Claude AnShin Thomas

Claude AnShin Thomas, native of Pennsylvania, is a Vietnam War combat veteran who survived as a helicopter crew chief being shot down five times. On the fifth occasion, in mid-1967, he was shot down in the Mekong Delta. The pilot and commander were killed and the gunner and Thomas were wounded. Thomas received 25 Air Medals, the equivalent of 625 combat hours, and 625 combat missions. Thomas also received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart. Claude AnShin Thomas went on to become a Zen Buddhist monk. He is also the author of At Hell's Gate: A Soldier’s Journey from War to Peace, Bringing Meditation to Life: 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice, and On the Edges of Sleep: Poems and War and Memory.
His life's work is a testament to the transformative power of mindfulness and meditation. Claude AnShin's remarkable journey from the battlefield to peace activism and Zen practice offers profound insights and guidance for all participants, irrespective of their spiritual background. For more information, visit  www.www.zaltho.org or email info@zaltho.org.