My life has become a continual pilgrimage, an attempt toward a greater appreciation of truth and a deeper understanding of love. Along the way I have written books on psychology, spirituality and culture and a volume of poetry...
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My current major project is setting up ITZI (Instituto Terapia Zen Internacional). Over the years I have steadily deepened my knowledge of Buddhist psychology and the psychology of mystical and spiritual paths generally. I have studied with many excellent teachers, some of whom are listed further down this page. Some people have become my disciples and a very talented and creative bunch of people they are. Currently I work with quite a wide variety of sanghas and spiritually oriented groups as well as educational and psychological institutions. In my experience, when you bring interesting people together, exciting and creative things generally happen and I've been involved in setting up a number of educational and social work projects as well as intentional communities.
"Zen is the expanion of the heart and mind. Life is not just what's here now, it is a vastness of infinite time, space and meaning and within this we have our miraculous being and are supported. Therapy is the accompaniment of souls through travails and triumphs in a manner conducive to growth, awakening, liberation and maturity. The Holy Grail, the Tao, the shamanic journey, the Pure Lands of all the Buddhas and Sages are nothing more nor less than this, to live such through all bardoes, through all lives. It is to cherish one's animal while listening to one's angels and, at their behest, assisting one's sister and brother and learning from Mother Earth."
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# I am no saint. I am just a person who is willing. I have the same hunger and thirst, sexual and material desires as anybody else, but I have chosen to follow my star and it has led me to this. # I believe that everything happens for a reason - that everything in my life is guided. I try always to listen to that voice. # I have always been a critic - I very early realised that if most people think something is so then it probably isn't. # Religions are all too human attempts to express reverence for the deepest intuition of our heart. # It does not matter whether Buddha is a god or not, but it matters hugely whether your god is a Buddha. # We are all students. # If you want to travel with me and help the Work, I'm here.
See KEYNOTE at the International Conference on Other Centered Approaches, Berkeley, California, February 2011
AUTHOR of
# LOVE AND ITS DISAPPOINTMENT: The meaning of life, therapy and art
# WHO LOVES DIES WELL and
# five other books.
SANGHAS
President of ITZI
Head of the Amida Order, an international Pureland Buddhist community sponsored by
Amida Trust
Patron of Tathagata Trust for socially engaged projects in India.
TEACHING: I lectures in Dharma centres, universities, and public venues and can be consulted and invited. His schedule is planned twelve months ahead so please make allowance.
WRITING: I have written eight books and numerous chapters and articles on Buddhism, psychology and culture: see Writings, Poetry, Criticism.
FACEBOOK: Writings from David or David Brazier author or ITZI or Love and Its Disappointment or Institute for Zen Therapy
BACKGROUND: I was born in 1947, part of the generation of hope after the war, and travelled from an early age. My career included periods as a social worker, psychotherapist, psychodramatist, organisation consultant, educator and Buddhist priest. I have done a lot of work in the area of community development, team building, leadership development, generating innovative social projects and building alternative social communities and invented a method called Pandramatics as well as Zen Therapy and the Other Centred Approach.
FORTH-COMING TRAVELS public lectures and events 2012
March: UK, Netherlands, Belgium, UK; April: UK, Seville, Milan, UK, Canary Islands May: Canary, UK, Spain (Bilbao); June: Bilbao, UK; July: France; Undecided August: Korea; September: Japan, UK; October Buddhist Teachers in Europe gathering, Canary Islands; November: Galicia, France, Canaria, UK December: UK, Belgium; January: Belgium, Israel, Spain; February: Spain, Belgium, UK;
TEACHERS
The people I have known personally who have influenced me most in life, apart for my close relatives:
- Nai Boonman, who taught me sammatha meditation
- Chogyam Trungpa, who introduced me to Vajrayana
- Anne Trembath, who taught me psychotherapy and psychiatric social work
- Carl Ransom Rogers, psychologist
- Jiyu Kennett, who taught me Soto Zen
- Mary Midgley, who shared her approach to philosophy with me
- Gisho Saiko, who entrusted me with the hope of bringing Pureland to the West
- Al Bloom, with whom I share many common aims
- Celso Navarro, Zen Master and close friend
There are different sections to this weblog concerned with day to day or longer term matters. Please find your way around by using the "Categories" and the "Recent Posts" sections on the left.
Questions: There is a section in the weblog called "Questions in the Sand". This replaces a previous separate weblog of that name. If you want to address questions to David Brazier about religious or philosophical questions or about faith and practice, send them to him by e-mail to dharmavidya@amidatrust.com with "Questions in the Sand" in the subject line and the answers will appear in this section in due course.
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