Henry Shukman joins Jon Joseph to discuss his writing and how his history of both studying and teaching Zen has influenced his work and life. He will read from his memoir One Blade of Grass as well as his latest book, Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening.

Henry wrote his first book at the age of 19 and worked as a full-time writer for many years, writing several award-winning and bestselling books of poetry and fiction. His poems have been published in the New Yorker, Guardian, Sunday Times (UK) and London Review of Books, and his essays in the New York Times, Outside, Guardian and Tricycle.  He has also taught poetry at the Institute of American Indian Arts and Oxford Brookes University and was a Royal Literary Fund Fellow of Poetry, and Poet in Residence at the Wordsworth Trust. He has an MA from Cambridge, an M.Litt. from St Andrews.

Henry is a teacher in the Sanbo Zen lineage and has trained in various other meditation schools and practices. After a spontaneous spiritual awakening at the age of 19, he embarked on a long journey of healing and deeper awakening, guided by Roshis John Gaynor, Joan Rieck, Ruben Habito, and Yamada Roshi, international abbot of Sanbo Zen, who ultimately appointed him a teacher in 2010. Since then he has been leading a growing number of practitioners on the path of awakening, in Europe and the US. He has also been authorized to teach Mindfulness by Shinzen Young, and is a certified dreamwork therapist. He is the Spiritual Director Emeritus of Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Source: https://henryshukman.com

“Original Love is one of the rare books destined to inspire new and seasoned meditators alike. Drawing on his own deep experience and years of teaching, Henry Shukman brings a lucid and refreshing cast to the fundamentals of practice, and reveals how the loving we yearn for is always, already here; love is intrinsic to what we are.”

—Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance

“If you’ve ever wondered how a messed up kid like you or me might master the wisdom of Zen, One Blade of Grass is the adventure for you. It’s great company―and after reading it, you might recognize that you’re further along than you imagined.”

―David Hinton, editor and translator of The Four Chinese Classics

Jon Joseph Roshi of San Mateo Zen and PZI created this series to support the hardworking innovators and shining voices of modern Zen: scholars, writers, poets, translators, activists, artists, teachers, and more.

All proceeds for each event, including teacher dana, go directly to the guest speaker. Event attendees are encouraged to give as generously as you are able, so we can offer deep thanks to Luminaries guests.

Our suggested donation is $10 for PZI Members and $12 for Non-Members, but the scale slides from zero depending on one’s ability to contribute. We also greatly appreciate Patrons, who help support the program with larger gifts of $25—$250.