Jules Shuzen Harris, Sensei, a Soto priest and dharma successor to Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara, writes candidly about confronting his own anger and helping others handle theirs in “Uprooting the Seeds of Anger.” He describes his method for defusing anger as “an inventive psychological process” combined with traditional zazen.
A Buddhist practitioner for 30 years, Shuzen founded Soji Zen Center in Landsdowne, Pennsylvania, in 2005. In addition to teaching Buddhist philosophy, Zen meditation, and other contemplative techniques, the center offers dharma talks, retreats, workshops, and a weekly study group.
Shuzen is a member of the White Plum Asanga, the Zen Peacemakers Order, the Soto Zen Buddhist Association, and the American Zen Teachers Association. A longtime martial artist, he holds a first-degree black belt in kendo, “the Way of the Sword,” and a fourth-degree black belt in iaido, a practice often called “moving Zen.” Both are Japanese practices with traditional samurai roots.
Douglas Beasley, whose photographs appear in “Allegiance to Life,” is the founder of Vision Quest Photo Workshops, a program that Beasley says “emphasizes connection to self and subject with heart, soul, and vision” rather than the mechanics of camera use.
Beasley’s photographs explore the spiritual aspects of people and place, and how spirit is expressed in everyday life. The photographs featured in this issue were included in his book Earth Meets Spirit: A Photographic Journey through the Sacred Landscape.
When not out exploring the world with his camera, or teaching, or on assignment, Beasley can be found in Saint Paul, Minnesota, tending his Japanese gardens.