Zen Luminaries

Jon Joseph Roshi converses with poet and essayist Jane Hirshfield on her many volumes of poetry and essays, her worldview, Buddhist practice, and more. With comments & questions from John Tarrant. Complete session from October 24th, 2022.

Jon Joseph Roshi talks with Joan Sutherland about her new book, Through Forest of Every Color, her evolving thoughts on koans, and her breakout work with John Tarrant and others: bringing koan teaching out of the box of dokusan and into a new western practice of conversations in groups. A rich and lively hour-long conversation with questions and insights from Jon Joseph, John Tarrant, and Allison Atwill. Recorded September 26, 2022.

Writer & Roshi Susan Murphy, in conversation with Jon Joseph, reads from her books and talks about her childhood, family, lifelong relationship with the land, the disturbing evidence of climate change in Australia, and her ongoing, warm collaborations with indigenous aboriginal elders. Recorded April 25, 2022. Jordan McConnell sings the vows.

A great meandering conversation bookended with Hosho Peter’s poems and reminiscences: It was in the late 1960s when Peter first met poet Gary Snyder, a meeting that forever changed his life. Emulating Snyder, he began a regular Zen meditation practice, later joining the San Francisco Zen Center. A conversation with Jon Joseph. March 28th, 2022.

Chadwick studied intensively with Suzuki and received Zen priest ordination from him just before his death in 1971. Chadwick became a practice leader at Tassajara and eventually studied with other Japanese teachers in both the Soto and Rinzai traditions. A lively conversation with Jon Joseph recorded February 28, 2022.

Jon Joseph Roshi hosts a conversation with David Hinton, a poet and translator who specializes in Chan literature and poetry. His many books include The Selected Poems of Tu Fu (Du Fu), The Selected Poems of Li Po, and a translation of the I Ching. Hinton’s translations of the great Chan poets have earned acclaim for conveying “the actual texture and density of the originals.” As recorded January 23, 2022.

Zen Luminaries: Bill Porter (aka Red Pine) joins Jon Joseph Roshi in meditation and conversation on the topics of Heart Sutra, his translation work, and life in Zen. Jordan McConnell sings the Heart Sutra. As recorded December 20, 2021.

As recorded Monday, November 1st, 2021, as part of a series of conversations with important Zen (Chan) voices: translators, writers, scholars, and practitioners.

Thomas Kirchner has translated, annotated, and edited great works in our Chan lineage, including Entangling Vines: Zen Koans of the Shumon Kattoshu, The Record of Linji, and more. He is a longtime Zen practitioner, was born in the US, and has lived most of his life in Japan. He joins Jon Joseph for a wide-ranging conversation about his life in Zen.