Renunciation. Ego death. Not very popular concepts these days, even among the spiritual set. But popular or not, they still rank high among the perennial pillars of spiritual practice. That’s why Cheri Huber, Zen teacher, author, and founder of the Mountain View Zen Center, trains monks and nuns in her traditional yet boldly American version of Soto Zen. Committing for practice periods of 6 months or longer, these dedicated monastics completely give up all worldly and egoic attachments (yes, that means material possessions, social attachments, and sex, too—at least for the duration of their stay). For Cheri, that’s where the juice is. Her exuberant expression of the traditional Buddhist teachings finds full expression in a passion for the destruction of ignorance and in the cultivation of a healthy distaste for the ego’s love of suffering. Renunciation: it worked for the Buddha 2,500 years ago, and according to Cheri Huber, it can work just as well today.

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