeeded Sensei Ross as abbot of the CZC. He stepped down from the role of abbot in 2023.

 

Yusan and his wife Debbie are now empty nesters, following with great interest the adventures of their two kids. Prior to his retirement, Yusan worked in the field of Assistive Technology at a local university.