Alive for it All is a compilation of the teachings of Darlene Cohen, a true American Zen Master.

Arriving at San Francisco Zen Center in her late 20s, she was stricken by crippling RA, which became a powerful teacher as she  practiced daily the transformation of suffering.  But beyond chronic pain, Darlene saw all of life as her field of practice and taught the dharma as she found it: in depression, anger and conflict, money, sex and work. Her style was authentic, accessible and innovative.  

In addition to the above topics, this book includes the core teachings Darlene identified at the end of her life ~ concentration, personal koans, the Third Noble Truth and vow ~ as well as poignant and vivid remembrances from students  and Dharma friends.

"Beautifully written! And what a gift to remember, and be introduced to, Darlene Cohen,  Remembering Darlene is to remember the freedom she brought to Zen at a time when the path was perceived as narrow and rigid. To read this book is to experience, through Darlene, having a Zen practice that is rooted in tradition while simultaneously having a Zen practice where there is room to shape it to your life. How else can we follow a path without being present in it every moment?"

~ Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, The Shamanic Bones of Zen and The Way of Tenderness

"What a teacher! Fueled by honesty, courage, and everyday matters, we are treated with insights into how Zen teacher Darlene Cohen perceives the mundane world in its “shimmering suchness.” Having received Dharma Transmission from Darlene, Cynthia Kear ushers us into her teacher’s world of fully engaging in the practice of life. Inviting us into the intimate and transformative dynamics of Zen teacher-student relations, she shares Darlene’s refreshing teachings, including how money, gossip, sex, and smoking are keen teachers. Penetrate the poisons of delusion, greed, and hatred. Dance with what is. Gratitude in chronic pain. Grace in motion and stillness. Such jewels of wisdom await the reader."

~ Paula Arai, Ph.D., Bringing Zen Home and The Little Book of Zen Healing

"This book is great! In Alive For it All, Cynthia Kear brings forward the wit and deep wisdom, the grit and complexity, of a great American Zen teacher, Surei Darlene Cohen, who died in 2011. Through memory, story, photographs, and Darlene's own talks and writings, a new generation can now encounter her unique teaching, honed in the crucible of a life shaped by illness and pain. Darlene Cohen took her circumstances and made them exactly her gift to the world. Through this book, the gift continues."

~ Zenshin Florence Caplow, Tend to Your Spirit and  The Hidden Lamp