New and notable:

Stories that Change Us, Stories that Heal
with John Tarrant in Santa Fe, NM
Wednesday, May 16 – Sunday, May 20
Developing the arts of attention and meditation | dreams and zen stories | writing exercises | poetry. Presented by the Santa Fe Center for Alchemical Studies. Learn more »

Ending the War on Delusion – First Steps to a Guilt Free Meditation Practice
with David Weinstein in San Francisco, CA
Saturday, May 19th, 1pm - 6pm
Join David Weinstein for this koan brunch and explore what ending the war on delusion means for you!
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Summer Sesshin at Angela Center
with John Tarrant & David Weinstein in Santa Rosa, CA
Saturday, June 23 to Saturday, June 30
Deep meditation, koans, private work with teachers, delicious meals and summer sunshine!
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Standing at the Blue Cliff:
The Enlightenment Talks
with John Tarrant & Joan Sutherland in the SF Bay Area
Thursday, Sept. 13 – Sunday, Sept. 16
Two Zen masters talk together about the enlightenment texts and explore the implications of enlightenment. Learn more »

Koan and Meditation Retreat
with John Tarrant in London, Ontario, Canada
Friday, Sept. 21 – Sunday, Sept. 23
Deep meditation, koans, conversations, private work with John Tarrant, and more adventures in the world of Zen.
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Autumn Sesshin at Angela Center
with John Tarrant & David Weinstein in Santa Rosa, CA
Saturday, Oct 13 to Saturday, Oct 20
Deep meditation, koans, private work with teachers, delicious meals and autumn winds.
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Step Into Freedom

When you hear music your body just dances and Zen Koan meditation is like that. You can step into freedom in just one step, without working out how to do it. It can be as simple as just turning your head.

Every child has experienced an epiphany when the world came into focus and they felt the beauty of the world in every cell. Such moments of clarity can be plain or make you weep for joy—the important thing is that they open our eyes to what it feels like to be free.

At Pacific Zen Institute we are building a culture that supports and encourages the discovery of this kind of freedom, through meditation, koan study, inquiry, conversation & the arts. We hope this website will help you learn more about what we do and give you ways to go deeper if you feel drawn to.

We will be adding new functionality and content to this website so please check back frequently. If you have any questions or comments about the site, please send them to us with the contact form.