I’m a Zen Buddhist, Writer & Teacher

Hi, I’m Baz -

I’m not a Zen monk, but I have monkish habits. I’m drawn to the monastic practices of mindfulness, meditation, simplicity, and minimalism as spiritual practices. My practices include shikantaza (sitting meditation in Zen Buddhism), as well as simplicity and minimalism. I’m also trained to teach and coach others in shamatha, or calm-abiding meditation.

Zen practices helped me…

• Kick drama and angst to the curb… for good.

• Experience simple mindset shifts to increase your contentment…even when circumstances become difficult.

• Start using Zen Journal, a simple life management system, to keep life chugging along mindfully and intentionally.

• Experience the sacred nature within the simplest activities.

Who am I?

1. My real name is Barry, but my friends have called me Baz for over 50 years. I also have two Buddhist names: Ji’gme (from the Tibetan tradition, meaning “fearless”) and Doku’zan (from the Zen tradition, meaning “solitary, independent mountain”). You can read about them here.

2. I practice a mix of Theravada Buddhism (the earliest Buddhist teachings) and Zen Buddhism; hence, I am ZENish. That means that while I love the Zen practices of bowing and chanting and some of the ceremonies… I also view them like nuts and sprinkles on a sundae - nice, but not essential.

3. I was trained in meditation coaching and instruction by Adreanna Limbach and Lodro Rinzler, who currently write ‘The Laundry’ on Substack.

The practices I teach are the ones that helped me regain my sanity after a significant life event derailed me and helped me deal with the uncertainty of living and working in the creative space.

They can help you, too…and you don’t have to be a Buddhist to use them!

When I practiced the five Zen practices I wrote about here, my body and nervous system began to function differently:

• I started letting go of my attachment to rapid response in favor of pausing to consider the most appropriate one.

• I began searching for ways to be kind to those around me—friends, family, and even strangers.

• I was tapping into a bottomless well of inner compassion and making a greater impact on the world.