Joan Halifax facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joan Halifax |
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Halifax in February 2008
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| Religion | Zen Buddhism |
| Lineage | Zen Peacemaker Order White Plum Asanga |
| Education | Harriet Sophie Newcomb College University of Miami School of Medicine Union Graduate School |
| Personal | |
| Born | July 30, 1942 Hanover, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Senior posting | |
| Based in | Upaya Zen Center |
| Religious career | |
| Teacher | Seung Sahn, Bernard Glassman, Thich Nhat Hanh |
Joan Jiko Halifax (born July 30, 1942) is an American Zen Buddhist teacher. She is also an anthropologist, ecologist, and civil rights activist. Joan Halifax has written several books about Buddhism and spirituality. She is currently the leader and main teacher at Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She started this Zen Peacemaker community in 1990. Halifax learned Zen from teachers like Bernard Glassman and Seung Sahn.
In the 1970s, she worked with her former husband, Stanislav Grof, on projects related to helping people who were dying. She also collaborated with famous people like Joseph Campbell and Alan Lomax. She founded the Ojai Foundation in California in 1979 and led it for ten years. As a socially engaged Buddhist, Joan Halifax has spent a lot of time helping people who are dying. She created a special program called the Project on Being with Dying. She is also on the board of directors for the Mind and Life Institute. This group explores how science and Buddhism are connected.
Contents
Joan Halifax's Life Story
Early Life and Education
Joan Halifax was born in Hanover, New Hampshire, in 1942. When she was four years old, a serious illness caused her to become almost blind. She got her sight back two years later. In 1964, she graduated from Harriet Sophie Newcomb College at Tulane University. This was in New Orleans, Louisiana. While there, she became involved in the American civil rights movement. She also took part in protests against war.
After college, Halifax moved to New York City. She began working with Alan Lomax, a famous music and folklore collector. By 1965, she was reading books about Buddhism and learning to meditate on her own. She worked at Columbia University from 1964 to 1968. Later, she went to Paris and worked at the Museum of Man.
Studies and Research
Joan Halifax earned her Ph.D. in medical anthropology and psychology. This degree was from Union Institute & University in Cincinnati. She also worked at the University of Miami School of Medicine. She traveled to Mali to study the Dogon tribe. In the 1970s, she went to Mexico to learn about the Huichols.
In 1972, Halifax married Stanislav Grof. Together, they explored ways to support people who were dying. They wrote a book called The Human Encounter With Death in 1977. This book discusses experiences people have when they are close to death.
Founding Centers for Learning
In 1979, Joan Halifax started the Ojai Foundation. This was a center for education and different faiths. In 1990, she founded Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This center offers Zen training. It also has courses and retreats on topics like engaged Buddhism and caring for the dying.
Upaya is a place where people can live and learn. It is located on the edge of Santa Fe. Joan Halifax had a clear vision for the center. She wanted it to connect mind and space. She thought about how everything is connected, like ancestors, the land, and nature. She also considered how indoor and outdoor spaces work together. Caring for the land and its resources has always been important in developing the center.
Helping People Who Are Dying
Joan Halifax has spent much of her career working with people who are dying. She teaches methods for "being with death and dying." She shares these techniques with patients, doctors, nurses, and families. She speaks calmly and with knowledge.
In many cultures, death is often avoided or hidden. But Joan physically connects with the dying. She holds them, listens to them, and comforts them. She helps ease their suffering in any way she can. She shares their thoughts and fears. She is there for their last breaths. She can go from a church to a hospital, sharing Buddhist ideas in a way that fits different cultures and beliefs.
In March 2011, she was named a special visiting scholar. This was at the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.
Books by Joan Halifax
- Halifax, Joan (2008). Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death. Boston ; Boulder: Shambhala, 2008. ISBN: 1590307186
- Halifax, Joan (2018). Standing at the edge: finding freedom where fear and courage meet. New York: Flatiron Books, 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Joan Halifax para niños
