Tim Burkett

Tim Burkett began practicing Zen Buddhism in San Francisco in 1964 with renowned teacher Shunryu Suzuki. He is the former CEO of the largest nonprofit organization in Minnesota for individuals with mental illness and served as guiding teacher of Minnesota Zen Meditation Center from 2004 to 2021. He is a psychologist, a Zen Buddhist priest, and the author of Nothing Holy About It, Zen in the Age of Anxiety, and Enlightenment Is an Accident. He and his wife, Linda, have two grown children and two grandchildren.

Norman Fischer

NORMAN FISCHER is a Zen teacher, poet, translator, and director of the Everyday Zen Foundation. A beloved figure in the Buddhist world, he is also well-known for his efforts at interreligious dialogue. His numerous books include The World Could Be Otherwise: Imagination and the Bodhisattva Path, What Is Zen?: Plain Talk for a Beginner’s Mind, and Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong.

"Amidst Tim Burkett's insights into Buddhism and life, there emerges a wonderful, intimate picture of Shunryu Suzuki. I learned a lot from this book." —David Chadwick, author of Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Zen Teaching of Shunryu Suzuki

"Fresh and personal and full of great stories culled from a life devoted to the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. A wonderful testament." —Red Pine, author of Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits

"I have long been aware of Tim Burkett's deep respect and appreciation for his teacher, Suzuki Roshi. Now I know why. Here's a touching account of how great an impact one life can have upon another." —Steve Hagen, author of Buddhism Is Not What You Think: Finding Freedom Beyond Beliefs

"Enjoy this wonderful, useful, profound yet modest book that expresses the true spirit of Zen. It and its warm-hearted author are blessings for the world, and I am honored and very pleased to introduce them to you." —from the foreword by Norman Fischer, author of Training in Compassion