Zen Master Miao Tsan Launches Contemporary Zen Studies Book Sept. 17 - 23 in Houston

HOUSTON, TX, August 06, 2012 (Press-News.org) Zen Master Miao Tsan, Abbot of Vairocana Zen Monastery and international lecturer and author, returns to Houston September 17 - 23 to launch his latest book, Intrinsic Awakened Nature(Bright Sky Press, Sept. 2012), which explores how many Western and Eastern religions share common principles despite the distinct ways in which they spread their teachings. He will present with such preeminent Western lecturers and educators as Episcopal priest and Jungian analyst J. Pittman McGehee D.D., and give public dialogues, dharma talks, workshops and programs at the Jung Center of Houston, Rothko Chapel, Memorial Hermann Hospital and C.T. Bauer College of Business University of Houston, among other Houston-area venues.

Venerable Master Miao Tsan's multidisciplinary programs, free and open to the public, will include signings of Intrinsic Awakened Nature. His book provides important perspectives on the similarities in Western and Eastern pursuit of eternity, happiness and the ability to understand the meaning of life. In this new volume in a series of contemporary Zen studies, Master Miao Tsan shows readers a clear path to understanding the most important aspect of any spiritual teaching: At the source of any sound religion or ideology lies the one and only Universal Truth. While the superficial differences between religions have perplexed thinkers for centuries and left many modern people conflicted about which religion or ideology most deserves their loyalty, beneath their religious, linguistic and cultural differences lies a shared core value.

Venerable Master Miao Tsan will reunite with the Very Reverend J. Pittman McGehee on Wednesday, September 19, 6:30 p.m., for the first time since their standing-room-only "East Meets West" Dialog in Fall 2010. They will discuss the "Paradox of Love," how personal attachment brings suffering and the realization of our true essence can transform it into happiness and a universal and unconditional caring for all beings. Q&A and book signings will follow at downtown's Christ Church Cathedral - Great Hall, 1117 Texas Avenue. McGehee's most recent book of essays, The Paradox of Love (Bright Sky Press, Nov. 2011), addresses the healing and wounding nature of love, the greatest of contradictions. The human longing for love is fraught with what Jung called the "incalculable paradoxes of love." McGehee studies the interpersonal and the intrapsychic dynamics of love, as well as its light and dark sides.

In his first-ever programs at Rothko Chapel, 1409 Sul Ross Street, and the Jung Center of Houston, 5200 Montrose Boulevard, Venerable Master Miao Tsan will present "Just Oneness," a joint lecture and workshop to explain the Truth of Oneness Friday, September 21, 7 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. (Rothko) and Saturday, September 22, 9 a.m. - Noon (Jung Center). Ignorance of this fundamental Truth of Oneness leads humanity to the world of duality, which is the root cause of all forms of conflicts and sufferings that arise in our life, such as illness, economic trouble and relationship challenges. Master Miao Tsan will explore the fundamental nature of Oneness and how material attachments prevent our awareness of it. He will show us how to re-establish joy, inner harmony, and peace in our life through lecture, meditation practice, and Q&A.

Master Miao Tsan will offer two public presentations in the Texas Medical Center. In "Master Your Living and Dying," Monday, September 17, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. at University of Texas Health Science Center, 6431 Fannin Street, JJL 400, he will start with the concept of impermanence, central to Buddhist philosophy and practice: we know with certainty that we will die. From that understanding, we can accept that death is not defeat, but part of life, and this will allow us to live more peacefully. Buddha explains suffering through the four stages of life: birth, old age, sickness and death and the ways we can connect suffering to love, kindness and compassion. This perspective allows us to open our heart to patients and families in ways that can enhance the practitioner/patient relationship. On Friday, September 21, Noon - 1 p.m., Master Miao Tsan will discuss "Finding Peace and Focus in a Hectic Environment" in a program sponsored by The Institute for Spirituality and Health and Memorial Hermann - Texas Medical Center, 6411 Fannin Street, Hermann Conference Center, Ground Floor of the Atrium. He will share ways that healthcare professionals can deal with stress in their daily work. Attendees will learn techniques to manage the effects of stress generated by encounters with patients and co-workers instead of carrying those stresses home. This practical session will benefit physicians, nurses, therapists, technicians and hospital support staff.

His session on "Zen and the Art of Leadership" will focus on the use of Zen principles for business management and effective leadership. Thursday, September 20, 6:30 p.m. at the C.T. Bauer College of Business University of Houston - Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion - MD Anderson Library, 2nd floor, University Drive entrance off Calhoun Road. Venerable Master Miao Tsan will explore the synergy between Zen and the common characteristics of leadership: self-discipline, responsibility, calmness in the face of challenge, and the ability to look at reality as it is. From Siddhartha to Steve Jobs, Zen training has fostered a profound degree of personal transformation that can shape an individual into a natural leader and lead to success in business.

Zen Master Miao Tsan will conclude his Houston visit with a book signing Saturday, September 22, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, 3003 Holcombe Boulevard and with a talk Sunday, September 23, 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. when he speaks to Bill Kerley's Sunday morning "Ordinary Life" class about "Happiness." The class is held at St. Paul's Methodist Church, 5501 South Main, in Fondren Hall, located on the second floor of the Jones Building.

Master Miao Tsan's core belief and the goal of his dharma teaching are to help people transcend the limits of individual perspective and experience to directly experience universally applicable truth. He has conducted hundreds of meditation courses as well as several Zen-Seven and Zen-Three retreats in the United States, Mexico and Taiwan. He lectures extensively and has given meditation courses and interviews at universities and medical centers around the world. His previous books in the series are: Just Use This Mind and The Origin Is Pure.

For additional information or to RSVP to any of the programs, please contact Jennifer Farmer, (281) 589-0810 or jfarmer@masterword.com.

Zen Master Miao Tsan returns to Houston Sept. 17-23 to launch Intrinsic Awakened Nature, which explores how many Western and Eastern religions share common principles despite the distinct ways they spread their teachings.