Do Not Try to Become a Buddha: Practicing Zen Right Where You Are

A Zen Buddhist priest paints a picture of Zen in Ireland in this collection of short essays.

In this collection of short essays, Irish Soto Zen priest Myozan Ian Kilroy describes how he came to practice Zen, introduces some basics of Zen philosophy, and recalls the challenges of establishing a Zen Buddhist community in Catholic-dominated Ireland. Along the way, he explores the rituals and practices that Zen brings to everyday life, from holidays to weddings to birth ceremonies to funerals. A former journalist, Rev. Myozan’s clear yet entertaining storytelling style paints a clear picture of how Zen has adapted to the culture and traditions of Ireland.

Myozan Ian Kilroy is a Soto Zen Buddhist priest and a Dharma heir of Taigu Turlur Roshi, in the lineage of Nishijima Roshi and Rempo Niwa Zenji. Based in Ireland, he leads the Zen Buddhism Ireland sangha, where he is the founding teacher and abbot at Dublin Zen Centre. Myozan is the founding president of the Irish Buddhist Union and represents Buddhism on the Dublin City Interfaith Forum. He is also a registered teacher with the Soto Zen Buddhist Association. Myozan works in the school of media at the Technological University Dublin. Before that, he was a journalist for many years, working with the Sunday Tribune, Magill Magazine, the Irish Times, and the Irish Examiner, where he was arts editor. He still contributes regularly to the Irish Times and has contributed to the Ecumenical Review on religious matters. Active in campaigning for greater religious diversity in Ireland, Myozan advocates for reforming religious education curricula and extending chaplaincy services to other faiths. He has represented Buddhism on national radio and television, in advisory panels for the Taoiseach (Ireland’s prime minister), and in the National Day of Commemoration in Ireland, which remembers all Irish people who have died in past wars. Originally from Galway, Myozan now lives in Dublin with his wife, Isabelle, their sons, Arthur and Éamonn, and their cat, Rocky Road. Visit zenbuddhism.ie to find out more.