Kōans are brief stories, poems or dialogues handed down through many generations of Zen practitioners to explore the heart-mind.
In the dance of practicing with kōans, dreams, poetry, fantasy, images and all kinds of emotional and cognitive associations interact freely.
Melissa Myōzen Blacker inherited a kōan “curriculum” numbering approximately 2000 which she studied with her teacher Roshi James Ford. She then trained with Roshi John Tarrant, her teacher’s teacher, to learn how to teach kōan salons, which she re-named kōan cafés.
In this Day of Practice led by Melissa Blacker, Roshi, you will be guided through the exploration of individual kōans using meditation, guided contemplations, dharma talks, free association and group dialogue.
Kōan café practice helps to illuminate ancient and often enigmatic stories and clarify what it means to be alive and free as human beings. In this free-wheeling, compassionate atmosphere, everyone’s contribution is important, and no-one is ever wrong.