Practicing Safe Zen

Abuse by religious leaders is all too common today, and Practicing Safe Zen is a guide for people who want to draw on the Zen tradition while protecting and empowering themselves. Its author, Julie Seido Nelson, is a sensei.

Nelson accepts that the liberation Zen offers is real, but she argues that it has to be approached with care. She looks at the many dangers that can arise in Zen practice, drawing on her own experience in Boston, where abuse was recently documented. At each step she ties the discussion to core Zen teachings.

The book is not a memoir about one case of abuse, and it is not a detached academic study. It is a practical, grounded reflection for practitioners who want to engage with Zen safely.