ZPI SHORT - Paul Haller: Fierce Courage, Peacemaking in Northern Ireland
ZPI Short Title Screen

Who can say why we do anything?…I came from a tough part of town, a lot of poverty; I was a second-class citizen – those things make their mark on you. And either they embitter you and diminish you, or they set you on some odd notion that you can offer some benefit and temporarily alleviate them. And I got caught in the latter. – Ryushin Paul Haller, Roshi Ryushin Paul Haller, Roshi in conversation with ZPI Executive Director Geoff Shōun O’Keeffe to discuss Roshi’s role as a peacemaker and socially engaged Buddhist in Northern Ireland. Roshi will discuss his experiences and then answer questions from the audience.  Ryushin Paul Haller, Roshi is originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland. In the early 1970s, he traveled to Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Jordan, and Japan, where he was introduced to Zen at the age of 25. While a resident of Thailand, he received ordination as a Buddhist monk and then journeyed to California to enter Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in 1974. Roshi received Dharma Transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman and has been teaching for over 30 years throughout the United States and Europe; he is the former Abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center and a teacher at Black Mountain Zen Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Roshi has led mindfulness programs to assist with depression and recovery, has taught in prisons, and has worked in hospice care. He has also practiced yoga for over 30 years.  Recorded in Oct 2020

ZPI SHORT - Paul Haller: Fierce Courage, Peacemaking in Northern Ireland