Roshi Bernie Glassman

Zen is all of life

As quoted from an article in Lion’s Roar in remembrance of Bernie:

Roshi Bernie Glassman founded The Zen Peacemakers

As articulated by Glassman, the community was founded on three tenets for integrating spiritual practice and social action: (1) not knowing, thereby giving up fixed ideas about ourselves, other people, and the universe; (2) bearing witness to the joy and suffering of the world, and; (3) loving action for ourselves and others.

Glassman saw these three tenets as traditional Zen, phrased in a fresh, modern idiom. “In Zen training,” says Glassman, “koan study gets you to experience the state of not knowing.” Then, bearing witness is just sitting meditation, or shikantaza, and loving action is none other than compassion.

Bernie wrote a book with Jeff Bridges, The Dude and The Zen Master

The article about Bernie is well done and explores much more of Bernie’s life and accomplishments. It’s well worth a look.

http://Zen Is All of Life: Remembering Roshi Bernie Glassman

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