Albert Low: Zen Author And Teacher
Albert Low is probably one of the oldest living Zen masters. He was born and raised in London, England, and has achieved writing many books pertaining to Zen and the nature of human beings. He traveled a lot and has moved from England, South Africa, Canada, US to Montreal, which is where he lived since 1979.
He performed duties for the Royal Navy at the period between 1947 and 1949. Both he and Jean, his wife took a trip to South Africa in 1954. His three children Anita, John, and Stephen were then born. His occupation back then was related to the sales and distribution of leaflets and magazines for a company called Central News Agency. In the long run he was directly reporting to the CEO as a senior personnel executive. He was made responsible for carrying out seminars to all managerial levels for the National Development Foundation of South Africa.
He transferred to Canada in 1963 and had the same position for a different group called the Union Gas Company. He handles the administrative function of employee salary management. He pushed his ability to the limit by designing a hypothesis on creativity, organization and management. After which he published a book called Zen and Creative Management and has already sold over 75,000 copies.
In 1955, his interest in Zen Buddhism has grown and he has studied it for around ten years. In 1966, he met Haku’un Yasutani, a Japanese Zen Master and trained Zen with him. For the next twenty years, he and a former student of Yasutani named Philip Kapleau trained together.
Albert Low resigned from Union Gas Company in 1976 and worked for Rochester Zen Center as editor of its journal. Three years later he traveled to Montreal and worked as a probationary instructor. It was only in 1986 did he finish his training and was officially allowed by Kapleau to lecture as a Zen master.
If Albert Low specialized in anything, it would be the examination of human nature. His experience and knowledge on such matter was helped enhanced by his participation in psychological and spiritual counseling. The subject of psychology, philosophy, science and evolutionary science are his major strengths.
He has been privileged to guest in CBC radio and CBC TV. After his first book Zen and Creative Management, ten more book publications have followed as well becoming a contributor to three books. All his books are international best-sellers and were translated to different language. His latest book is entitled “The Origin of Human Nature: A Zen Buddhist Looks at Evolution”.
He was also able to published feng shui books; one of them is “Feng Shui: The Way to Harmony”.
Albert Low cannot boast of any accomplishment greater than having above two hundred pupils under his guardianship. Currently he is a teacher and director of Montreal Zen Center.