Zen teacher talks finding peace in unsettling times

Koshin Paley Ellison joined CultureShift to discuss his life’s work as a monk, psychotherapist and author.

two hands reaching out to one another

It seems like in 2023, it can be more difficult than ever to find inner stability in such an unstable world. It’s a search that Koshin Paley Ellison has devoted his life to and to helping others find their path.

Ellison is a Zen teacher and monk, a Jungian psychotherapist and the co-founder alongside his husband of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. Ellison is also author of the new book, “Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassion.”

He spoke with CultureShift about finding peace in unsettling times and the real meaning of “being Zen.”

“It’s really important to realize that we’re in ‘human time.’ [The challenge] is to see ‘the other’ as ourselves… Most of us know what we value, what we don’t value, but what I see is that most people’s lives and activity have very little to do with what they actually care about. That tension of learning who we are and what we care about and bringing those things together is really important.” — Zen teacher Koshin Paley Ellison

This segment originally aired December 2022.

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Author

  • Amanda LeClaire is an award-winning journalist and managing editor and lead reporter of WDET's new environmental series, the Detroit Tree Canopy Project, as well as WDET's CuriosiD podcast. She was the host of WDET’s CultureShift and a founding producer of the station’s flagship news talk show *Detroit Today*. Amanda also served as a Morning Edition host at WDET and previously worked as a host, audio and video producer, and reporter for Arizona Public Media.