Volker Zotz

Volker Zotz (Volker Helmut Manfred Zotz) (born October 28, 1956 in Landau in der Pfalz, Germany) is an eminent Austrian philosopher, and a prolific author in German language.

Zotz studied from 1978 to 1985 philosophy, history and Buddhism at the University of Vienna in Vienna. His doctoral thesis was entitled "Zur Rezeption, Interpretation und Kritik des Buddhismus im deutschen Sprachraum" („The influence of Buddhism in German philosophy, literature, and culture“). He is regarded as a leading expert on Buddhist and Confucian philosophy and the influence of Buddhism in German and Western Culture.

Zotz has been a teacher of Buddhist philosophy at the University of Vienna. 1989-1999 he was a teacher and researcher at Ryukoku University and Otani University in Kyoto, Japan. In 1999 Zotz was appointed professor of philosophy at the University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxemburg.

Besides his scholarly work, Volker Zotz’s European audience knows him as author and publicist. The volume, "Buddha", is the most popular book on its topic in Germany and Austria, and is regularly reprinted and translated into several languages. His most recent book (2006) “"Die neue Wirtschaftsmacht am Ganges"” ("The Emerging Economic Power on the Ganges") is a very varied and in-depth guide to the economic power India and its people

Zotz was a major disciple of Lama Anagarika Govinda. In the early 1990s Zotz initiated a study centre called "Komyoji" in Austria which is an attempt at describing a cross-cultural philosophy of religion. Since 1994 Zotz has been the driving force behind many of Komyoji’s educational programs, such as workshops explaining various philosophical and theological topics.

elect bibliography

* "Maitreya. Kontemplationen über den Buddha der Zukunft". Mit einem Vorwort von Lama Anagarika Govinda. Hannoversch Münden 1984 (ISBN 3-87998-054-3)
* "Zur Rezeption, Interpretation und Kritik des Buddhismus im deutschen Sprachraum vom Fin-de-Siècle bis 1930. Historische Skizze und Hauptmotive." Wien: Phil. Diss., 1986.
* "Maitréja. Elmélkedések a jövö Buddhájáról." Körösi Csoma Sandor Buddhológiai Intézet, Budapest 1986
* "Freiheit und Glück. Buddhas Lehren für das tägliche Leben." München 1987 (ISBN 3-8138-0090-3).
* "André Breton." Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1990 (ISBN 3-499-50374-3)
* "Erleuchtung im Alltag." München 1990, (ISBN 3-8138-0175-6)
* "Buddha." Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1991, 6. Auflage 2001 (ISBN 3-499-50477-4)
* "André Breton." Préface de José Pierre. Paris: Édition d'art Somogy, 1991 (ISBN 2-85056-199-1)
* "Der Buddha im Reinen Land. Shin-Buddhismus in Japan." Diederichs, München 1991 (ISBN 3-424-01120-7)
* "Buddha." Votobia, Olomouc 1995 (ISBN 80-85885-72-7)
* "Geschichte der buddhistischen Philosophie." Rowohlt, Reinbek near Hamburg 1996 (ISBN 3-499-55537-9)
* "Buddha." Hangilsa, Seoul 1997 (ISBN 89-356-0136-5)
* "Mit Buddha das Leben meistern. Buddhismus für Praktiker." Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1999, 4. Auflage 2003 (ISBN 3-499-60586-4)
* "Konfuzius." Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 2000 (ISBN 3-499-50555-X)
* "Auf den glückseligen Inseln. Buddhismus in der deutschen Kultur." Theseus, Berlin 2000 (ISBN 3-89620-151-4)
* "Totus tuus. Marianisches Lesebuch zur Luxemburger Muttergottes-Oktave." Kairos, Luxembourg 2004, ISBN 2-9599829-9-1.
* "Die neue Wirtschaftsmacht am Ganges." Redline, Heidelberg 2006, ISBN 3-636-01373-4
* "Buda, Maestro de Vida." Ellago Ediciones 2006, ISBN 84-95881-87-X
* "Konfuzius für den Westen. Neue Sehnsucht nach alten Werten." O.W. Barth 2007, ISBN 978-3-502-61164-6

References and further reading

* Alfred Bloom "The Unfolding of the Lotus: A Survey of Recent Developments in Shin Buddhism in the West", Buddhist-Christian Studies, Vol. 10, 1990 (1990), pp. 157-164.

External links

* [http://www.volkerzotz.eu official website]
* [http://www.rowohlt.de/fm/131/Mono_Konfuzius.pdf Volker Zotz: "Konfuzius" (article)]
* [http://www.ursache.at/website/output.php?uw=1839&idcontent=1060&somany=30&keywords=Zotz Volker Zotz: "Machen Religionen glücklich?"(article)]
* [http://www.ursache.at/website/output.php?uw=1839&idcontent=898&listright=1&idcset=785 "Einst im Paradies. Volker Zotz über den Fluch und Segen der Arbeit." (article)]
* [http://www.ursache.at/website/output.php?uw=1839&idcontent=966&listright=1&idcset=785 Volker Zotz: "Buddha Maitreya. Liebe zwischen Loslassen und Hoffnung." (article)]
* [http://www.kairos.lu/content/leseprobetotustuus.html Volker Zotz: "Einführung zu Totus tuus" (article)]
* [http://www.uni-hamburg.de/Wiss/FB/10/JapanS/Zeitschr/re161_16.html Jens Heise on Volker Zotz: "Geschichte der buddhistischen Philosophie" (review)]