Reverend Kalen McAllister
Rev. Kalen McAllister was ordained by Rev. Shoken Winecoff in 2007 at Ryumonji Monastery near Decorah, Iowa. She is a long-time practitioner of Zen, and was active in the operation of the Missouri Zen Center for many years. In March, 2009, she received an award from the Women's Buddhist Council in Chicago for her work with prisoners in several eastern Missouri prisons. In 2004, she co-founded Inside Dharma, an organization dedicated to assisting prisoners in practical matters, as well as supporting their practice of meditation and Buddhism. Rev. Kalen received Dharma transmission in March, 2012, from her teacher, Shoken Winecoff, at Ryumonji Zen Monastery. In April, she traveled to Japan to be formally recognized (Zuise) at the two major temples, Eiheiji and Sojiji, in ceremonies where her robe was officially exchanged to brown and she was recognized as a Dharma teacher. (Source: Shinzo Zen Meditation Center)
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Reverend Kalen McAllister Prisons of the mind
A person in prison relates how he feels more free than those outside who are…
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A gift: an incarcerated person lets go of anger
How a person in prison stopped himself from creating great harm.
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A Christmas gift in prison
A person with very little practices generosity in prison on Christmas Day and brings joy…
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Karma, confusion and clarity
A prison chaplain reflects on the difficulty of working with incarcerated people and the homeless.
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Just another day at work
A prison chaplain recounts how she was mistaken for a prison escapee while at work.
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A secret Zen master
An incarcerated person recounts a story of tender kindness not likely for a gang member.
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Scholarship from death row prisoners
A story of incarcerated people on death row who provide scholarships to family members of…
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