#4 – Ship of Fools Cast - Peter "Genjo" Bruza on Zen and Awareness

Discussing the art of Zen, Awareness & Reality

This week we are privileged to speak to Zen master, Peter “Genjo” Bruza.

Peter started Zen practice in the late 80’s with the “Kanzeon Sangha” in The Netherlands while he was working in computer science. His first teacher was Genno Roshi, who as we will hear, greatly helped him on The Way. After moving back to Australia he briefly studied within the Korean Kwan Um school of Zen. From there and as we will see in a rather moving recounting, he met is master “Hogen Yamahata” at a sesshin near Byron Bay in 1995. Since then he has been studying under Hogen san's guidance and became a Dharma successor in 2008. He currently works as an academic.

I have engaged in Zazen in Peter’s circle on many occasions in the past and was always vastly impressed with him. He is one of those rare individuals some of us are privileged enough to encounter in our lifetimes. I hope you are also able to engage with his excellent descriptions and knowledge on “Zen and Awareness”.

Interview Starts 03:55 04:30 PB'S lineage, meeting his master 13:00 Decline in Japan, Hogen san's journey 20:50 Driving from home - What was I missing? 24:00 Buddhism and Christianity, Experience vs Theological salvation? 35:30 How did Zen develop? Focusing on the Body, China & Japan - Dialectics, Conceptualization and Experimentation 47:40 Shortcomings of Language and Conceptualization 51:00 Awareness is?

Music & Mixing Credit: Chris Kelly - for all music enquiries, including original music and editing services please contact [email protected]

Find out more at https://ship-of-fools-podcast.pinecast.co