, ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Pitts burgh , ▁PA ) ▁is ▁a ▁S ō t ō ▁priest ▁and ▁teacher , ▁academic , ▁and ▁author . ▁He ▁is ▁an ▁author ized ▁line age ▁holder ▁and ▁Z en ▁teacher ▁in ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁Sh un ry ū ▁Su zu ki ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁founder ▁and ▁Gu iding ▁Te acher ▁of ▁An cient ▁Dragon ▁Z en ▁Gate ▁in ▁Chicago , ▁Illinois . ▁Le ight on ▁is ▁also ▁an ▁author ized ▁teacher ▁in ▁the ▁Japanese ▁S ō t ō ▁School ▁( ky ō sh i ). ▁ ▁Biography ▁Le ight on ' s ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁medical ▁school ▁professor ▁and ▁cancer ▁research er , ▁his ▁mother ▁a ▁high ▁school ▁French ▁teacher ▁and ▁li br arian . ▁Le ight on ▁began ▁his ▁Z en ▁practice ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁at ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Z en ▁Center , ▁training ▁under ▁K ando ▁Nak aj ima ▁r ō sh i . ▁He ▁studied ▁at ▁Columbia ▁University , ▁where ▁he ▁obtained ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁East ▁Asian ▁studies . ▁Le ight on ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁television ▁and ▁film ▁editor ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁and ▁then ▁San ▁Francisco . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁California ▁and ▁eventually ▁became ▁a ▁resident ▁at ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Z en ▁Center , ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁at ▁T ass aj ara ▁Bak ery ▁and ▁other ▁of ▁Z en ▁Center ' s ▁business es . ▁In ▁subsequent ▁years , ▁Le ight on ▁pract iced ▁in ▁residence ▁at