Dr Susan Murphy, Zen Roshi is the founding teacher of Zen Open Circle in Sydney, as well as teacher for the Melbourne Zen Group, and Hobart Mountains and Rivers Zen, conducting sesshin in all three locations across each year. She is dharma heir to John Tarrant Roshi (Pacific Zen Institute) and Ross Bolleter Roshi (Diamond Sangha – Robert Aitken).

Susan is a writer, freelance radio producer and film writer and director. Through the period 2002-2018 she was a frequent freelance producer of feature radio documentaries for ABC Radio National in Australia. In June 2019 she delivered the opening Keynote Address for the 16th International Sakyadhita Conference, held for the first time in Australia.

With a strong background in eco-dharma, Susan has a special interest in the places where Zen and the deep taproot of indigenous Australian ‘care for country’ speak with each other, sharing occasional walking retreats in country with distinguished Yuin Elder Dulumunmun, Uncle Max Harrison.

Her books include Upside Down Zen (2006, 2008), Minding the Earth, Mending the World: Zen and the Art of Planetary Crisis (2011, 2012), and Red Thread Zen: Humanly Entangled in Emptiness (2016). Her new book for Shambhala is titled A Fire Runs Through All Things, and explores in our time of grave crises the deep value of the mind of not-knowing that Zen koan brings to life.

Susan Murphy

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