Sozui Schubert Sensei

SOZUI SCHUBERT SENSEI, was born in Hildesheim, Germany, in 1965 and after receiving a Master’s degree in architecture in Munich, she went to Japan in search of an authentic Zen master. She found her teacher in Harada Shodo-roshi, abbot of Sogen-ji Monastery in Okayama, Japan, and after a short return to Germany she returned to Sogen-ji for full time training and remained there for the next 20 years.

She was sent to Hungary in 2002, at the request of Harada-roshi, to help get the fledgling Hungarian Zen Buddhist sangha on its feet, and also worked with the Zen groups associated with Sogen-ji in Latvia, Italy, and Russia. She was also asked to establish a One Drop Zen group in Munich. During that period she returned regularly to Sogen-ji for continuing intensive training.

Mitra-roshi has known Sozui-sensei since they were both in training at Sogen-ji beginning in the early 1990’s, and Roshi assisted in Sozui-sensei’s ordination as a Zen Buddhist nun in October 1995. Her Buddhist name, Sozui, means “the Origin of True Happiness.”

After a visit to HVZC the summer of 2012, she was asked by Mitra-roshi, with Shodo Harada-roshi’s blessing, to return to HVZC as junior teacher. She arrived at HVZC May 15, 2013. In her role as junior teacher in residence she leads daily sittings, hosts Introductions to Zen Practice, leads the regular weekend- as well as longer sesshin, offers private instruction, Dharma talks, and other Dharma events. She also serves as HVZC’s liaison to the Interfaith Network and writes for “The Oak Tree in the Garden,” the bimonthly journal published by the Hidden Valley Zen Center.”

Sozui-sensei continues to train with her ordaining teacher Shodo Harada-roshi whenever possible.