Emotional Koan Study Group
with Ekai Joel Kreisberg
August 25th, 2025 11:00 am - 12:15 pm ET (New York)
Emotional Koan
Emotional koan practice is a blend of a reciprocal exchange with a teacher (mondo meaning dialogue) and reflective work with oneself, as one learns to “get the information” within the feelings that arise and respond skillfully with compassion.
Being Truly Present For the Full Expression of Emotions
“In order to consciously respond rather than habitually react, it is essential that we experience and get the information within all our feelings – including those deeper feelings that lie underneath our habitual negative emotional reactions.”
Modern scholars of emotional intelligence, such as Daniel Goldman, Karla McLaren and Peter Salovey, teach that an essential ingredient of emotional intelligence is learning how to truly be present for the full expression of the feelings arising within the self – to bear witness, so to speak. That full experience of emotions includes sensations, feelings and thoughts, and being a witness involves being able to observe the response. Thus, the first step in emotional koan work is, with the support of zazen practice, to be more present, more mindful of what is arising within our experience. McLaren calls this embracing your emotions.
Respond with Compassion
Jun Po Roshi would say that ”(w)e need to concentrate, meditate long enough to develop the ability to remain present in the face of these feelings, stop the reactive pattern, release the contraction, and choose a compassionate, intelligent response from Clear, Deep Heart-Mind.” So, not only are we to witness our reactivity, we are also instructed to let go of this response, remember that we are not separate, and then, as we more fully recognize our humanity, respond with compassion.
Our Angst is Our Liberation
From a practical perspective, we “practice” our emotional koan with a facilitator, and once rehearsed, we can then tag it so that when we meet this feeling again in real time, we can now utilize our koan skills to respond to the situation with wisdom and clarity. Thus, our angst is our liberation. Our emotional responses provide information and opportunities to embody a compassionate Bodhisattva.
Welcome to the world of emotional koans.
About Ekai Joel Kreisberg
Ekai continues to evolve his practice to incorporate a variety of Buddhist wisdom in his teachings. His commitment to compassionate action keeps offering endless opportunity for learning and growth.
“Through your concentration-meditation practice, you become aware of and cultivate awareness of your deeper mind, develop the ability to remain non-reactive in the face of threat or insult, and have time to stop unconsciously reacting, open your eyes and your heart, clearly discern, and compassionately respond. ”
Suggested Reading
by Karla Mclaren