Zen-following entrepreneur to share lessons on life, spirit

By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Religion & Ethics Writer

AUGUST TURAK Appearances August Turak, the founder of the Self-Knowledge Symposium will be in Hawai'i: University of Hawai'i-Manoa, Art Auditorium: "Five Years with a Zen Master" lecture, free, 7 p.m. Tuesday. Plus, the "Walking the Razor's Edge" workshop, $20; 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, 956-7221. Calvary-by-the-Sea Lutheran church: "Everyday Zen" lecture, $15 ($10 seniors and students); 7 p.m. Wednesday. Unity Church, Diamond Head: "What is Zen?" lectures, $20 ($15 in advance, $10 for seniors, students); 7 p.m. Thursday, 735-4436 ext. 314

He dropped out of school to lay carpet and study at the knee of Richard Rose, a West Virginian farmer and Zen master. You can imagine what his parents — two hard-charging children of immigrants who weathered the Great Depression to have eight children — thought about this.

"I was groomed to be a doctor, lawyer or Indian chief," he said. "... It was a tremendous embarrassment to my family." But he couldn't deny the urge to clear his spiritual deck. Raised Roman Catholic, Zen appealed to his sensibilities, and he was drawn to its hard-charging spiritual path, which relies less on faith and more on experiential learning.

"All religion boils down to three things: the urge for transcendence, 'know thyself,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself,'" he said.

After pursuing enlightenment, Turak did return to the business world — and excelled there, making enough impact as a salesman and entrepreneur to support his regular jaunts into his spiritual world.

Among his business accomplishments: Turak was with MTV its breakthrough year in 1981, became national director of marketing for what was to become A&E Network, and went on to become vice president of marketing with Adelphia Communications.

Even running the Raleigh Group software company he founded, however, he regularly took time out to recharge his inner batteries at a North Carolina monastery, chanting, meditating and sorting chicken eggs.

In 2000, he sold the business and put his time into the Self-Knowledge Symposium, a university-level nonacademic course that aims to help students integrate spiritual values in everyday life through open discussions and a series of exercises.

One of those students, Fred Macri, is now in Hawai'i. He and roommate, Nathan Goldstein, pitched the idea to bring Turak to University of Hawai'i-Manoa and to different churches. That's how Macri's mentor came to his first visit to Hawai'i.

"I consider the Self-Knowledge Symposium my true education from Duke (University)," said Macri. "Augie is one of the most remarkable men I've ever met."

This is part vacation for Turak, who will begin studies in theology at St. John's University in Minnesota next fall.

"I structured my life so that I could (take R&R)," he said. "I always liked to work, but from the time I was 19, said I don't want to have to work."