Paths of Practice with Zengyu Paul Discoe
From Paths of Practice: Conversations on Journeys into Buddhism by Vincent Moore
April 30, 2026 · 55 min · Season 1 · Episode 132
About this episode
Zengyu Paul Discoe discusses his journey as a Zen Buddhist priest and his work in temple design and construction.
An ordained Zen Buddhist priest, Zengyu Paul Discoe studied art history and philosophy as an undergraduate in the United States and Buddhist temple design and construction in Japan. He became a student of Suzuki Roshi at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in California, and, after four years, Suzuki sent him to Japan to train under a traditional master builder for five years. Upon returning, Discoe founded Joinery Structures in 1988. His projects include the Kojin-an Zen temple in Oakland for Akiba Sensei, the founder's hall and kitchen at Tassajara, the Lindesfarne guesthouse and Wheelwright Center, and the abbot's house at Green Gulch, as well as several prestigious homes and projects internationally. His current project is Chop and Carry Farm, an emerging Soto Zen practice center based in Hawaii and guided by the teachings of Dōgen Zenji and Suzuki Roshi, with its practice structure modeled on the early days of Tassajara. For more information on Zengyu Paul Discoe and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links: https://www.chopandcarry.org/ https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/4855014-zen-architecture We discussed: *The recent fire at the zendo of…
People in this episode
Host: Vincent Moore
Guest: Zengyu Paul Discoe
Topics covered
- Zen Buddhism
- temple design
- construction
- Buddhist practice
- art history
- philosophy
Keywords
- Zen
- Buddhism
- temple construction
- art history
- philosophy
- Chop and Carry Farm
- Tassajara
- Suzuki Roshi
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Joinery Structures, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Chop and Carry Farm, Dōgen Zenji, Akiba Sensei
Places: Hawaii, Oakland, California, Japan
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