David E. Shaner, PhD and Sensei is now Jim Eubanks' primary teacher, and has been teaching Jim since 2004. Jim's original interest in comparative philosophy at Furman University lead him to Shaner sensei, when he took several classes taught by him during his senior year, which culminated in a thesis work, "Ayurveda as Biopsychosocial Model." Jim's deep appreciation for early Buddhism is a result of his time as an academic student of Dr. Shaner. Jim maintains weekly communication with Shaner sensei, who is an integral influence on the practice and teachings of the Center for Pragmatic Buddhism through the the guidance he continues to give Jim, now as Jim's primary teacher.
David Shaner Sensei is the Chief Instructor of the Eastern Ki Federation and is Japan Headquarter's Advisor to Eastern Europe and Western Russia. He has been training with Tohei sensei for 38 years and was an uchi deshi (live-in student). Shaner sensei has been teaching at Furman University for 26 years and serves as the Gordon Poteat Professor of Philosophy and Asian Studies, as well as Chair of the Department of Philosophy.
Shaner sensei is the author, co-author, or series editor of over 40 books. His first book The Bodymind Experience in Japanese Buddhism was written as part of his doctoral dissertation at the University of Hawaii nearly 30 years ago. Shaner sensei has also served as a law enforcement officer in the State of Colorado where he was responsible for designing and executing an arrest control system with quarterly qualifications for all officers in his jurisdiction. He led training for security professionals developing a similar system of testing and qualification at Caesar Palace and the Mirage Casino and Resort Hotels in Las Vegas.
As an undergraduate, he was a NCAA collegiate ski racer and then was a member of the Olympic Valley USA Ski Team coached by Jean-Pierre Pascal. His continued interest in Performance Development led to his founding Shaner & Associates in 1987. Since that time, Shaner & Associates has led major corporate change and performance development initiatives for well known companies such as Frito-Lay, Duracell, Gillette, Ryobi, Owens Corning and Synthetic Industries. Each engagement represents a minimum of a three year process over 12 fiscal quarters in which bottom line performance improvement is measured, tracked, and employees are rewarded as true shareholders.
Shaner sensei has been a Fulbright Scholar in India, has received awards from the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities. Shaner sensei was also honored with a personal audience with His Majesty Emperor Akihito. In 1985 and 1986, he was an Andrew W. Mellon Faculty Fellow in the Humanities at Harvard University where he was affiliated with the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations. At present, Shaner sensei is preparing two new books focused upon personal development and corporate development using Ki Principles as taught by our Founder, Koichi Tohei sensei.
Today, in addition to his work at Furman University and the Eastern Ki Federation, Shaner sensei is the Principal of Connect Consultingexpanding performance development services to include individualized programs for executives, non-profit organizations, athletes, muscians, and others interested in positive personal and/or organizational transformation.