Joan Halifax

Joan Halifax (born 1942) is a Zen roshi, medical anthropologist, and pioneer in the field of contemplative end-of-life care whose work has bridged Zen Buddhism, neuroscience, and social engagement. She studied under several teachers, including Thích Nhất Hạnh and the Korean master Seung Sahn, and received dharma transmission from Bernie Glassman in the Maezumi lineage. In 1990, she founded Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which became a laboratory for the integration of Zen practice with service to the dying, social justice work, and contemplative science.

Halifax's most significant contribution has been her development of the Being with Dying program, which trains healthcare professionals, chaplains, and caregivers in contemplative approaches to end-of-life care. Drawing on decades of sitting with dying individuals and on her anthropological fieldwork with indigenous cultures, she articulated a model of compassionate presence that has influenced palliative care, hospice training, and medical education internationally. She has also been instrumental in fostering dialogue between Buddhist contemplative traditions and neuroscience, hosting gatherings at Upaya that bring together Zen practitioners, scientists, and clinicians. Her books, including "Being with Dying" and "Standing at the Edge," reflect a teaching that is simultaneously grounded in the rigor of traditional Zen practice and responsive to the full complexity of contemporary suffering.