Paul began his zen practice with Hakuun Yasutani Roshi in New York in 1966. He spent the winter of 1968-69 at the Tassajara monastery in Califiorna. A friend returning from study in Japan informed him about Walter Nowick, who had recently settled quietly in Surry, Maine. Returning east, he immediately headed for Maine, where he moved in with Walter as one of his first students, studying koans and milking cows.
Over the years, Paul had studied in several traditions, including Zen, Ch'an, and Vajrayana Buddhism; and studied qigong over many years in China. He founded The Whole Health Center in Bar Harbor in 1981, where for forty-two years, along with his healing and counseling practice, he has offered regular extended zen meditation retreats. He moved to Blue Hil in 2024.Â