Ezra Bayda was born in Atlantic City, N.J., and graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in philosophy. At 26 he became a carpenter, and later a general contractor, a profession he stayed in for thirty years. He began meditating in 1970, and lived in a Gurdjieff community for several years, after which he became a full time Zen student. He began teaching and writing in 1995, and for eighteen years, along with his wife and co-teacher Elizabeth Hamilton, ran the Zen Center San Diego. During this time, he wrote seven critically acclaimed award-winning books, including Being Zen and Aging for Beginners. He was also a Hospice volunteer for ten years. He and Elizabeth now live in a retirement community in La Jolla, Ca., and teach meditation by zoom. He also enjoys daily walks along the ocean, cooking and playing ping pong.