‘Practicing to Save My Head from Fire’
Dharma teacher Laura Burges on how Zen practice, together with the principles of recovery, can support a sustainable path to sobriety
Ryuku Laura Burges
Ryuku Laura Burges is a lay entrusted dharma teacher in the Soto Zen tradition, teaching and leading retreats in Northern California. A longtime educator, she co-founded the Meditation in Recovery programs at San Francisco Zen Center. Her books include Wisdom Stories of Tibet (2025), the first volume in a three-part series that will also feature wisdom stories from India and Japan, The Zen Way of Recovery: An Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of Addiction (2023), Zen for Kids (2023), and Buddhist Stories for Kids (2022).
Personal ReflectionsMagazine | Openings, Visiting Teacher
Visiting Teacher: Laura Burges
A Q&A with Laura Burges, a Soto Zen teacher
TeachingsMagazine | Brief Teachings, In Brief
River of Patience
A brief teaching from a lay Buddhist teacher in the Soto Zen tradition
Living from the Inside Out
A recovering alcoholic describes her Buddhist journey
Dharma Talks
The Eight Awarenesses of the Awakened Being
Laura Burges discusses "The Eight Awarenesses of the Awakened Being" as realizations that are available to us all.
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