About us

I was ordained as a Zen priest in March 2019 by Hoko Karnegis at Sanshinji.

My zen practice began in 2009 at Johanneshof, in the Black Forest, in the lineage of Zentatsu Baker Roshi, successor of Shunryu Suzuki. In 2011 I was ordained as a layperson by Rytuen Rosenblum Roshi, a successor of Baker Roshi. During that year, I began to integrate my practice further into my everyday life. I started working as a volunteer prison chaplain for the Austrian Buddhist Religious Society (ÖBR). In 2015 I extended my pastoral work and started caring for formerly homeless people at VinziRast homeless shelter in Vienna. 

In December 2017 I met zen master Kaikyo Roby and changed lineage. Kaikyo-san was a successor of Shohaku Okumura Roshi. She lived and worked as a hospice and hospital chaplain in the vicinity of Miami, Florida, USA. She supported me greatly in the development of my chaplaincy work and was of great importance for the formation of my personal understanding of Buddhist (contemplative) care, for the benefit of all beings. She passed away in November 2018. Her dharma sister Hoko Karnegis, vice abbot of Sanshinji, took over from her and is now responsible for my training. 

In addition to my zen practice I practice the daoist teaching of Neidan, the teaching of inner alchemy. You can find out more about this on my personal website.

To sustain my livelihood, I work as an independent entrepreneur in my companies Plantago and Shinkoko – Fine things from Japan.

I was born in 1964 in Upper Austria, have two children, and live in Vienna. 

I was ordained in the Sanshin lineage by Doryu Cappelli at Centro Anshin Roma in 2023 .

My Buddhist practice began in 2009 with the Triratna sangha in Berlin. I attended my first retreat in 2011 at Tushita Meditation Centre in Dharamsala. It was an intense experience that led me towards putting more effort into my practice. Shortly after the retreat, my living conditions changed considerably and for the next few years I continued practicing  by myself. In 2015 I moved to Vienna and began practicing Qigong and various kinds of meditation techniques. Initiated by the arrival of many refugees in Austria during that time, I began to engage in voluntary work. I joined the local Interbeing sangha in 2017 and received the Five Mindfulness Trainings (lay precepts) in 2018.

That same year, I started working as a volunteer Buddhist prison chaplain and crossed paths with Shinko Andreas Hagn, who became my mentor. He introduced me to Sanshin Zen Community. where I have found my spiritual home. 

I teach Qigong and sell green tea and fine things from Japan at Shinkoko, together with Shinko. 

I was born in 1986 and live in Vienna.

 Our Zendo

Address

Jakob-Stainer-Gasse 17
1130 Vienna

Parking

Free of charge directly in front of the building
Public parking spaces in Jakob-Stainer-Gasse and the surrounding area

Public transport

Stop “Speising/Hermesstraße” (3-5 minutes walking distance):

• Tram 60
• Tram 62
• Bus 56 A
• Bus 56 B

“Speising” railway station (10-15 walking distance)

• S80