In July Roshi Bernie Glassman, the Dharma-father of the Glassman-Lassalle-line of Lassalle Haus, came to visit Switzerland. He celebrated his 70th birthday at the center. Bernie was born in the USA of Jewish origins. He was attracted to spirituality early on and first discovered his Jewish background. He then spent time as a monk in a Catholic monastery, studied among Muslim Sufis and became a Sufi himself, before turning to Zen-Buddhism. As a Zen-Buddhist he pioneered social engaged Buddhism in the USA first and then all over the world. He became renown for his street retreats where he and his followers lived among the poor in the USA and around the world. He even did a street-retreat in Zurich at the "Platzspitz", the formerly notorious "needle-park" and center of the Swiss drug scene. Together with Pia Gyger and Niklaus Brantschen of the Lassalle-Haus in Schönbrunn he then founded a Zen-Buddhist school in Schönbrunn. Nowadays he is particularly interested how Zen-Buddhism can be combined with Christianity and he is a strong proponent of inter-religious dialogues. For Bernie Zen is life. And how one should appreciate life.
Bernie wrote a few very insightful Zen-Buddhist books like "Bearing Witness" and "Instructions for the cook". His students open 'peacemaker centers' around the world and soon there will be one in Berne, Switzerland. His worldwide peacemaker foundation can be found here: http://www.zenpeacemakers.org/
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