Milo North Burn
Born in San Francisco, Milo's spiritual journey began during an identity crisis in his teens when he came to realize he was gay. This exploration became all-consuming and led him to withdraw from society. He struggled to articulate this existential quest to others, except by saying he was "following the jewel in my heart." When he encountered his first Dharma teacher, he immediately sensed that this teacher also recognized this jewel—what he later learned was the awakened heart of Bodhicitta.
For two decades, Milo has devoted himself entirely to contemplative practice. Much of this time has been spent either on silent intensive retreat or living in monastic communities, with countless hours of formal meditation across Insight Meditation and Soto Zen lineages. He has studied with many respected teachers including Joseph Goldstein, Greg Scharf, Leslie James, and Tenshin Reb Anderson Roshi, relationships that continue to inform his practice and teaching today. With the blessing and guidance of his core mentors, he now teaches dharma with a particular focus on intensive retreat practice.
After serving as Resident Teacher at Dharmagiri Hermitage in South Africa, Milo founded Boundless Refuge in 2021 and has since guided four consecutive three-month intensive retreats. Milo thinks of his teaching work as that of a midwife, helping students give birth to their intrinsic wisdom and compassion. Many of his students report life-changing transformations, noting his authentic presence and effectiveness in guiding deep inner work.
When not teaching retreats, Milo remains committed to his own study and practice, and cherishes time with loved ones and staying active in nature.
Peter Xuramitra Park
Hi, my name is Mitra. I received my lay ordination name, Xūramitra ("heroic friend"), through Shinzen Young and Soryu Forall.
I often share that my spiritual journey began in the confusion of childhood. As the child of immigrant Korean parents, I felt pulled between the values of my American schooling and my Korean home life. Both felt incomplete, so I spent a lifetime seeking what is true and good beyond the boundaries of culture or ideology. This pursuit began through study, reflection, and inquiry. I completed a Master's degree at American University, focusing on bridging East and West, with a thesis that synthesized Existentialism and Buddhist philosophy. After graduate school, feeling lost and having abandoned my dream of academia, I traveled the country in a van for two years.
In college, I had my first glimpses of deep practice through the study of Tai Chi Quan and a 10-day Vipassana course. However, dedicating myself full-time to a spiritual path still felt like a privilege reserved for others. In my late 20s, after repeatedly failing to find happiness in city life, I committed to a monastic path.
For seven years, I lived full-time at the Monastic Academy (MAPLE) in Vermont, where I undertook countless meditation hours and other practices. I was the first resident to complete a three-month solitary retreat in a cabin, and afterward, I became the first to be promoted to teacher, conducting one-on-one interviews with students. I taught several week-long retreats, co-taught with Shinzen Young, and completed three winter retreats. In my last three years at MAPLE, I also served as Executive Director, overseeing construction, fundraising, and more.
After stepping down from my roles at MAPLE, I spent a year designing and building a cabin. Upon its completion, I left Vermont and moved to Asheville, North Carolina. A few friends and I started a dharma house collective where we practice together, cook for each other, and support one another in our spiritual and life vows.
Currently, I stay involved in a variety of projects. I am a facilitator on the Relateful platform, an Aletheia-trained Unfolding coach, and a core member of Madrona Meditation, a startup focused on integrating mindfulness and psychotherapy techniques. Recently, I've been exploring Contact Improv (CI) as a new modality for personal growth. You can reach me at peterxpark.com.