In this episode I am joined by Henry Shukman, award-winning poet, Zen teacher, and author of ‘One Blade of Grass, a Zen memoir’.

In this interview Henry discusses his upbringing in Oxford, as the son of a don and a graduate of the illustrious Dragon School, and how in poetry he found the liberating aspect of literary life.

Henry reveals his first awakening experience, the breakdown that occurred thereafter, and how finding meditation saw him begin a quest to deepen his spiritual life.

Henry discusses the importance of finding a teacher, how he overcome a childhood-learned distrust of men to do so, and why his Zen practice brought an end to his professional writing career.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/ep101-henry-shukman-one-blade-of-grass/

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

00:47 - Henry’s learned upbringing in Oxford

06:30 - An award-winning career as a poet and author ended by Zen

09:13 - Henry’s education at the illustrious Dragon School, Oxford

15:12 - Poetry as the liberating aspect of literary life

17:17 - Henry as a poet and ‘is poetry high-brow’?

22:56 - First awakening experience

28:11 - Post-awakening breakdown and despair

30:26 - Discovering meditation and unwinding the nervous system

35:00 - Distrust of men and finding a spiritual teacher

43:49 - Inside the teacher-student relationship

51:31 - Did Zen kill Henry’s writing process?

To find out more about Henry Shukman, visit:

- https://www.mountaincloud.org/about/henry-shukman/

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James