One Blade of Grass

One man’s “beautifully written . . . hilariously funny” memoir of how the wisdom of Zen Buddhism helped him recover from longtime mental health struggles (Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones)

One Blade of Grass tells the story of how a Zen meditation practice helped Henry Shukman to recover from the depression, anxiety, and chronic eczema he had since childhood and to integrate a sudden spiritual awakening into his life.

By turns humorous and moving, this beautifully written memoir demystifies Zen Buddhist training, casting its profound insights in simple, lucid language, and takes the reader on a journey of their own, into the hidden treasures of life that contemplative practice can reveal to any of us.

“One of the most insightful, informative, and honest accounts of Zen practice yet to appear in English.” —Stephen Batchelor, author of Buddhism without Beliefs

Author Biography

Henry Shukman is an authorized Zen teacher in the Sanbo Zen lineage and a mindfulness teacher. He is the guiding teacher of Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, NM, where he leads online retreats and courses, and guides students in meditation and Zen koan study. Previously, Henry had a career as an award-winning author and poet.

Henry’s recent memoir, One Blade of Grass: Finding the Old Road of the Heart, recounts the remarkable path that led him from chronic illness, trauma, anxiety, and depression to finding meditation and spiritual awakening. Henry details the path of Zen in vivid and poetic language, giving a rare glimpse into the very human side of spiritual growth and development.