Before Lola Lee, Osho, passed away in 1997 she and her students asked the Ven. Mitra Bishop-sensei to guide members in their practice. Mitra-sensei is a Dharma heir of Ven. Philip Kapleau-roshi, author of The Three Pillars of Zen, and with whom she trained since 1976. Ordained as a Zen priest in 1986, she completed her formal training at the Rochester Zen Center in 1992 under Kapleau-roshi's successor, Ven. Bodhin Kjolhede-sensei, then went to Okayama, Japan, where she continued to practice under the guidance of the Ven. Harada Shodo-roshi, Abbot of Sogen-ji, a Rinzai Zen temple. When Mitra-sensei returned to the United States in 1996, she was formally sanctioned to teach by Kapleau-roshi, and in that same year was asked to come to Hidden Valley Zen Center to teach. Concurrently, she established Mountain Gate, a monastic training center in the mountains of northern New Mexico.

Sensei comes to Hidden Valley Zen Center on an ongoing and regular basis to lead sesshin [extended meditation retreats of between two and seven days], give sanzen [spiritual guidance in private interview], teisho [presentation of the essentials of Zen], lead workshops and do various ceremonies.

Mitra-sensei also travels to other locations to lead sesshin and all day sittings.

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