The Dharma
Practice Leader
Deb Saint is the Practice Leader for Desert Lotus Zen. Deb guides our community in its weekly meditaion and sutra service. She also provides introductory instruction in Zen meditation and coordinates our activities in Arizona with John and Rachel.
Teachers
John Tarrant, Roshi is Director and Senior Faculty for Pacific Zen Institute in Santa Rosa, CA, and Senior Teacher for the Desert Lotus Zen community in Phoenix, AZ. He has a PhD in psychology and is the author of Bring Me The Rhinoceros & Other Zen Koans to Bring You Joy, and The Light Inside the Dark: Zen, Soul & the Spiritual Life. John also works with the Duke Integrative Medicine Center within Duke University Medical School. John’s life work is centered on the transformation of consciousness, and he is one of the foremost koan teachers in the United States.
Rachel Howlett, Sensei is a Koan Teacher for Pacific Zen Institute and Desert Lotus Zen Sangha in Phoenix, AZ. She has degrees in botany and law and practices environmental, preservation and land use law in Santa Rosa, CA. One of Rachel's particular strengths is in using dialogue as a way of encouraging people to find their own authentic life, and she has designed and taught a series of teachings in this conversation format called Developing a Personal Practice. Rachel is interested in transforming points of view and creating a culture sympathetic to the environment. She offers private/group counsel and meditation practices designed to support those dedicated to doing advocacy work of all kinds.