Welcome to the PZI KALPA Library

KALPA—Koans And Liberation Project Archive—the online Zen koan library of Pacific Zen Institute, was conceived as a way of providing a wider circle for today’s far-flung seekers to sit together, to enter the same timeless questions, and to receive the teachings. 

Browse selected posts as a guest, or access the entire collection as a PZI Member.

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Zen Luminaries: Writer Helen Tworkov – Lotus Girl
November 24, 2025 Videos

Zen Luminaries: Writer Helen Tworkov – Lotus Girl

Tricycle magazine founder Helen Tworkov joins host Jon Joseph to discuss her editorial and writing work and her most recent…
Helen Tworkov pilgrimage
Zen Luminaries: Writer Helen Tworkov – Lotus Girl
November 24, 2025 Videos
Helen Tworkov pilgrimage

Zen Luminaries: Writer Helen Tworkov – Lotus Girl

Tricycle magazine founder Helen Tworkov joins host Jon Joseph to discuss her editorial and writing work and her most recent book, Lotus Girl: My Life at the Crossroads of Buddhism…
Zen Luminaries: Writer Helen Tworkov – Lotus Girl
November 24, 2025 Audio Files 134 Words

Zen Luminaries: Writer Helen Tworkov – Lotus Girl

Tricycle magazine founder and editor Helen Tworkov joins host Jon Joseph to discuss her editorial and writing work, including her…
Helen Tworkov pilgrimage
Zen Luminaries: Writer Helen Tworkov – Lotus Girl
November 24, 2025 Audio Files 134 Words
Helen Tworkov pilgrimage

Zen Luminaries: Writer Helen Tworkov – Lotus Girl

Tricycle magazine founder and editor Helen Tworkov joins host Jon Joseph to discuss her editorial and writing work, including her most recent book, Lotus Girl: My Life at the Crossroads…
Zen Luminaries: Author David Chadwick – Tassajara Stories
October 27, 2025 Audio Files 567 Words

Zen Luminaries: Author David Chadwick – Tassajara Stories

David Chadwick, author, activist, musician, and Zen priest, joins host Jon Joseph for remembrances about the early days of San…
beginnings of Zen in America Shunryu Suzuki
Zen Luminaries: Author David Chadwick – Tassajara Stories
October 27, 2025 Audio Files 567 Words
beginnings of Zen in America Shunryu Suzuki

Zen Luminaries: Author David Chadwick – Tassajara Stories

David Chadwick, author, activist, musician, and Zen priest, joins host Jon Joseph for remembrances about the early days of San Francisco Zen Center and the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.
Zen Luminaries: Author David Chadwick – Tassajara Stories
October 27, 2025 Videos

Zen Luminaries: Author David Chadwick – Tassajara Stories

David Chadwick, author, activist, musician, and Zen priest, joins host Jon Joseph for remembrances about the early days of San…
beginnings of Zen in America Shunryu Suzuki
Zen Luminaries: Author David Chadwick – Tassajara Stories
October 27, 2025 Videos
beginnings of Zen in America Shunryu Suzuki

Zen Luminaries: Author David Chadwick – Tassajara Stories

David Chadwick, author, activist, musician, and Zen priest, joins host Jon Joseph for remembrances about the early days of San Francisco Zen Center and the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.
Zen Luminaries: Dahui’s Letters with Translator Thomas Yuho Kirchner
September 24, 2025 Videos

Zen Luminaries: Dahui’s Letters with Translator Thomas Yuho Kirchner

Kirchner joins host Jon Joseph to discuss his book, Dahui’s Letters, the critical writings of Dahui Zhonggao, considered the father…
Dahui huatou
Zen Luminaries: Dahui’s Letters with Translator Thomas Yuho Kirchner
September 24, 2025 Videos
Dahui huatou

Zen Luminaries: Dahui’s Letters with Translator Thomas Yuho Kirchner

Kirchner joins host Jon Joseph to discuss his book, Dahui’s Letters, the critical writings of Dahui Zhonggao, considered the father of koan meditation and leading figure of the Linji School…
Zen Luminaries: Dahui’s Letters with Translator Thomas Yuho Kirchner
September 24, 2025 Audio Files 327 Words

Zen Luminaries: Dahui’s Letters with Translator Thomas Yuho Kirchner

Was Dahui the “second coming” of Linji? He shared with Linji a great wellspring of energy and complete lack of…
Dahui huatou
Zen Luminaries: Dahui’s Letters with Translator Thomas Yuho Kirchner
September 24, 2025 Audio Files 327 Words
Dahui huatou

Zen Luminaries: Dahui’s Letters with Translator Thomas Yuho Kirchner

Was Dahui the “second coming” of Linji? He shared with Linji a great wellspring of energy and complete lack of resistance to the present moment. Dahui championed koan practice (and…
Zen Luminaries: Zen Teacher Edward Espe Brown on How to Cook Your Life – No Recipe!
July 28, 2025 Audio Files 201 Words

Zen Luminaries: Zen Teacher Edward Espe Brown on How to Cook Your Life – No Recipe!

When you cook, you’re not just working on food—you’re working on yourself, you’re working on other people. (Suzuki Roshi’s teaching…
cooking Edward Espe Brown
Zen Luminaries: Zen Teacher Edward Espe Brown on How to Cook Your Life – No Recipe!
July 28, 2025 Audio Files 201 Words
cooking Edward Espe Brown

Zen Luminaries: Zen Teacher Edward Espe Brown on How to Cook Your Life – No Recipe!

When you cook, you’re not just working on food—you’re working on yourself, you’re working on other people. (Suzuki Roshi’s teaching for Ed Brown.)
Zen Luminaries: Zen Teacher Edward Espe Brown on How to Cook Your Life – No Recipe!
July 28, 2025 Videos 86′ 47″

Zen Luminaries: Zen Teacher Edward Espe Brown on How to Cook Your Life – No Recipe!

Your spirit is food; food for yourself and food for others: very immediately and very directly, you give life to…
cooking Edward Espe Brown
Zen Luminaries: Zen Teacher Edward Espe Brown on How to Cook Your Life – No Recipe!
July 28, 2025 Videos 86′ 47″
cooking Edward Espe Brown

Zen Luminaries: Zen Teacher Edward Espe Brown on How to Cook Your Life – No Recipe!

Your spirit is food; food for yourself and food for others: very immediately and very directly, you give life to life. How sweet is that? You offer what you have…
Zen Luminaries: Author & Zen Teacher Koshin Paley Ellison: Untangled – How We Walk the Path
June 11, 2025 Audio Files 174 Words

Zen Luminaries: Author & Zen Teacher Koshin Paley Ellison: Untangled – How We Walk the Path

Koshin Paley Ellison is recognized as one of today’s most influential leaders in the contemplative medicine movement. He co-founded the…
contemplative care death and dying
Zen Luminaries: Author & Zen Teacher Koshin Paley Ellison: Untangled – How We Walk the Path
June 11, 2025 Audio Files 174 Words
contemplative care death and dying

Zen Luminaries: Author & Zen Teacher Koshin Paley Ellison: Untangled – How We Walk the Path

Koshin Paley Ellison is recognized as one of today’s most influential leaders in the contemplative medicine movement. He co-founded the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, an educational nonprofit…
Zen Luminaries: Author & Zen Teacher Koshin Paley Ellison: Untangled – How We Walk the Path
June 10, 2025 Videos 82′ 45″

Zen Luminaries: Author & Zen Teacher Koshin Paley Ellison: Untangled – How We Walk the Path

Koshin Paley Ellison is recognized as one of today’s most influential leaders in the contemplative medicine movement. Koshin’s work has…
contemplative care death and dying
Zen Luminaries: Author & Zen Teacher Koshin Paley Ellison: Untangled – How We Walk the Path
June 10, 2025 Videos 82′ 45″
contemplative care death and dying

Zen Luminaries: Author & Zen Teacher Koshin Paley Ellison: Untangled – How We Walk the Path

Koshin Paley Ellison is recognized as one of today’s most influential leaders in the contemplative medicine movement. Koshin’s work has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, CBS Sunday…