Excellence Reporter: Monk AnShin, what is the meaning of life?

Claude AnShin Thomas:

“To open one’s eyes widely and to breathe consciously.

Everything else will reveal itself from there…”

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~Claude AnShin Thomas, Zen Buddhist Monk, Vietnam Veteran, International Advocate of Nonviolence, and Author, was ordained in the Japanese Soto Zen Tradition in 1995. Born 1947 in Meadville, Pennsylvania, he served in Vietnam from 1966 -’67 where he was injured very seriously. Since that time he has been working to heal his wounds from that war: emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, using these experiences to help others.

He is an active Speaker and Zen teacher in the United States, Europe, South America and Asia. He meets with religious as well as secular communities about cultures of violence and how they can become transformed. He facilitates Meditation Retreats that provide participants with specific tools to aid them in the process of healing spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically. He also works actively to bring an end to repetitive cycles of suffering and violence.

He is the Founder of the Zaltho Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization that promotes peace and nonviolence. He is the author of the autobiographical book “At Hell’s Gate – A Soldiers Journey From War To Peace” (Shambhala Publications, 2004).
www.zaltho.org

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