Insight Travel Buddhist Pilgrimages: China Leader

Edward A. Burger (aka Ted) has designed our Roots of Zen Pilgrimage to China, and will be leading it this spring.

Ed has lived in China for more than seven years and was originally drawn to China by his interest in the Buddhist hermit tradition of the Zhongnan Mountains. Burger spent his first year in China studying Mandarin Chinese while searching for a hermit master to study under. He became a formal disciple of Master Guangkuan in the winter of 1999 while living at Master Guangkuan’s hermitage.

Burger has lived mostly in Beijing since then, traveling to Shaanxi province often to live and study with his master. Ted has worked as a translator and interpreter for a variety of cultural projects in China including magazine publications and film/television productions. He directed his first documentary film in 2003 about Master Guangkuan and other recluses living in central China’s remote Zhongnan Mountain range. "Amongst White Clouds" has played in a number of film festivals across North America. See www.amongstclouds.com. Burger went on to complete his second documentary entitled, "A Life In Shadows" in 2006 and is currently working on his “Dreaming Buddhas Project,” a series of academic short films on Buddhism in China.

In the summer of 2006 Burger acted as guide and interpreter to Dr. Ishwar Harris for his research on Chan Buddhism in China and in the summer of 2007 Burger led a small group of College of Wooster students on a Zen Studies program funded by grants from the Lilly Foundation. Currently, Burger is translating the teachings of Master Guangkuan in preparations to write his own book combining his teacher's words and personal reflections on his eight years as Guangkuan's disciple.

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