The Tattooed Buddha team sits down with Gesshin Claire Greenwood, author of Bow First, Ask Questions Later.
Gesshin was born and raised in San Francisco as a child of American Buddhists. She spent the majority of her 20’s in India and Japan and received dharma transmission from Suzuki Roshi in 2015, and in 2017 was granted the title “osho” within the Soto Zen School.
We discuss Gesshin’s journey into Buddhism, how she came to be living in a monastery in Japan, life outside the monastery and the role of wearing or not wearing robes. Gesshin gives us her perspective on feminism and the differences between practice in Japan versus practice in America and what it was like practicing with all women, how she felt after coming out the other side of serious study in Japan, and where she hopes to go from here.
Sit back and listen to us as we chat with Gesshin and share stories and laughs.
Photo: Wisdom Publications
Editor: Dana Gornall
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download
- Why I Became Buddhist - March 25, 2026
- Perfectly Imperfect: Life is One Continuous Mistake - February 23, 2026
- No Flights to a Prison State: A Global Call to Boycott Travel to Myanmar - February 19, 2026
