Q: Bhante, in the first part of our interview you described your first encounters with meditation and how you went to Asia and took temporary ordination, until you had to go back to Germany to settle things. What happened next and how did you get ordained again? A: Back in Germany I settled what needed to be done and also worked a bit to replenish my travel funds. Then I went to China, in accordance with my original plan. I studied Chen-style Taijiquan and also spent time at a Chan monastery in … [Read more...]
Life of a Meditator (Part 1) An Interview with Bhikkhu Anālayo
Bhikkhu Anālayo
Q: Bhante, you spend much of your time in solitary retreat; perhaps you could tell us more about how you came to develop such a strong interest in meditation in the course of your life and also how that relates to your scholarly activities. It would be interesting to know more about your personal history. Maybe we can get started with the question: How did you come into contact with meditation? A: When I was about eight years old, I started practicing Judo, a Japanese martial art. At the … [Read more...]
Speculative Views Sutra
Mu Soeng
In “Speculative Views Sutra,” Mu Soeng, inspired by the Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta, MN 63, explores the relationship between liberation and letting go of speculative views. Mu Soeng is Scholar Emeritus at BCBS. He trained in the (Korean) Zen tradition and was a monk for eleven years. He is the author of Thousand Peaks: Korean Zen (Tradition and Teachers); The Diamond Sutra: Transforming the Way We Perceive the World; Trust in Mind: The Rebellion of Chinese Zen; The Heart of the Universe: … [Read more...]
