At the age of 17, Claude AnShin enlisted in the US Army and served in the Vietnam War as a helicopter crew chief. He was honorably discharged at the age of 20 and was awarded numerous medals, including a Purple Heart. After battling severe post-traumatic stress, isolation, and addiction, he discovered Buddhist practice and began intensive training and study. In 1995 he was fully ordained as a Zen Buddhist monk in the Japanese Soto Zen tradition.

Since then, Claude AnShin has dedicated his life to addressing the causes and consequences of violence, war, and suffering in and among individuals, families, and societies. Using the tools of Buddhist practice and insight, he educates and accompanies people in the peaceful transformation of conflict and suffering.

Claude AnShin is also the founder of the Zaltho Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1993, dedicated to the peaceful transformation of conflict, violence, and trauma in individuals and groups.

He is the author of two books: his award-winning memoir At Hell’s Gate: A Soldier’s Journey from War to Peace and his new book, published a few months ago, Bringing Meditation to Life: 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice.

Claude AnShin Thomas' message of addressing suffering and “making peace with our unpeacefulness” through an active meditation practice, based in daily life, would make a beautiful addition to your interviews because he teaches how the human mind can repair PTSD and live a state of ease and calm no matter what horrors it's experienced.


Resources:
Claude's website: http://zaltho.org
European: http://Zaltho.de


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Intro by Cristina Muresan-Toth: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLHlus5Jwj3/