Joan Halifax Talks with Jon Joseph on Compassionate Action, Bearing Witness, & Not Knowing

Roshi Joan Jiko Halifax is one of the most influential Zen teachers of our time. Her work has included studies of shamanic rites in indigenous communities, civil rights organizing, and working with the dying and imprisoned. In 1990 she founded and continues to direct the Upaya Zen Center of Santa Fe, which runs an active calendar of meditation and cultural programs. Roshi Joan received transmission from Bernie Tetsugen Glassman, and has extensive experience with Korean, Vietnamese and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Roshi Joan talks about a kind of "fruitful dark" in which pain, when held with compassion, builds our character, and also about shifts in consciousness, especially when experienced in the context of community, that help us adapt to difficulty and bond deeply with others. She touches on some of her recent books: The Fruitful Darkness, Being with Dying, and Standing at the Edge. And talks about her experiences with various Buddhist traditions, asking, What is death? What is our disappearance? John Tarrant and Allison Atwill add comments. Zen Luminaries Series with Jon Jospeh & Friends, held May 18th, 2026 Find us at https://www.pacificzen.org