A religious scholar, Soho Machida has authored nearly 40 books, including “Renegade Monk” and “Can Mankind Overcome Religion?”

LAHAINA – Soho Machida will lead “Soho Zen” sessions at Lahaina Jodo Mission, 12 Ala Moana St., on Jan. 5 and 12 at 9:30 a.m.

“Soho Zen” is a meditation style developed by Professor Machida. By speaking aloud one’s feeling of gratitude and performing the “Araya method” of cleaning, one is able to remove negative memories that lie at the root of all problematic phenomena, he said.

By achieving clarity of the mind, one is able to live naturally and with a sense of vast fulfillment.

Each “Soho Zen” session is $20 ($30 for both sessions). Space is limited; e-mail lahainajodomission@gmail.com to reserve a seat.

Machida left home at the age of 14 to practice as a Zen monk in a conservative monastery in Kyoto, Japan, for 20 years.

He then came to the United States in 1984 and was accepted at Harvard University’s School of Divinity, where he received a master’s degree. We went on to earn a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Machida has taught at Princeton University, the National University of Singapore and Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Currently, he is a professor at the Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences and director of the Center for Ecological Peace Studies at Hiroshima University.

Professor Machida has appeared on a monthly Japanese national television (NHK) program focusing on Buddhism in Japan and conducts meditation and fasting retreats throughout Japan.