Daju Huihai Suzanne Friedman

California  

Daju Huihai Suzanne Friedman was first introduced to Zen in 1988 as part of her college major in Japanese Language and Literature. The following year she moved to Japan and lived at the Nagaoka Zen Juku, a Rinzai Zen monastery, where she embarrassed herself daily. She returned to the States and became an immigration defense litigation attorney, of course.  She practiced law for almost 10 years before becoming a Chinese medicine doctor and professor.

After learning that Zen is what happened when Buddhism met Daoism (Taoism) in China, Daju went on to become a Daoist scholar and qigong master.  Daju teaches Daoist qigong and spirituality at two Chinese medicine schools in the San Francisco Bay Area.  She leads Hollow Bones Zen meditation and services in San Francisco as well (www.meetup.com/ZenDimSum).

Daju is an award-winning haiku poet, cancer survivor, and the proud owner of two rescued chihuahuas.  She studies and plays the shakuhachi (Japanese Zen bamboo flute) as a meditative practice.