Albert Low
Encyclopedia
Albert William Low is an authorized Zen master
, an internationally published author, and a former human resources executive. He has lived in England
, South Africa
, Canada
, and the United States
and has resided in Montreal
since 1979. He holds a BA degree in Philosophy
and Psychology
, and is a trained counselor. In 2003, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws for scholastic attainment and community service by Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario
.
, England, on December 16, 1928. During the period of 1947 - 1949, he served two years in the Royal Navy
. He left England with his wife Jean in 1954, and emigrated to South Africa. There he was employed by the Central News Agency
, a company that held the monopoly for the sale and distribution of all reading matter including books, magazines, and newspaper
s throughout Southern Africa, which then included South Africa, Rhodesia
, Mozambique
, and South West Africa
. Eventually, he became the senior personnel executive and reported to the CEO. During this time, he gave many seminars on creativity and organization for managers at all levels for the National Development Foundation of South Africa. While in South Africa, his children Anita, John and Stephen were born.
In 1963, he left South Africa as he could not agree with the political policy of apartheid, and moved to Canada. He settled in Chatham-Kent, Ontario
, and was again employed as a personnel executive, this time with a large utility that was at that time called the Union Gas Company. He was in charge of salary administration for all levels of company, as well as for organization and staffing. He developed an original theory on creativity, organization and management. Eventually, he wrote a book based upon his researches: Zen and Creative Management, which has since sold more than 75,000 copies. During his time at the gas company, he continued to give talks and seminars on the subject of management, organization and creativity — the latter a subject he has spent considerable time studying, and which is very closely connected with Zen
practice.
In 1955, he became interested in Zen Buddhism, and had a strong intellectual interest for about ten years.
In 1966, he met the Japanese Zen Master Haku'un Yasutani
and practiced Zen, first with him, and then for twenty years with Philip Kapleau
, who had himself been a disciple of Yasutani's until the latter dissolved their relationship. In 1976, he resigned from the Gas Company and went to the Rochester Zen Center
for three years, where he served as editor of the Center’s journal. In 1979, he relocated to Montreal as a probationary teacher. In 1986, he finished his training and was authorized by Kapleau to teach as a Zen master.
Dr. Low has made a study of human nature throughout his life. He draws on his prolonged meditations on creativity and the human condition
, his many years of providing psychological and spiritual counseling, and a wide-ranging knowledge of Western psychology, philosophy, and science — including a deep interest in evolutionary theory. He has given many talks on CBC radio
and CBC television
.
He has written eleven books, and contributed to three. Many of his books have been translated into three or more languages. He also translated Dr. Hubert Benoit’s "Let Go!" and Thich Nhat Hanh’s "Zen Keys" from French to English. His latest book, "The Origin of Human Nature: a Zen Buddhist Looks at Evolution", was recently published by Sussex Academic Press.
Albert Low is currently the teacher and director at the Montreal Zen Center
with over two hundred students, whom he counsels on both spiritual and psychological issues.
Zen master
Zen master is an umbrella title sometimes used to refer to an individual who has been recognized by an authorized Zen lineage holder and teacher as having met his or her own teacher's standards of realization or insight. These standards vary widely in different traditions, and may vary among...
, an internationally published author, and a former human resources executive. He has lived in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and has resided in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
since 1979. He holds a BA degree in Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, and is a trained counselor. In 2003, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws for scholastic attainment and community service by Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
.
Biography
He was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, on December 16, 1928. During the period of 1947 - 1949, he served two years in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. He left England with his wife Jean in 1954, and emigrated to South Africa. There he was employed by the Central News Agency
Central News Agency
Central News Agency may refer to:*Korean Central News Agency, the state news agency of North Korea*Central News Agency , a news agency active in Victorian London...
, a company that held the monopoly for the sale and distribution of all reading matter including books, magazines, and newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s throughout Southern Africa, which then included South Africa, Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, and South West Africa
South West Africa
South-West Africa was the name that was used for the modern day Republic of Namibia during the earlier eras when the territory was controlled by the German Empire and later by South Africa....
. Eventually, he became the senior personnel executive and reported to the CEO. During this time, he gave many seminars on creativity and organization for managers at all levels for the National Development Foundation of South Africa. While in South Africa, his children Anita, John and Stephen were born.
In 1963, he left South Africa as he could not agree with the political policy of apartheid, and moved to Canada. He settled in Chatham-Kent, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and was again employed as a personnel executive, this time with a large utility that was at that time called the Union Gas Company. He was in charge of salary administration for all levels of company, as well as for organization and staffing. He developed an original theory on creativity, organization and management. Eventually, he wrote a book based upon his researches: Zen and Creative Management, which has since sold more than 75,000 copies. During his time at the gas company, he continued to give talks and seminars on the subject of management, organization and creativity — the latter a subject he has spent considerable time studying, and which is very closely connected with Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
practice.
In 1955, he became interested in Zen Buddhism, and had a strong intellectual interest for about ten years.
In 1966, he met the Japanese Zen Master Haku'un Yasutani
Haku'un Yasutani
was a Sōtō Rōshi and the founder of the Sanbo Kyodan Zen Buddhist organization.-Biography:Ryōkō Yasutani was born in Japan in Shizuoka Prefecture....
and practiced Zen, first with him, and then for twenty years with Philip Kapleau
Philip Kapleau
Philip Kapleau was a teacher of Zen Buddhism in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition, a blending of Japanese Sōtō and Rinzai schools.-Early life:...
, who had himself been a disciple of Yasutani's until the latter dissolved their relationship. In 1976, he resigned from the Gas Company and went to the Rochester Zen Center
Rochester Zen Center
The Rochester Zen Center is a Sōtō and Rinzai Zen Buddhist sangha in the Sanbo Kyodan lineage, located in Rochester, New York and established in 1966 by Philip Kapleau. It is one of the oldest Zen centers in the United States. The history of the Rochester Zen Center begins overseas with the...
for three years, where he served as editor of the Center’s journal. In 1979, he relocated to Montreal as a probationary teacher. In 1986, he finished his training and was authorized by Kapleau to teach as a Zen master.
Dr. Low has made a study of human nature throughout his life. He draws on his prolonged meditations on creativity and the human condition
Human condition
The human condition encompasses the experiences of being human in a social, cultural, and personal context. It can be described as the irreducible part of humanity that is inherent and not connected to gender, race, class, etc. — a search for purpose, sense of curiosity, the inevitability of...
, his many years of providing psychological and spiritual counseling, and a wide-ranging knowledge of Western psychology, philosophy, and science — including a deep interest in evolutionary theory. He has given many talks on CBC radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
and CBC television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
.
He has written eleven books, and contributed to three. Many of his books have been translated into three or more languages. He also translated Dr. Hubert Benoit’s "Let Go!" and Thich Nhat Hanh’s "Zen Keys" from French to English. His latest book, "The Origin of Human Nature: a Zen Buddhist Looks at Evolution", was recently published by Sussex Academic Press.
Albert Low is currently the teacher and director at the Montreal Zen Center
Montreal Zen Center
Montreal Zen Center is a Sōtō/Rinzai Zen Buddhist sangha located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in the Harada Tangen/Haku'un Yasutani line . The community offers for members only intensive Zen sesshin retreats, of seven day, three day and two day duration. Introductory workshops are given for the...
with over two hundred students, whom he counsels on both spiritual and psychological issues.
Selected works
- "Zen and Creative Management" ISBN 0-8048-1883-5
- "The Iron Cow of Zen" (Theosophical Publishing House, 1984) ISBN 0-8356-0598-1
- "Invitation To Practice Zen" (Charles E. Tuttle Company, Tokyo, 1989) ISBN 0-8048-1598-4
- "The Butterfly's Dream" (Charles E. Tuttle Company, Vermont) ISBN 0-8048-1822-3
- "The World A Gateway: Commentaries on the Mumonkan" (Charles E. Tuttle Company of Vermont, 1995) ISBN 0-8048-3046-0
- "To Know Yourself" (Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1997) ISBN 0-8048-3119-X
- "Creating Consciousness" (White Cloud Press, 2001) ISBN 1-883991-39-0
- "Zen and the Sutras" (Charles E. Tuttle Company, 2000) ISBN 0-8048-3201-3
- "Hakuin Zenji’s Chant in Praise of Zazen" (Zen Books, 2004)
- "Hakuin on Kensho" (Shambhala PublicationsShambhala PublicationsShambhala Publications is an independent publishing company based in Boston, Massachusetts. According to the company, it specializes in "books that present creative and conscious ways of transforming the individual, the society, and the planet". Many of its books deal with Buddhism or related topics...
, 2006) ISBN 1-59030-377-6 - "The Origin of Human Nature, A Zen Buddhist Looks at Evolution" (Sussex Academic PressSussex Academic PressSussex Academic Press is a book publishing company based in Eastbourne, United Kingdom.It describes itself as an academic publisher with "core subject disciplines of Middle Eastern Studies, Theology & Religion and History" and additional publishing ventures in other subject categories such as...
, 2008) ISBN 978-1-84519-260-0 - "Conflict and Creativity at Work, Human Roots of Corporate Life" (Sussex Academic PressSussex Academic PressSussex Academic Press is a book publishing company based in Eastbourne, United Kingdom.It describes itself as an academic publisher with "core subject disciplines of Middle Eastern Studies, Theology & Religion and History" and additional publishing ventures in other subject categories such as...
, 2008) ISBN 978-1-84519-272-3 - "What am I? The Heart Sutra for Everyone" (iUniverseIUniverseiUniverse, founded in October 1999, is a self-publishing company, co-located with AuthorHouse in Bloomington, Indiana. Publishers Weekly notes iUniverse has partnerships with The Writers' Club and the Writer's Digest .-History:iUniverse initially focused on business-to-consumer print-on-demand...
, 2010) ISBN 978-1-4502-3068-1
Articles and papers
- Master Hakuin's Gateway To Freedom in Zen Tradition and Transition: a Source book by Contemporary Zen Masters and Scholars edited by Kenneth Kraft and published by Grove Press
- The Power of Prayer published by New World Library, Novato
External links
- Montreal Zen Center Website
- Rochester Zen Center Website
- "What is the Way of Zen?" an article featured in ascent magazine.
- Albert Low's eBooks
- Albert Low's Website