​
Zen's koan tradition is one of James' major passions. In addition to co-editing one of the standard study guides, the Book of Mu, he is also author of an introduction to Zen meditation focused on the koan. Here are a collection of links to talks on specific koans.

Koan Introspection: A Quick and Dirty Introduction

From the Harada Yasutani Miscellaneous Collection
​
Stopping that Distant Temple Bell: Miscellaneous Koan
​Save A Ghost: Miscellaneous Koans
Inside the Stone Crypt: Miscellaneous Koan

From the Gateless Gate
On the Ordinariness of Mu, Gateless Gate, Case 1
My Life as a Fox, Gateless Gate, Case 2
Zen Master Juzhi & the Matter of the Finger that Wasn't There. Gateless Gate, Case 3
Zen & the Art of Foolishness, Gateless Gate, Case 4
​Where Is Paradise? Gateless Gate, Case 5
The Flower Sermon: Gateless Gate, Case 6
Creatures of Pain & Joy: Gateless Gate, Case 7
Go Wash Your Bowls: Gateless Gate, Case 7​
Xizhong & His Magical Cart: Gateless Gate, Case 8
As Easy As Falling off a Log: Gateless Gate, Case 9
A Cricket, Singing. Gateless Gate: Case 10
Nelson Mandela Raises his Fist: Case 11
​Ryuyan Calls To Himself, "Master": Gateless Gate, Case 12
​The Last Word: Gateless Gate, Case 13
​A Love Letter from the Deep: Gateless Gate, Case 15 ​
The Bodhisattva Way & a Robe of Many Colors: Gateless Gate, Case 16
Ordinary Mind is the Way: Gateless Gate, Case 19
Yunmen's Dried Shitstick: Gateless Gate, Case 21
The One Sermon: Gateless Gate, Case 25
Intimate Intimate: Gateless Gate, Case 26
The Buddha and the Non Believer: Gateless Gate, Case 32 
Knowing. is not the way: Gateless. Gate, Case 34
​One Continuous Mistake: Gateless Gate, Case 38
Bodhidharma Sighed: Gateless Gate, Case 41
The Connoisseur of Sadness: Gateless Gate, Case 41
​​Doushuai's Three Barriers: Gateless Gate, Case 47

From the Blue Cliff Record​
​​No Zen Masters in the West: Blue Cliff, Case 11
A Zen Teaching for the Last Age: Blue Cliff, Case 14 
​Following the Scented Flowers: Blue Cliff, Case 36 
Layman Pang's Snowball Fight: Blue Cliff, Case 42
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head: Blue Cliff, Case 46
Daowu's Condolences: Blue Cliff, Case 55
Zen & the Boundless Way: Blue Cliff, Case 61
Sixteen Bodhisattvas: Blue Cliff, Case 78
​How Does Guanyin Use Those Many Hands: Blue Cliff, Case 89
​The Buddha Takes His Seat: Blue Cliff, Case 92

From the Book of Serenity
The World in a Blade of Grass: Book of Serenity, Case 4
The Price of Potatoes in Idaho: Book of Serenity, Case 5
​TTheA Baptist Koan: Book of Serenity, Case 28
Creatures of Pain and Joy: Book of Serenity, Case 39

From Entangling Vines
What Will You Do: Entangling Vines, Case 154​
​Buddha's Teaching & Bodhidharma's Intention, Entangling Vines: Case 170

Odds & Ends on Koans
Master Rujing Explains Mu
Dogen's Fukenzazengi & the Koan of Shikantaza
A Sufi Spills the Beans on What a Zen Koan Is 
The World is On Fire: A Meditation on the Adittapariyaya Sutta as a Zen Koan
Encountering Zen's Precepts as Koan
Layman Pang is Corrected
A Zen Koan from the Bible
The Great Way is Not Difficult