SELF/NO-SELF, WHAT IS IT? A ZEN SEMINAR WITH BERND BENDER, 8 – 9.11.2025

A Zen seminar with Bernd Bender
November 8-9, 2025
11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Athens Zen Center, Keramikos

In Buddhism, we often hear that there is no self. And yet, the Buddha also taught that there is a self. Did he contradict himself?
No, he was pointing to a complex issue in practice.

We all grasp an independent, autonomous self. This grasping exists, but not what we are grasping. As long as we fail to recognize this, we create suffering for ourselves and others. But of course, there is a self – a self that is interdependent, that arises and ceases spontaneously from moment to moment, a self that is given to us by all things and all beings.

In this workshop, we will explore the grasping of a separate self and its consequences in our experience. We will also learn how to be more in touch with the fluid, expansive self. This will help us express our lives fully and act with compassion in the world.

The workshop will include guided meditations on the self, talks by Bernd, and shared experiences from our lives and practice. Everyone is welcome, and prior meditation experience is not required.

The workshop will be conducted in English with translation into Greek.

About the teacher:

Bernd Bender has practiced Zen since 1987. He went to California in 1994 to continue his studies at the San Francisco Zen Center. He received Dharma Transmission (authorization to teach) from Dairyu Michael Wenger and is a lineage holder in Soto Zen. In 2012, he moved to Berlin, where he offers Zen practice, teaches courses in meditation and Buddhist philosophy, gives lectures, and accompanies people on their spiritual paths. He is the founder and guiding teacher at Akazienzendo, Berlin.

Schedule:

Saturday & Sunday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.: Zazen and guided meditation, Dharma talks, discussions.
Cost: 40€ for both days or 25€ per day
Location: Athens Zen Center, Kerameikos

Scholarships:

Reduced course fees are available through Zen Center Athens. If interested, please contact us.

Registration:

To register or receive more information please contact us at [email protected]