Zen Master Bon Haeng (Mark Houghton) is the North American Abbot of the Kwan Um School of Zen, and a guiding teacher of the Providence Zen Center. He became a student of Zen Master Seung Sahn's in 1976. He received permission to teach from Zen Master Seung Sahn in 1990 and transmission to be Zen Master in April 2000. He is retired from working as an executive in a family-run company. Zen Master Bon Haeng also founded and guides the Open Meadow Zen Group in Lexington, teaches accredited Zen classes at Boston University, and regularly leads retreats and gives teachings around the country.