Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 8, 2026

Geri Larkin

P'arang Geri Larkin, born Geraldine Kapp Willis, is founder and former head teacher of Still Point Zen Buddhist Temple, a Korean Chogye center in Detroit, Michigan. The name Geri Larkin is a pen name. She graduated from Barnard College in 1973. Larkin, daughter of a wealthy IBM executive, left her successful business life as a management consultant to enter a Buddhist seminary for three years, where she was ordained. When she left she sold her material possessions and bought a brick duplex in downtown Detroit which, with the help of local residents she cleaned up and turned into Still Point. Larkin's articulation of the concept of "right livelihood" was highly influential on Ann Perrault and Jackie Victor, two of her students who founded Avalon International Breads in Detroit in 1997. She has been a longtime columnist for Spirituality & Health magazine.

Last revised
Jul 8, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
389 w
Citations
6
Source
Geri Larkin
TitlePriest
Personal life
BornGeraldine Ann Kapp
1950 (age 75–76)
Lafayette, ID, USA
Children2
Religious life
ReligionJogye Order of Korean Buddhism
SchoolSeon
Senior posting
TeacherSamu Sunim

P'arang Geri Larkin, born Geraldine Kapp Willis, is founder and former head teacher of Still Point Zen Buddhist Temple, a Korean Chogye center in Detroit, Michigan.1 The name Geri Larkin is a pen name. She graduated from Barnard College in 1973.2 Larkin, daughter of a wealthy IBM executive, left her successful business life as a management consultant to enter a Buddhist seminary for three years, where she was ordained. When she left she sold her material possessions and bought a brick duplex in downtown Detroit which, with the help of local residents she cleaned up and turned into Still Point. Larkin's articulation of the concept of "right livelihood" was highly influential on Ann Perrault and Jackie Victor, two of her students who founded Avalon International Breads in Detroit in 1997.3 She has been a longtime columnist for Spirituality & Health magazine.4

She currently resides in Eugene, Oregon.

Bibliography

Bibliography

Books

Articles

  • Larkin, Geri (January–February 2013). "Transform your morning". Spirituality & Health. 15 (6): 28–29.5
  • — (January–February 2013). "Leaning in". Close to the Ground. Spirituality & Health. 15 (6): 99–100. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.6
See also

See also

References

References

  1. Michigan Dharmaweb
  2. Alumnae Association of Bernard College (May 2010). Bernard College Alumnae Bibliography. Retrieved on: 2010-07-17
  3. Collins, Lisa M. (4 September 2002). "On a roll". Metro Times. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  4. "Geri Larkin columns". Spirituality & Health. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  5. Spirituality & Health often changes the title of a print article when it is published online. This article is titled "4 Steps to Transform Your Morning" online.
  6. Spirituality & Health often changes the title of a print article when it is published online. This article is titled "What We Can Learn From Leaning Into Difficulty" online.