Guide to KALPA Library Search
KALPA, noun:
A traditional Buddhist term for a complete cosmic cycle,
from the origin to the destruction of a universe.
A very long time.
A monk asked Daisui,
“When the great kalpa fire bursts out, the whole universe will be destroyed. I wonder if it will also be destroyed, or not?”
Daisui said, “Destroyed.”
The monk said, “If so, will it be gone with the other?”
Daisui said, “Gone with the other.”
What’s in our KALPA Library?
John Tarrant has been writing and giving talks about Zen and koans for over 35 years, and his students and successors at Pacific Zen Institute also have a body of work here. There are audio recordings of talks going back decades, and videos and writing and art and music spanning a quarter century.
You can curl up with your favorite electronic device and remember the way the world can come to meet you, that your own life is a thing of wonder, just as it is.
Enjoy exploring the KALPA!
Want to get going already?
Here’s a walkthrough of our KALPA homepage sections, plus tips for using search:
1. Easy links section:
Get talks on fundamentals, & return for the newest Sunday Zen talks
Introductory Talks: Talks on Koan Zen fundamentals to get you started
Sunday Talks: Zen Sunday dharma talks in chronological order
KALPA Guide: You are here!
2. Special links section:
Browse handy lists, find koans, & access content posted on other websites
Koan Library Index: Click on a koan to see its text and related content
Themes Index: Overview of curated content collections on Koan Zen themes
Luminaries Index: Archive of Zen Luminaries interviews
Podcast Episodes: Homepage for PZI podcast episodes
PZI in the Media: Articles, interviews, and webinars featuring PZI
PZI on YouTube: View Zen Sunday and Sesshin talk videos
PZI on Instagram: See what’s happening at PZI
PZI Magazine: Articles written by PZI teachers and membership
3. KALPA search section:
Use keyword search or advanced search to find content
Keyword Search Tips:
—KEYWORD SEARCH will sift through names, dates, topics, tags, titles, descriptions, summaries, and full-length texts. Your results will include a variety of emphases on your topic.
—ALL TAGS will show you a curated list of topics and keywords.
—USE QUOTES! When searching for a multi-word phrase, it will always need to be put in quotes – “2020 Summer Sesshin” – or the search engine will look at each word separately.
—RESET will clear all search parameters.
Can’t find what you’re looking for?
—TRY ANOTHER WORD or phrase, or something simpler.
—TRY VARIATIONS on your phrase. For example, Sun-Face Buddha might be “sun face,” “sun-face,” “sun faced,” or “sun-faced.”
—TRY BROWSING tags or perusing the koan index to jog your memory!
Still can’t find it?
—GO INTO THE MYSTERY. There is some treasure in what you DO locate. It is the Dao, too!
—CONTACT KAI at [email protected]
4. After opening audio, video, or other content:
Click on tags and koan names for related content –
For example, if a video you’re watching speaks to you, look at the tags.
Start from where you are:
—CLICK ON A TAG to retrieve other items with the same tag. If you like a video tagged “koan practice,” click the tag to find other content on koan practice.
—CLICKING ON A KOAN NAME will retrieve other material with the same koan name tag.
5. What else?
Get familiar with abbreviations for Buddhist texts and koan collections:
BCR = The Blue Cliff Record
BS = The Book of Serenity (also, The Book of Equanimity)
EV = Entangling Vines
GG = The Gateless Gate (also, The Gateless Barrier)
MK = The PZI Miscellaneous Koans
6. Lastly …
A few FAQs
Why is some content hidden?
—GUESTS may browse selected content; PZI Members (join us!) have access to the entire library.
Can I listen offline?
—YES! Most audios are downloadable. You will see a cloud icon below a “down” arrow. That’s the spot!
How soon can I find the recording of a recent talk?
—NEW CONTENT is posted to the library as it becomes available or is curated by the KALPA team.
How do I search for a specific date?
—DATE SEARCH IS COMING SOON. Accurate event dates are in the post summary or in the body text (not the publication date). Please stay tuned.
Questions or feedback?
—CONTACT KAI at [email protected]
Meditation likes companionship.
The KALPA library is a way of supporting people in the project of meditation and awakening.
You get to have a Zen teacher in your pocket, a way of seeing things differently, of noticing how something difficult or tedious or confusing may be all right just as it is, and may be more full of light or humor or warmth than you’d really noticed before.
In old Zen stories that kind of teaching was called a “turning word,” when somebody said something—and a door opened.
This is a library full of turning words.
—John Tarrant
Copyright: All content in this library is the intellectual property of Pacific Zen Institute and the Koans and Liberation Project Archive. Reproducing material from this library without the consent of PZI is prohibited.