Jan Chozen Bays

Jan Chozen Bays

Jan Chozen Bays Roshi is co-abbot of Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Oregon. She is the author of Mindful Eating and How to Train a Wild Elephant.

Recent Articles

Meet a Teacher: Jan Chozen Bays

An interview with Jan Chozen Bays from our “Meet a Teacher” series in the July 2022 issue of Lion’s Roar magazine.

Practice Is the Right Medicine

This, says Jan Chozen Bays, is the healing power of practice: we release our fear, transform our unskillfulness, and discover our kindest selves.

Buddhist Prayer Lion's Roar Shambhala Sun

The Paradox of Prayer

Prayer is alive and well in Western Zen, says Jan Chozen Bays, even as it challenges us to make sense of what we’re doing.

Zen Is Not A Perfume

When Jan Chozen Bays noticed purveyors of commercial products appropriating the word "Zen," she responded with an open letter published in the Fall 2002 Buddhadharma.

Light in the dark.

Koan and Shikantaza: Escaping the Trap of Delusion

Jan Chozen Bays on shikantaza and koan study, Zen’s two primary practices.

How to Practice Mindful Eating

Jan Chozen Bays teaches us how to make every meal a celebration of gratitude, enjoyment, and true nourishment.

donuts

Krispy Kreme Mind

Jan Chozen Bays on the incessant desires that fuel our confusion and suffering.

Getting to Know Your Inner Critic

Jan Chozen Bays explains how to recognize and tame the critical commentary we replay in our minds.

We Naturally Know What to Give — Jan Chozen Bays on Joyful Giving

Jan Chozen Bays's contribution to the “Joyful Giving” feature, looking at why generosity is the starting place of all the virtues.

Jan Chozen Bays Zen Zenshin Women in Buddhism Japan Buddhadharma - Winter '07

Zenshin’s Example

Jan Chozen Bays looks to the example of Japan's first Buddhist in response to the growing popularity of Buddhism in the west.

Beyond Good and Evil

Jan Chozen Bays ponders the question of evil's origin, considering the Christian and the Buddhist perspectives on good and evil.