Zentrum Wallis
The Sanko-an International Soto Zen Center is a special place of peace and practice located on a remote alpine pasture in Valais, Switzerland. Sanko-an is the main center for sesshin in the Sanshin-ji style of Soto Zen in Switzerland and offers sesshin and Dharma courses suitable for everyone. It is still under construction.
The center’s small main building and the beautiful dojo, located in a modernized barn overlooking the main valley of the Rhone River in Valais and the Val d’Anniviers, offer breathtaking panoramic views of the highest mountains in the Swiss Alps.
Zen Buddhist Monk/Priest and Pastor
Volker Gyoriki Herskamp
Director and Teacher of the Sanko-an Zen hermitage. He is a Zen Buddhist monk and experienced teacher in the Soto-Zen tradition. He has been studying and practicing for 35 years, initially under the guidance of Missen Bovay Roshi and, since 2018, under the guidance of Shohaku Okumura Roshi.
Since 1998, Gyoriki has been leading meditation retreats (sesshin) and teaching Buddha Dharma in the Soto Zen style. These experiences make his teachings and guidance very powerful. He is known for his warmth and humor, as well as for his clear and practical presentation of the teachings. He is an inspiring example of modern Buddhism and is committed to ensuring that everyone can discover the timeless wisdom and practice of the Buddha. He is convinced that with the help of the practice of a Buddha (zazen), we can save this world and thus find true, lasting happiness together with all beings.
“I would like to establish a place in an environment where a practice like that handed down to us by the ‘ancient Buddhas’ is possible. Modern life is artificially constructed and increasingly separates society from its roots. Through the pursuit of absolute control over nature and convenience, as well as the pursuit of the fulfillment of all desires, humanity is disconnecting itself from its true purpose. The modern way of life is moving ever further away from the reality of the nature with which we live. The consequences are diverse diseases of civilization, addiction, loneliness, anxiety, depression, and powerlessness. If this ‘artificial life construct’ ever collapses, for example due to climate change, serious economic problems, blackouts, etc., people will suffer greatly because they will no longer know how to ‘live’. Modern people, especially young people, should therefore relearn to live in direct contact with nature and, through daily Zen practice, to enter into the rhythm of nature. Deep contentment, freedom, and meaningfulness in action, as well as inspiration, will then shape a new generation. Therefore, I would like to use all the resources at my disposal to To create a place that makes Buddha practice possible for the benefit and in harmony with all beings and nature.” Gyoriki 2013