Jan Chozen Bays

Jan Chozen Bays is an American Zen teacher, author, and pediatrician, recognized for her expertise in child abuse and her contributions to mindful eating education. Born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 9, 1945, she has established a significant presence in both spiritual and medical fields.

Biography and Spiritual Practice

Bays' early life included growing up in East Greenbush, New York, and spending time in Korea. She pursued higher education at Swarthmore College and earned her medical degree from the University of California at San Diego, specializing in pediatrics. Her engagement with Zen Buddhism began in San Diego, where she practiced with a group that included notable figures like Charlotte Joko Beck. She later moved to the Zen Center of Los Angeles to study under the Japanese Zen master Taizan Maezumi Roshi, from whom she received dharma transmission in 1983. This made her his fourth dharma heir and the second woman to achieve this status.

Since 1985, she has been a teacher at the Zen Community of Oregon in Portland, alongside her husband Laren Hogen Bays. Together, they co-founded and co-abboted the Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Oregon, which opened in 2002. Bays has also trained with Rinzai Zen teacher Shodo Harada since 1990 and founded the Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple in Portland in 2011.

Expertise in Child Abuse

In her medical career, Jan Chozen Bays is a pediatrician and a nationally recognized expert on child abuse. During the 1980s and 1990s, she conducted numerous medical examinations of abused and deceased infants and children and frequently testified in court as an expert witness. Her work in this area was instrumental in founding Child Abuse Response and Evaluation Services (CARES) Northwest in 1987, which remains one of the largest child abuse assessment centers in the United States.

Notable Works

Bays is the author of several influential books that bridge Buddhist teachings with practical application. Her bibliography includes titles such as "Jizo Bodhisattva: Guardian of Children, Travelers, and Other Voyagers" (2003), "Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food" (2009), and "How to Train a Wild Elephant & Other Adventures in Mindfulness" (2011). Other works explore mindfulness practices and living with purpose, such as "Mindfulness on the Go" (2014) and "The Vow-Powered Life" (2016). More recently, she published "Mindful Medicine" (2022), focusing on healthcare professionals.