AMA Samy SJ – Jesuit and Zen teacher

Jesuit priest and Zen Buddhist teacher AMA Samy visited Ireland for the first time at the invitation of Myles O’Reilly SJ. He gave a talk on ‘The Christian Way and the Zen Way’ in Gonzaga College on Thursday 13 July, and conducted a meditation-based weekend retreat. Fr Samy says that for even after becoming a Jesuit priest he was still unfulfiilled in his spiritual life. He started visiting ashrams, and even lived as a wandering beggar before meeting Fr Enomiya Lassalle who directed him to Japan and the Zen way, which Fr Samy says was challenging, down to earth and humourous – all factors which spoke to him and led to his becoming a Zen teacher. He is now the author of several books. You can listen to him here in a provocative interview with Pat Coyle of the JCC.