Cheri Huber - Back to Basics: Monastic Practice and the Path to Enlightenment

Renunciation. Ego death. Not very popular concepts these days, even among the spiritual set. But popular or not, they still rank high among the perennial pillars of spiritual practice. That’s why Cheri Huber, Zen teacher, author, and founder of the Mountain View Zen Center, trains monks and nuns in her traditional yet boldly American version of Soto Zen. Committing for practice periods of 6 months or longer, these dedicated monastics completely give up all worldly and egoic attachments (yes, that means material possessions, social attachments, and sex, too—at least for the duration of their stay). For Cheri, that’s where the juice is. Her exuberant expression of the traditional Buddhist teachings finds full expression in a passion for the destruction of ignorance and in the cultivation of a healthy distaste for the ego’s love of suffering. Renunciation: it worked for the Buddha 2,500 years ago, and according to Cheri Huber, it can work just as well today.

BIO

Cheri Huber is a student and teacher in the Soto Zen tradition. She has devoted 30 years to helping people free themselves from suffering and enjoy the lives that are their birthright. Her gentleness, clarity, and humor support the challenging work of spiritual growth. She is the author of 17 books including There Is Nothing Wrong with You; The Depression Book (she has been acknowledged as the country’s foremost expert on depression and spirituality); Time-Out For Parents; and the recently released audio-retreat, Unconditional Self-Acceptance.

Cheri founded the Mountain View Zen Center and the Zen Monastery Practice Center in California. She conducts workshops and retreats at these centers and at venues around the U.S. and internationally. She has an internet-based weekly call-in radio show, Open Air. Cheri is a member of Social Venture Network, a national organization that combines social responsibility, spirituality, and business. Cheri Huber is founder and director of Living Compassion, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing peace and compassion to all aspects of life.