Donovan Irven

An illustrated enso circle foregrounded in the middle of the Arizona desert.

Bringing meditation techniques into his new role as a middle school teacher, a former academic finds some resolution despite a new crisis.

Essays Religion

Your Job and Cancer Are Nothing: Part III

March 17, 2023March 17, 2023 11 min read Donovan Irven Buddhism, Children, Emotional Well-Being

Bringing meditation techniques into his new role as a middle school teacher, a former academic finds some resolution despite a new crisis.

A zendo in the middle of the Arizona desert.

As a recently laid-off academic becomes more immersed in a sangha, he tries to reconcile his newfound zazen practice with his western background.

Essays Religion

Your Job and Cancer Are Nothing: Part II

March 10, 2023March 17, 2023 11 min read Donovan Irven Buddhism, Community, Emotional Well-Being, Suffering

As a recently laid-off academic becomes more immersed in a sangha, he tries to reconcile his newfound zazen practice with his western background.

A middle-aged man in jeans and a button-up shirt sits in the lotus position in the Arizona desert.

Faced with his wife's cancer diagnosis, a lack of affordable housing, and losing his job in academia, Donovan Irven turns to Zen Buddhism to resolve his depression.

Essays Religion

Your Job and Cancer Are Nothing: Part I

March 3, 2023March 17, 2023 13 min read Donovan Irven Buddhism, Death, Emotional Well-Being, Loss, Suffering

Faced with his wife’s cancer diagnosis, a lack of affordable housing, and losing his job in academia, Donovan Irven turns to Zen Buddhism to resolve his depression.