Small Koan Groups - Meditations and Conversations about Practice

When the koan groups are in session, the koan of the week is posted online along with questions for the groups to discuss. The koans and discussion guides from the first two small group sessions are linked from this website in the Small Group Koan Study Guide.

This program provides an opportunity to work with koans in small groups of approximately six people. Each group has a facilitator and meets once a week for six weeks. Two series of small group sessions have been completed. The third series began for most groups during the Week of October 24.

For each small group series, John Tarrant selects 6 koans for study by the groups – one koan for each week. John makes the koan and commentary about it available for the groups to discuss. All of the groups work with the same koan each week, with the larger PZI Monday night program in Santa Rosa and the Sunday Mornings at the Creek program in Santa Rosa also centering on the "koan of the week." 

The groups and when they meet are listed in the right sidebar.

If you would like to take part, please email David Parks-Ramage at dparkram@gmail.com. Please indicate which group you would like to attend. You can also contact a group leader directly.

Goals for the program include:

• create a way for PZI members to become collaborators in developing a new understanding of the way koans work in our lives
• provide another context for conversation about practice and the study of koans
• promote and strengthen the PZI community and relationships within it
• provide new avenues for leadership within the PZI community
• provide an opportunity for increased commitment of PZI members and friends
• add value to affiliation with PZI