One blade of grass tells the story of how a meditation practice gave henry shukman a context for integrating a sudden spiritual awakening into his life, and how his depression and anxiety were gradually healed through this practice. Henry shukman has a seductively natural style of writing. This blog post comes our way from henry shukman, a prizewinning poet and novelist. His father was the historian harold shukman in 2000 he won the daily telegraph arvon prize, and in 2003 his first poetry collection, in dr nos garden, published by cape, won the jerwood aldeburgh poetry prize. I just knew i wasnt there, writes henry shukman, a young man who was born with severe eczema, a skin disease. After much anxiety and acceptance of zen as not knowing, shukman attached himself to the sanbo kyodan buddhist lineage which emphasizes practice with koans. When he was 19, traveling in south america, awardwinning poet, novelist, and travel writer shukman archangel, 20, etc. Jiang wu gave henry shukman a tour of the new center and presented to him leaving for the rising sun. Ultimately, the foundation of zen s solution or any tradition lies in what is known as awakening so, in todays post, we consider this most important topic of awakening especially, what it truly is, in zen as seen through henry s perspective. British twentysomething henry shukman set off on his own journey there, in search of the spirit of lawrence, the rugged and enigmatic beauty of the american southwest, and answers to questions of love and life. All the hard work of holding together the world as henry knew itgone. Ecodharma book by david loy official publisher page. Unless a path leads us back into the worldreincarnates us, as it wereits not a complete path.
Henry shukman has worked as a trombonist, a trawlerman and a travel writer. Henry shukman events, 7241 old santa fe trail, santa fe. And the story he tells is both informative and inspiring. Making a cup of tea, fetching milk from the fridge, standing outside on the front step, watching the remains of a storm drift across the dawn sky, and hearing the dripdrip of rainwater into a puddle from a roof are miracles. Santa fe author and spiritual teacher henry shukman recently published one blade of grass, which he calls a zen memoir. He writes regularly for tricycle, the new york times, and other publications. Henry shukman writer, poet and zen teacher, henry shukman, has won many prestigious awards for his writing. I felt i knew the world the masters were living in, and it wasnt what it had previously seemed. Skukman ends this memoir about his life and spiritual journey with his experiences as a teacher at mountain cloud zen center in new mexico. Henry shukman a sanbo zen teacher shares his thoughts on shakyamuni buddhas preawakening journey as he finally resolved, his burning question.
He is also an authorized zen teacher in the sanbo kyodan zen lineage, and he teaches at mountain cloud zen. A weekend of special events with awardwinning poet and. Video teachings and discussions with contemporary buddhist teachers. Dec 31, 2019 shukmanwho is a lively, interesting writer throughout most of the bookis rendered almost incoherent by the experience. Why i wrote a book about why i stopped writing books. He teaches at the mountain cloud zen center and is a zen teacher in the sanbo. Henry shukman on buddhism and healing psychology today. The center for buddhist studies is happy to cosponsor a talk on zen and poetry and a meditation workshop led by the awardingwinning poet and zen teacher henry shukman from sept. Mind body spirit books audiobooks northshire bookstore.
Why i wrote a book about why i stopped writing books, part 1. A graceful, insightful, and disarmingly candid memoir. He is an associate zen master of the sanbo zen lineage. Henry shukman ryuunken is an associate zen master of the sanbo zen lineage, based in kamakura, japan. His fiction has won an arts council award and has been a finalist for the o. Zen, shukman writes, teaches not to withdraw but to accept life, pain, suffering, and beauty. Henry shukman is an english poet, writer, and an associate zen master in the sanbo zen lineage, with the teaching name ryuun. He has published seven books to date, along with many poems, essays and stories in publications such as the new york times, traveler magazine and tricycle. An accomplished poet and writer, shukman is an erudite and articulate guide to the heart of buddhist, and especially zen, practice. His newest book which will be published later this year is a memoir of many things the title. Its his first book since his 2007 novel the lost city.
This book offers a timely and urgently needed voice, based on deep experience in the zen tradition and on thorough scholarshipand is immensely readable and enjoyable too. Its his first book since his 2007 novel the lost city about a recently. Henry shukman, zen teacher, poet, and author of one blade of grass. He is also an authorized zen teacher in the sanbo kyodan zen lineage, and he teaches at mountain cloud zen center in santa fe, new mexico. During my earlier training i had felt as if every koan had shot through me. Publishers of fine, if often overlooked, literature. Henry shukman is earnest and warmhearted in his attempts to.
Chinese zen master yinyuan and the authenticity crisis in. Spiritual exploration is not easy to begin with in this spirit, last year, in one of our posts we explored, through henry shukman, how zen might address the topic of crisis of unity both collectively and individually and the role of practice in this most important, and relevant, matter of our time. Henry shukman is a poet, writer, and associate zen master who lives in new mexico where he teaches at mountain cloud zen center. Henry shukman is the guiding teacher at mountain cloud zen center in santa fe, new mexico. Shukman has been a travel writer for the new york times. Finding the old road of the heart, a zen memoir by. One blade of grass evokes this disquiet with tender force. Zen is often depicted as one of the most mysterious and austere meditation practices. A vibrant chronicle of a profound spiritual journey. The weight of lifes ephemerality is what pushes many people towards buddhism. A zen teacher in the sanbo kyodan lineage, henry shukman teaches at mountain cloud zen center in santa fe. Towery of the 6 weeks motorcycle tour he took through the. For zen, this life, this world, is the very absolute. Zen master yamada ryoun roshi, from japan, and local associate zen master henry shukman rededicate santa fes mountain cloud zen center in a ceremony thursday afternoon, part of the celebration.
Henry shukman leads mountain cloud zen center in santa fe, new mexico, and is an associate master of sanbo zen of kamakura, japan. You will meet in one blade of grass many great teachers, and one more who stands among them and shines with them all. Zens challenge to an individual, interior spirituality. Zen s challenge to an individual, interior spirituality.
During this unique weekend, through his passion for poetry, practice, painting, and interpretations, renowned dogen translator, kazuaki tanahashi explores being a clumsy student of a great master. He grew up in oxford, england, and came to new mexico in 1991 to write savage pilgrims, a memoir about searching for d. Henry shukman guiding teacher, mountain cloud zen center, codirector of the rio grande mindfulness institute. Poet and zen teacher, peter levitt, touches the heart of practice through zen master dogens life and work. One blade of grass has a sincerity and generosity that make one feel that it must be pretty marvellous to attend a retreat at the mountain cloud zen center in santa fe, where shukman is now a teacher. Upon encountering the writings of zen master dogen, he was fortunate to have an early experience of the reality that mountains dance. One blade of grass by henry shukman overdrive rakuten. Henry shukman news newspapers books scholar jstor june 2015 learn how and when to remove this template message. In sharing how he grew into a zen teacher, shukman demystifies zen training, casting its profound insights in simple, lucid language.
Henry shukman magazine personal reflections why i wrote a book about why i stopped writing books. Zen center marks 31st year with rededication albuquerque. Chinese zen master yinyuan and the authenticity crisis in early modern east. The zen of you and me audiobook by diane musho hamilton. Its a really interesting book about henry shukmans life, which has been. Sometimes the most profound thing to say is nothing at all. Henry shukman considers his craft, why he became a writer in the first place. Writer, poet and zen teacher, henry shukman, has won many prestigious awards for his writing.
A weekend of special events with awardwinning poet and zen. He has published eight books to date of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. How zen led one man to awareness of the miraculous. Henry shukman is a writer and poet of britishjewish origin, who first moved to new mexico in 1991. Roshi joan plays with directly not understanding dogen. Why i wrote a book about why i stopped writing books, part. Why i wrote a book about why i stopped writing books, part 1 of 2, by henry shukman. Henry shukman ryuunken is an associate zen master of the sanbo zen. They make no sense to the mind, but they can bring on a dramatic. Mar 29, 2012 this blog post comes our way from henry shukman, a prizewinning poet and novelist. Others know him as an awardwinning author and poet who has penned several books and whose work. An accomplished poet and writer, shukman is an erudite and articulate guide to the heart of buddhist, and especially zen.
Henry shukman, associate zen master of sanbo zen, teaches at mountain cloud zen center in santa fe, nm, and sonnenhof in schwarzwald, germany. Henry shukman considers the zen koan to be the most condensed narrative. He closes with the beginnings of his time as a teacher at mountain cloud zen center in new mexico. A zen teachers discoveries about the everyday nature of koans. I thought i wanted to go out and see the world, he reflected soon after.
Henry shukman ryuunken is an associate zen master of the. By henry shukman spring 2017 magazine personal reflections far from home. Sweet obedience henry shukman part 2 zen for troubled times henry shukman 5 comments alastair on august 21, 2019 at 1. Oct 15, 2019 henry shukman has a seductively natural style of writing. He is also a prizewinning poet and novelist, and frequent contributor to tricycle and the new york times. Henry shukman audio books, best sellers, author bio. Henry shukman buddha at the gas pump interview youtube. He has trained primarily with joan rieck roshi, zen teacher john gaynor, ruben habito roshi, and now continues his training under the guidance of yamada ryoun roshi, current abbot of sanbo zen. His book was also the book of the year in the times and the. Others know him as an awardwinning author and poet who has penned. In sharing how he grew into a zen teacher, shukman demystifies zen training, casting its profound insights in. Henry shukman one blade of grass tells the story of how meditation practice helped henry shukman to recover from the depression, anxiety, and chronic eczema he had had since childhood and to integrate a. Upcoming information for events that associate sanbo zen master henry shukman will be leading throughout north america and europe. Henry shukman born 1962 in oxford, oxfordshire is an english poet and writer.
Faced by difficult choices both in his life and fiction, and encouraged by the examples of peter matthiessen and allen ginsberg, henry shukman. He continues his zen training under yamada ryoun roshi, and recently wrote the book one blade of grass. Shukman who is a lively, interesting writer throughout most of the book is rendered almost incoherent by the experience. Experienced yoga instructors sage rountree and alexandra desiato give yoga teachers the tools to find their voice and tap into innate wisdom. Shukman grew up in a culturally rich but physically and emotionally painful situation. Nos garden, won the aldeburgh first collection prize and was a book. This book is about how i found a path when i didnt even know i was looking for one. He writes regularly for tricycle and the new york times and has published eight books of fiction, poetry. One blade of grass goodreads meet your next favorite book. As it happens, mountain cloud zen center was originally founded by a teacher whose training also took place within sanbo zen back in the 1950s, and henry is the first sanbo zen teacher. Jun 27, 2012 a zen teacher in the sanbo kyodan lineage, henry shukman teaches at mountain cloud zen center in santa fe.
Henry shukmans autobiographical journey from childhood trauma to healing teacher, from the glamorous life of a successful young writer to the quiet of the meditation cushion, from the torment of eczema to the ecstasy of noself, fascinated me all the way, in part because shukman can articulate both inner and outer experience with poetic. Henry shukman is the muchloved guiding teacher of the small, but growing, community of zen buddhist practitioners at the mountain cloud zen center in santa fe, new mexico. My masters appointed me a junior zen teacher, and a different way of life began. His most recent novel, the lost city, was a new york times editors choice. His journey from a troubled kid to a widely respected zen. Henry shukman recalls an outofbody experience books. Shukman now leads his own zen center in new mexico. This is the story of how a meditation practice gave henry shukman a context for integrating a sudden spiritual awakening into his life and how his depression and anxiety were gradually healed through this practice.
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