Zen Mountain Monastery: Recent Episodes
None
By Shoan Osho
Look!
How one vow unfolds
into a thousand blessings!
—from Chozen Roshi’s memorial poem at Daidoshi’s funeral
August on the mountain is both a hundred shades of green, and the already perceptible, oh-so-poignant shortening of days. We’ll mark the passage of time this October as Zen Mountain Monastery celebrates our 45th anniversary. Students and practicing members should have received an email invitation already, and more information can be found below. Meanwhile, it’s been a bountiful summer at the Monastery so far—may these words and images connect you to the “unfolding of a thousand blessings” as it’s happening today.
As Shugen Roshi is fond of saying, in terms of Buddhist history, ZMM is just “barely out of the birth canal,” but in the context of Western dharma centers, 45 years is a significant milestone. Our celebration on October 11 will be a chance for the sangha to enjoy each other’s company, as well as to appreciate the Monastery’s particular history. Saturday will include a memorial for Daido Roshi, a panel discussion with dharma elders Jan Chozen Bays and Hogen Bays Roshi and MRO teachers on Zen training in American thus far, and an afternoon “open house” with different activities around the grounds. We’ll end the day together with a celebratory dinner. You can join for all or any part, and we’re giving first priority to MRO students and practicing members. Other sangha (as well as sangha spouses) who would like to attend should contact the registrar, and we’ll try to accommodate everyone. Here’s a link to register and stay overnight at ZMM. And this is a link to register without overnight stay. Please don’t wait to register–this will help us tremendously in planning. We hope you can come!
This September, we’ll have a special chance to appreciate the intersection of Zen practice and creative expression as the Yager Museum at Hartwick College opens The Study of One Thing: The Art and Zen of Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei. This year-long exhibit will feature a large body of Hojin Sensei’s work across the decades – drawings, paintings and ceramics – along with pieces by students who have been working with her more recently. All are invited to the opening reception on Saturday, September 20th, 4 pm to 6 pm, or make a trip to Oneonta another time–it will be on view through August 1, 2026. A shout out to Hosui Vasan, Shokei Ludwig, Keimu Adolfson and Philip Tan for their efforts in pulling this together, and bows to Ikyo Love for hatching the vision, being its champion, and helping every step along the way. And of course, boundless gratitude to Hojin Sensei for carrying on Daido Roshi’s dharma and opening the gate of Art Practice to so many beings through space and time.
Shugen Roshi and Jimon returned last week from an extended trip to New Zealand.
Kiwi sangha member Dawn Tratt shares:
The Kiwi sangha welcomed Shugen Roshi to his second home in New Zealand’s picturesque South Island. Roshi once joked that the first of the Noble Truths seems not to apply here.
Roshi led an evening talk followed by a full day workshop on Zen, prayer and mysticism, featuring the work of Ken McLeod and Evelyn Underhill. About 40 participants from around New Zealand, as well as Australia and Germany, gathered for sesshin at beautiful Lake Rotoiti, a little over an hour’s drive from the city of Nelson. Heavy rains, strong winds and the full moon mirrored the myriad experiences of our minds in sesshin, and senior student Kaido Nash offered a talk on the theme “Welcome Home” based on a song by Kiwi music icon Dave Dobbyn. Roshi took the opportunity of having the sangha come together to express gratitude to Elders Kaido Nash, Taisui Markwell, Kaiun Burton, Tosan McKinnon, Suido Nash and Houn Snadden for their years of commitment to the New Zealand Order. He also made another special announcement about the upcoming Fall Ango, which the rest of the sangha will learn about soon enough.
All y’all Americans, we bid you welcome from the bottom of our hearts.
After leading sesshin, Roshi and Jimon took to the road and adventured into the gorgeous wilds of the country he’s been to many times over the years, yet never had a chance to explore.
Zen Kids is having a blast! In recent gatherings, they’ve made watercolor paintings using pigment from river rocks, collected wilderness treasures for a collaborative collage, played Capture the Flag, pushed the limits of Jenga to the extreme, and used a secret technique to produce some dazzling, technicolor art. (Spoiler: it involved shaving cream!) One day they even fended off an attack by a giant fabric snake! Luckily everyone lived to tell the tale.
Zen Kids is for ages 2-10 and meets the second Sunday of every month—younger kids attend with a parent, while older kids can attend on their own (and parents can join in the zendo.) New participants are welcome. Upcoming dates are August 17th, September 7th, and October 5th. The group meets from 9 am-12 pm with the community lunch to follow. Big thanks to Yosha Scott-Childress and Robert Pile for their love and commitment in making Zen Kids happen. Questions? Email Yosha and Robert at zenkids@dharma.net.
From the playful realm of Zen Kids, sangha youth graduate into Zen Tweens & Teens, in which youth ages 11-18 participate in activities that more explicitly bring in aspects of Buddhism and Zen, including zazen, kinhin, and a brief liturgy service.
This past spring, the Tweens & Teens were treated to a special session with sangha member Hobai Pekarik, who offered an introduction to the tea ceremony, sharing its principles of harmony in the universe as a practice for cultivating a peaceful world. Other activities of late have included explorations in proprioception, bodhisattva archetypes, and cyanotype exposures. It’s wonderful to have sangha members share their skills with the group, so if you have ideas about a workshop you could offer, please reach out to zentweens@dharma.net.
The next meeting will be on Sunday, August 17, from 9 am-12 pm, with sangha lunch to follow. New participants are always welcome. A shout out to group leaders Kyuko Wrenn, Jo Scari, and Andrea Nieves for all their energy and love over the years.
We wanted to share some potentially helpful information for anyone who is currently in the 10-year/120 month Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. The PSLF program was created by the Obama administration in October 2007 to provide relief to those with educational debt amounts larger than the amount they might expect to earn in the field for which they were studying. If this applies to you, please read on.
In recent years, a couple important shifts have occurred. First, all full-time (30 hours/week) not-for-profit work in eligible organizations since October 2007 counts. Even if the borrower took out their loans after October 2007, any work they performed prior to their taking out those loans and after October 2007 counts. Second, all not-for-profit work conducted in approved organizations counts, even if it was not paid. This includes volunteer work, internships and training, and, importantly, this list now also includes religious organizations. As long as an organization rep is willing to sign off on the PSLF certification form, it will be approved.
If you have spent time in residency at ZMM and/or Fire Lotus Temple at any point since October 2007, your residency time now counts towards your 10-year PSLF commitment. If you know of anyone who might benefit from this information, please pass it on, and if it applies to you, you can contact Kyosho Fallon at kyosho@dharma.net to request assistance in completing the necessary paperwork. Thanks to Kyosho for his willingness to help, and appreciation to Koren Malamed for bringing this forward. May all beings be free from suffering.
Many of you attended the community information session hosted by the Ethics Revision Working Group in June, and quite a few folks mentioned how impressed they were by the committee’s thorough-going process and level of professionalism—it really inspired confidence. If you missed the meeting, you can watch the recording, and if you didn’t get a chance to offer your feedback, it’s not too late: email policy_revision@dharma.net.
On behalf of the sangha, a big thank you to committee members Jacob Romm, Shokei Ludwig, Jinshin Dragotta, Joshin Del Valle, Andrea Nieves, Taikyo Gilman, and Hosui Vasan, and Ethics Committee advisors Kasho Schnadow and Gikon Vasan for all their hard work thus far.
Monastery and Temple residents conclude Spring 2025 Ango.
Monastic Discerment
One never quite knows how change will arrive—sometimes, it comes by way of connection. Monastic postulants clyde fusei forth and Alex Rogetsu Rothstein are stepping out of residency to explore a relationship together. At the start of August, they’ll take off their black robes, move down the road, and live into their discernment as a newly forming couple. At this point, the plan is for them to maintain some Monastery work responsibilities and participate in the training schedule, but with flexibility and spaciousness to allow time for their relationship to develop. Their intention is that once the relationship feels settled–a juncture they’ll determine together with the teachers and other monastics–they will return to residential training as a couple and resume their periods of postulancy.
As you likely know, all residents agree to the Doshinji Code, and its provision to refrain from starting a romantic relationship during residence–and while this guideline can be fairly clear cut for short-term residents, each time a potential relationship has come up for monastics, it’s been a unique situation. The teachers and Monastic Council have appreciated Rogetsu and fusei’s transparency, sincerity, and flexibility as we’ve considered what would not only be supportive of them, but also of the entire sangha, and we wish them all the best.
Shuso Daiō, Shugen Roshi, and the sangha after Shuso Hossen.
Tangaryo
Since May Blue LeMay, Clay Jones and Dan Patel have become formal training students in the MRO. Congratulations!
Comings & Goings
In June we said goodbye to Ben Ivens and Meghana Bharadwaj who each completed a year of residential training; In July and August we bid farewell to Madhav Mohandas and Juliana Roding, who were here since January, and April, respectively. Thanks to all of them for your giving, your spirit, and your practice.
We’re so happy to share that Rebecca Grossman. Ryan Courtney, and Johann Hout have all been accepted for a year of residential training, and Robert Pile is starting a third year. The Monastery couldn’t function the way it does without the commitment of our residents, most especially those who commit to a year. Thank you all of you over the years who have given your precious life energy to the Three Treasures in this way.
Zen Mountain Monastery month-long residents:
May:
Chigan Frasier (Commerce Charter Township, MI); Dan Patel (Pittsburgh, PA); Alex Moody (Edmonton, AB); Alessa Peters (Chappaqua, NY); Rebecca Grossman (Philmont, NY- approved to stay for a full year); Steven Huang (Richmond Hill, ON); Cyril Bussiere (Henrico, VA); Josephine Simple (Brooklyn, NY); BB Padungpattanodom (Wiliamsburg, VA).
June:
Teddy Best (Burlington, VT); Nathan Devine (Madison, MS); Nathalie Lopez (Orlando, FL); Damian Sanchez (Garland, TX); Johann Hout (Saginaw, TX); Parag Dharbhamulla (Johnstown, PA); Heather Chung (Hong Kong, China); George Milne (Rochester Hills, MI); Jacob McGlaun (Wichita, KS).
July:
Wyatt Smith (Brooklyn, NY- here for two months); Jess Plumb (Cambridge, UK- here for two months); Itoro Bassey (Oakland, CA- here for two months); Almaz Yohannes (Barcelona, Spain); Chris Wind (Teaneck, NJ); Leslie Polk (New York, NY); Tyler Fox (Schenectady, NY); Ryan Courtney (Bronx, NY).
August:
Audrey Zhou (Plymouth, MN); Austin Barringer (Columbia, KY); Caroline Shea (Brooklyn, NY); Claudia Cuellar (Skokie, IL- here for two months); Josh Aransky (Southington, CT); Robert Curtin (Valley City, OH); Shawn McDonald (Pleasantville, NY);
Not here yet but coming next week: Joshin Del Valle (Briarwood, NY); Ikyo Love (Gillams, Newfoundland)
Fire Lotus Temple:
In June Crawford King (from Alabama) joined the resident community. Welcome to Brooklyn, Crawford!
Finally, a big thanks to Mike Alicea, Rebecca Grossman, Kyuko Wrenn and Mark Guay for sharing their photos for this newsletter edition.
A new tradition is taking shape: resident “family dinner” during the hosan after sesshin. The vibe at this post-solstice gathering seems especially excellent.
May residents: Dan, Steven, Cyril, Rebecca, Josephine, and Alex. June: Teddy, Seth, Nathan, Nathalie, Johann, Damian, Parag, Heather. In July we welcomed Itoro, Leslie, Chris, Tyler, and Almaz.August residents in blue khatas: Audrey, Rob, Shawn, Austin. 0Johann, Rebecca, Ryan and Robert feel good about a year together!It took a while to find her stride but now she’s Queen of the Mountain. Careful: there are little squawks in all kinds of places. The gardener and her crop. Coming soon to a lunch table near you . . . Gokan’s persistence pays off: Ripe peaches from the orchard!The kitchen got painted AND we still cooked three meals a day. Impressive. ZMM sponsored blood drives in January and June and Kannon watched over. Yosha & Zen Kids prep for the river. Tossing rocks: So. Much. Fun.
By Shoan Osho
Our only prayer is to be firm in our determination to give ourselves completely to the Buddha’s Way, so that no doubts arise however long the road seems to be. —Dahui Zonggao’s “Vow for Awakening”
.
We recently chanted these lines from “Vow for Awakening” as part of morning service here at the Monastery. Hearing the sangha give voice to this bright intention lifted me up and I was reminded, once again, of the medicine-power of vow. Perhaps you could use a reminder, too? In that spirit, I bring you some bits and pieces of how vow has been manifesting recently in our Sangha jewel.
First: mark your calendars for October 11th, when we’ll celebrate the Monastery’s 45th anniversary. Plans for the occasion are still taking shape and more info should come your way soon. We can say for sure that there will be some daytime activites and an evening event, and that we’re so pleased to have Jan Chozen Bays Roshi as our special guest of honor. We hope you’ll join as we joyfully express our gratitude for all that has made these last 45 years possible and envision the decades to come.
On February 28th, those of us here at the Monastery quietly observed the one year memorial of our beloved Yukon’s passing. After chanting the Sho Sai Myo Dharani, we offered the following dedication:
In offering flowers, candlelight and incense,
we especially dedicate these merits to Choke Yukon,
on this, the one year memorial of his passing.
Oh, Yukon, we are grateful for your life of service,
and the love and joy you brought into the sangha still bless our lives every day.
May your vows continue to burn brightly,
and may you find true peace in the realm of Nirvana.
We miss him so much. If you’d like to revisit the slideshow made for Yukon’s memorial, you can find it here.
On Friday mornings at the Monastery, we’ve been exploring different chants from the supplemental liturgy in the liturgy books. Once a week, including during sesshin, we set aside the Heart Sutra to bring in dharma words from important Zen ancestors. It’s been energizing to chant Hakuin Zenji’s Song of Zazen, Master Hongzhi’s Guidepost for the Hall of Pure Bliss, Torei Zenji’s Bodhisattva Vow, and even the Maka Hannya Haramita Shingyo—the Heart Sutra in Japanese. A more varied chant selection has long been part of traditional Soto Zen practice, and after 45 years, it was time to give it a try. If you’re here for Friday of sesshin, you’ll join us for whatever the liturgist serves up that morning. You can find a pdf of all these chants here.
Over time, we continue to learn more and more from each other about how to truly take care of our community. As mentioned in August, the MRO is revising its grievance process and ethical guidelines, and developing a new Right Relationship/Sexual Harassment policy. To move this forward, the Board has approved a committee to draft these updates in compliance with New York State law.
Revisions will clarify unacceptable behavior—particularly regarding sexual misconduct—and improve the grievance procedure to ensure a safer, more supportive space for reporting ethical breaches or discrimination.
The working committee includes representatives from the Peer Support group (an independent group of current and former sangha members affected by sexual misconduct), along with Board and Ethics Committee members. The team recently met with the Teacher’s Council to review early drafts and set a timeline.
The Policy Revision Committee is committed to involving the broader sangha, so stay tuned for updates. Questions or comments? Email policy_revision@dharma.net.
Green Tara Rising Women’s Affinity Group
Because practicing as a woman within a centuries-old patriarchal tradition like Zen can bring challenges, AND because gathering with other women of the Way can bring healing and delight, some dharma sisters have started Green Tara Rising, a new peer-led affinity group named for the bodhisattva who vowed to always take birth as a woman and attain enlightenment in female form. Yes!
The group has grown from a core of founding members who have been meeting for some time and are now eager to expand the circle. Discussions center around chosen topics and evolve naturally based on the group’s needs. There are ground rules and guidelines to help ensure a confidential, non-judgmental, and supportive space where everyone has a voice. If interest is high, multiple small groups may form to accommodate participants.
The next meeting is Monday April 28 at 6:30 pm ET. Register here for Zoom link.
Disability Affinity Group
This newly forming group emerged through SHAC’s efforts to listen to sangha needs and their subsequent collaboration with Diamond Net—very grassroots! The intention of this peer-led group is to create a space for those who identify as disabled to explore how people practice and engage the dharma across diverse embodiments. The group embraces a social model of disability, viewing it as shaped by societal structures rather than solely a medical issue. If you’re unsure whether you identify as disabled, this article is a great starting point: “The Social Model of Disability Explained.”
The first meeting is on Tuesday, April 30, at 7:00 PM ET. Come be a part of the conversation! Register here.
Green Dragon Earth Initiative
If you’re looking for a way to bring goodness into the world, consider joining the Green Dragons at their monthly Zoom gathering. The group meets the first Monday of the month, coming together to explore the climate and ecological crisis in a personal way. They discuss climate anxiety, resilience, hope, and action through conversation and practice. They tap the wisdom of wise leaders like Joanna Macy, Dr. Larry Ward, and Britt Wray, sharing video clips or other teachings–a recent sharing of Joanna Macy’s comments on the Climate Crisis as Spiritual Path was especially inspiring. The gatherings offer mutual support and a reminder that even in difficult times, to be in community is joyous. All are welcome in this ever-evolving group.
Next meeting witll be Monday, May 5th, at 7:00 pm ET. Register here.
If you’ve visited the Monastery library recently, you’ve likely noticed a major upgrade: our Buddhist collection is now searchable online, and books are arranged by Library of Congress call numbers.
The new online catalog makes finding books much easier, and allows students to borrow titles, receive reminders, and helps us track our collection. Previously, books were sorted by author—often the translator—leading to books by a single author (Dogen, for example) being scattered throughout the shelves. The old system of sections such as China, Zen, and Tibet posed many cataloging conundrums. Now, related books are grouped together, making it easier to browse by theme.
Shout out to Yosha Scott-Childress and Fuyu Spicher, both professional librarians who led this overhaul, along with Seibu Meunier and many others who worked tirelessly on the reorganization and digitization. The next phase will catalog other subjects like art, poetry, and body practice.
Explore the collection here: https://www.librarycat.org/lib/ZMMLib. We’re continuing to expand the collection, especially translations of early Zen teachers. If you have a book suggestion, email library@dharma.net.
And for serious Dharma bibliophiles: check out Buddhism: A Guide to Research, created by MRO student Mike Kicey in connection with the University of Buffalo library. This resource offers access to an incredible range of Buddhist literature, searchable by themes, and with links to WorldCat. If you’re like me, then you’ll discover books you’ll want for your shelves. But now, you can just send a request to the MRO library so everyone can benefit!
During March sesshin, a caretaking crew planted some young trees around the grounds: sugar maples, hazelnuts, black walnuts and some hybrid chestnuts. (The hybrid chestnuts are 99% American chestnuts, but have enough DNA from other varieties to be resistant to the chestnut blight.) These trees came to us quite small, and spent the past year in the dye garden getting bigger and stronger. We already have a bunch of walnuts and chestnuts in the tree nursery that we’ll plant next year.
Another new friend is a Catalpa tree that we planted last fall near where the old ash tree in the meadow died. Catalpa trees are native to the region, and are known for their beautiful large leaves, summer blossoms, and long seed pods. They take 20-30 years to reach maturity–may the sangha flourish for years to come and enjoy its future shade.
ZMM residents & local sangha at the Kingston “Hands Off!” Rally on April 5th.
Teachings & Travels
In January Hojin Sensei traveled to New Zealand for a couple of weeks, where she offered teachings, engaged the sangha with art practice, and led sesshin. The Kiwi sangha is still going strong after all these years, and the twice annual visit from MRO teachers are a highlight of their training year. It was summer in New Zealand, and luckily Hojin Sensei’s very full schedule allowed some time to visit the beach.
On February 23rd, monastic Jisan Gokan received Denkai, or the transmission of the Precepts. The transmission ceremony itself is held in private at midnight—the culmination of a week of liturgy and one-on-one teachings—in accord with ancient tradition. The following morning Gokan Osho offered some words in the zendo for the sangha. Now a priest in the MRO, Gokan Osho can officiate ceremonies like weddings and funerals. He’ll officiate his first fusatsu on Friday, May 9th. Join us in person or on Livestream.
Tangaryo
Since December, several sangha members have crossed the zendo threshold as formal training students in the MRO: Ellen Foote, Evan Malater, Pamela Tensei Shad, Michael Kicey and Sophie Rondeau. Congratulations!
Birth
Sangha member Kate Ray and her husband Anthony had a special gift this holiday season: the birth of Kira Nadia Ray on December 24th at 9:15 am. Kira’s big brother, Miro, enjoys coming to Zen Kids–we hope that when she gets a little older, Kira will come along, too. Love and good wishes to the whole family.
NBPS
The National Buddhist Prison Sangha (NBPS) is reaching out on behalf of Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, NJ. They are seeking a Buddhist volunteer to come into the prison once a month or more often to meet with incarcerated women interested in Buddhist practice. This could take different forms, including just showing up to meditate with them. If you live in the region and this is something you are interested in, please reach out to nbps@dharma.net for details.
Comings & Goings
Zen Mountain Monastery:
January brought us several returning residents: BB Padungpattanodom (Williamsburg, VA); Kiho Horne (Johnson City, TN); Sydney Slavitt (Merion Station, PA); Chris Manz (Pelham, MA); George Milne (Rochester Hills, MI); Joan Gutierrez (Mexico City, Mexico) who stayed until end of February; and Madhav Mohandas (Naperville, IL), who returned for a 6-month commitment. We were also joined by Wyatt Smith (Brooklyn, NY); Will Logue (Phoenix, AZ); Shoshin Chester (Richmond, VA); Kai Ammari (New York, NY) and Esho des Etoiles (Burlington, VT), a long-time monastic ordained by Genpo Roshi. We said farewell to Hoodie Crescent (Poughkeepsie, NY) who departed after 6 months of residency.
February residents included a number of people returning after some time away, too:Sabine Russ (currently a nomad traveling through Europe); Robyn Love (Newfoundland, Canada) who was with us through the first week of April; Lao Moreno Morales (Mexico City, Mexico), and Gianni Rotunno (Yorktown Heights, NY). Ash Anatolia (Winhall, VT) also began a period of residency and is discerning a longer commitment.
March residents included Fuyu Spicher (Hanover, PA), who is here until the end of April; Andrew Meissen (New York, NY); Zachary Bartell (Parish, NY); Kendall Blaine (Chelmsford, United Kingdom); Jake Kramer (Black Mountain, NC); Caroline Shea (Brooklyn, NY) joined us for a couple of weeks. Taisho Sands (Gilbertsville, NY) returned to residence through the ango; Kai Ammari (New York, NY) came for another month-long residency; and Esho des Etoiles returned to explore a longer-term stay.
So far in April we’ve been joined by Mike Alicea (Sound Beach, NY); SJ Lester (Apison, TN); Daishin Bystricky (Santa Barbara, CA); Sonny Strand (Sarpsborg, Norway); and Karena Albers (Greenport, NY). In addition, Felix Mebius (New Haven, CT) returned for a period of three months, and Juliana Roding (Seminole, FL) will be here until early August. We also welcomed Yudai Nagai, a monk from Shofuku-ji Temple in Tottori Prefecture, Japan, for a week.
Fire Lotus Temple:
The Temple sangha gave a warm reception to Joan Gutierrez, who arrived there in March. Joan, a student of Hojin Sensei’s and a former resident (and cook!) at the Monastery, has stepped into the role of Temple Office Manager. Much gratitude to out-going Office Manager Blessing Dolenz for their service this past year.
Temple Sangha at the NYC Hands Off! Protest.
The sky covering is clear, and moisture covers the earth. So it is said, Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges dance to exalted music, and throughout the entire world the blossoms on the branches facing south immediately open.
I am delighted that the Spring Deity has unlocked the time. . .
—Dogen Zenji, Eihei Koroku
There’s so much in the news these days that can seize our minds and send us tumbling down. Let’s not lose sight of all else that matters too. The Spring Deity has indeed unlocked time: a miracle unfolding before our eyes, a vivid display of goodness, and a genuine delight. May you meet it intimately, moment after moment.
Love,
Shoan
Kiwi sangha at Mt Hutt Sesshin. Going strong!Kira Nadia Ray. So far, looks like she’s having a good time.January residents: Kai, Will, BB, Wyatt, Sydney, ShoshinDharma Gates retreat in January. The vibe was excellent.Here in February: Gianni, Joan (pre-Temple), Madhav, and SabineThe March crew: Zach, Jake, Andrew and Kenny.Eisho & Ash enjoy the last days of the wood stove this season.April: Felix, Sonny, Mike, SJ, Karena Juliana, Daishin, YugaiThe Temple welcomes Joan as Office Manager. Baby Catalpa enjoys a rainy spring day in the meadow. Ash feeds the horses on a coveted caretaking manure run. We always bring carrots, just for this. Jusan sorts & packs the “unusual plastic” for recycling. Every Friday. Thank you, Jusan!Shindo grinds up blue corn grown in the garden last season. . . . . . and makes the most delicious & ki-filled pancakes ever.
By Shoan Osho
At night, deep in the mountains
I sit in meditation.
The affairs of the world never reach here:
Everything is quiet and empty,
All the incense has been swallowed up by the endless night.
My robe has become a garment of dew.
Unable to sleep, I walk into the woods—
Suddenly, above the highest peak, the full moon appears.—Ryokan
(trans. John Stevens)As we approach the winter solstice, these words from the wandering Zen monk and poet Ryokan seemed to speak specifically to this mountain realm. Soon enough we’ll be in the midst of Rohatsu sesshin, where the hush of the winter mountain and the stillness of the zendo merge during the long, dark nights. With the close of ango and the approach of the New Year, I wanted to reach out and share a few updates with you.
A wholehearted shuso hossen ceremony brought our Fall 2024 Ango to an uplifting close. In the Gyoji Kihan, a record of Soto Zen ceremonies that dates back hundreds of years, one can read about the ceremony—not much different from how we bring it alive here. To my delight, it mentions the “great pounding of drum” that is to accompany the abbot leaving their quarters and entering the main hall, and that when the abbot bows at the front of the hall, “ring hand bell once, strike wooden clappers once, beat drum once, and cease ‘great pounding.'” Sound familiar? From there, one can easily recognize the rest of the ceremony in all its complexity. I admit—I am tempted to copy and paste this section of the Gyoji Kihan here in its entirety, so that you might marvel along with me. Taisho Sands took the “head seat” with apparent ease, offering a rich talk and responding sensitively and wholeheartedly during dharma encounter. Well done, shuso, well done!
Above: Taikyo, the shoki (or, as translated in the Gyoji Kihan, “secretary”) asks the final question. Interestingly, nowadays in Japan, the entire dharma encounter is scripted. I’m glad we have maintained it as a fresh, live exchange!
For the past couple of weeks, afternoons in the Monastery kitchen have included making several trays of vegetarian lasagna, as residents prepare for our annual holiday community dinner—which, once again, is happening by delivery. Before COVID, the Monastery would deck the dining hall in red and green and welcome over 300 people from the community for food, music, and good cheer. Earlier this fall we reached out to a few social service agencies, soup kitchens, and other Zen centers, trying to assess whether an in-person gathering of this sort would feel safe to attendees and volunteers. Based on these conversations, as well as the new variant that had recently emerged, we decided to play it safe again this year.
On Saturday, December 21st, sangha volunteers will deliver delicious meals and gifts to seventeen different locations, serving about 300 individuals in our community. Hopefully next December will bring us all together in person again. Thanks to the local businesses who donated food and gifts: Meredith’s Bread, Phoenicia Diner, Bread Alone Bakery, Hannaford, and Kenco Outfitters. And a shout out to Kokuro Schultz and Cindy Loe, who collaborated together with Daiō to make the magic happen.
If you haven’t already, take a few minutes to check out Zen Center of New York City’s new website. As the Temple continues to flourish under Hojin Sensei’s guidance, it seemed time for a standalone website–previously the Temple website was embedded in the Monastery’s site. The new site is more comprehensive, features fresh photos of the Temple sangha, and highlights Hojin Sensei’s emphasis on art practice in the training. Check out the gallery of student work for some inspiration during these winter months.
Monastic LifeWe wanted to let you know that monastic Hokyu Aronson will be stepping out of monastic life, leaving a few days before Rohatsu sesshin. It’s always hard to say goodbye to a longtime resident, and in this case the timing is especially tender for all of us here, coming so closely on the heels of Jiryu’s departure. I imagine it may be tender for many of you, too.
Hokyu ordained in 2021, having practiced in full time residence at the Monastery since 2014. Over the past eleven years, he’s served the sangha with love, dedication, and good spirit, giving selflessly and enriching this community in so many ways. Hokyu has also made it plain over the years that a life partner would greatly aid his stability as a monastic in the context of ZMM. At this juncture, the teachers have urged Hokyu to step away from monasticism to see how this impulse might flourish in the world. With their consultation and much consideration over the past month or so, he recognizes that this is probably the right move.
While monastics may choose to live as a solitary practitioner or be in a committed relationship, the monastic life does not make it particularly easy for the latter to be realized once one is ordained. While we will miss his daily presence here, we wish Hokyu many blessings and look forward to his continued practice in the sangha as the discernment of his path continues. Hokyu will still be accessing his @dharma.net email address for the time being if you’d like to reach out and say hello. May the wind be at his back and the road rise up to meet him . . .
Above: Photo of the tea house in autumn by Hokyu.
In MemoriamWe’re sorry to share that sangha member Jack Kanro Hennessey died on December 8th, at the age of 73. Kanro (“Open Barrier”) had shifted away from formal training the past two years, concentrating on the Connecticut State Legislature, where he served nine terms. We send love and good wishes to his wife and family. May he be at peace.
BirthIf Daido Roshi were still alive, he would just have become a great grandfather—and founding sangha member Joan Yushin has just become a great grandmother. On December 3rd, Avery Mae Loori was born to parents Aaron Loori (Daido’s grandson) and Ashley Leonard. This makes Asian, Daido’s youngest son, a grandpa. Time does swiftly pass. Congratulations to the family, and welcome to the world, Avery Mae.
Travels & TeachingsIn early December, monastic Taikyo traveled to Great Vow Monastery in Clatskanie, OR to participate in their Rohatsu sesshin. She had a wonderful experience and was grateful for the chance to work with Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi, who studied at ZCLA alongside Daido Roshi back in the 1970’s. Ordained monastics have the opportunity to participate in dharma retreats at other centers every few years as part of their training.
On December 8th, Shoan Osho offered an online talk to the sangha at Jissoji, a small lay temple in Ann Arbor, MI as part of their celebration of Buddha’s Enlightenment.
TangaryoIn November, Aravind Parasurama and Jukyo Ballard completed Tangaryo and became formal training students in the Mountains and Rivers Order. Welcome!
Comings and GoingsIn November and December, Miro Malebranche, Andrew Blackburn, and Cindy Loe each began a year of residence. We appreciate their fresh energy, enthusiasm for practice, and commitment.
In December, month residents included Barclay Tabor (Kingston, NY), Isaac Breslow (Englewood, NJ), and Terumi Richardson (Fayetteville, AK). Robin Green (Seattle, WA) and Destiny Spruill (Brooklyn, NY) are with us for a week—both returning after having done a month of residence earlier this year; it’s been good to have them back.
The thief left it behind:
the moon
at my window.
—RyokanThe story of Ryokan returning to his empty hut and penning this poem is well-worn, and for good reason. Within this season of so much material giving, let us not forget our true wealth. Wishing you the sun, the moon, the mountains and the rivers—this whole magnificent earth—and a mind that can perceive it. Blessings for the New Year.
with love,
Shoan
December short term residents: (back) Destiny, Lynn, Isaac, Robin (front) Terumi and BarclayHooray!
Cindy, Miro and Andrew begin a year of residential training.Hoodie and Destiny trim the tree and deck the hall.Daiō, Ben and Lynn prep the gifts for Dana Dinner. Socks for everyone!Taikyo’s pic of a singing Jizo at Great Vow Monastery.Grandpa Asian and Avery Mae:
born ready with her lion’s roar.Ambitious Zen students. That would be a very big snow buddha indeed!Say 3x fast: Registrar Robert reviews Rohatsu’s roster.Sangha Notes: Polishing theJewel is a quarterly Mountain Record newsletter from the Training Office at Zen Mountain Monastery.
By Shoan Osho
For Muge Daido Daiosho:
The Great Way
Is not difficult—
Slip the oar into the water on Long Pond.Is not easy—
Build a seamless temple in the rain and snow.It is neither easy nor difficult—
Today is a good day.
Just bow and serve.What can I say after all these years?
The Heavenly Light is never anywhere else,
Yet when I call,
You do not answer.Bah!
Slippers by the altar
Coffee light and sweet—
A subtle impression does still remain.—Kodo Shugen
Tenkosan Doshinji
October 9, 2024
15th Memorial
With all the energy and emotion of last week’s election moving through me, I’ll keep it simple and just say that it’s a lot less painful to ride the waves of samsara with the company of sangha. May these updates and highlights from our shared community offer you nourishment, feed your faith in humanity, and remind you that we’re all on this crazy journey together.
This past October 9th marked fifteen years since Daido Roshi’s passing—an occasion we observed with a memorial service and the poem above from Shugen Roshi. Fifteen years is long enough that many of you who practice and train in the MRO these days never met Daidoshi in person, although you’ve met him in countless other ways. His vision continues to shape how we train and practice here, showing up in everything from the Eight Gates to the process for becoming a student. On that note, read on. . .
Daidoshi’s memorial inspired a few of us to dig around in ZMM’s audio archives, a treasure trove of over 7,000 recordings from the 1970’s to the present. That’s right: over 7,000! There you’ll find everything from Maezumi Roshi’s discourses on Genjokoan at ZCLA to all 300 of Daidoshi’s talks on the Shobogenzo, to present day teachers and senior students, with new talks uploaded regularly. The archive is user-friendly, easily searchable by several fields, open to all and accessible from anywhere. Big thanks and many bows to the tireless team who collaborated and labored across the years to bring us this priceless resource: Kyosho Fallon, Kenshu Mieloch, Kyudo McCarthy, Sankai Lemmens, Tendo Leckie, and monastics Kien and Taikyo. Take a break from the news, pour yourself a cup of tea, and go to talks.zmmapple.com.
Nowadays the Monastery seems so stable and steady with full retreats and a budget for building improvements. But it wasn’t always this way. We’re undertaking a project to record and preserve the early history of ZMM by compiling oral histories from those who were here in the early years, 1980-85. Shugen Roshi describes the project as a way, “to help present and future sangha appreciate the challenges we faced, how the Monastery evolved, and the heartfelt efforts of early practitioners to keep it going when it wasn’t clear that it would survive.”
Shobon Desetta has interviewed Yushin Palma (Derrick), who played an instrumental role in helping the Monastery flourish during the difficult early years, and senior student Chizen Brown, who arrived in the spring of 1981. Shobon has also spoken with Wendy, Dave, and Ken Haar, the children of Harold Haar, who directed Lutheran retreats and youth programs here and who, through his close relationship with Daido Roshi, made possible the Monastery’s eventual sale. Seido Suzuki Roshi, abbot of Toshoji Monastery in Okayama, also shared his recollections of being a young monk fresh out of Eihei-ji and sent here by Maezumi Roshi to live in residence and help the fledging ZMM get established. Shobon will continue to gather stories from other old timers. So far, in the mix of memories are miracles of timing, ghost stories, and so much dedication it’s still inspiring us.
If this whets your appetite for anecdotes from the early days, then you might enjoy the vintage classic “Watching the Rock Grow,” an in-house documentary made for the ten year anniversary of ZMM. I screened it recently with a group of month-long residents and found myself not only enjoying Daidoshi as a storyteller, but also marveling at the way things unfolded to bring this place into being. Talk about synchronicity! Find it here.
Remembering our buddha ancestors through monthly memorial days is part of the daily service both here at ZMM and at the Temple—a way of cultivating gratitude and staying in touch with the reality of actual people practicing together across generations. Since the start, we’ve followed tradition and observed memorial days for such Zen luminaries as Bodhidharma, Dogen Zenji, and Hakuin Zenji (twelve, total, with Daido Roshi and Maezumi Roshi among them.) This fall we added memorial days honoring four powerful women ancestors: Mahapajapati (founder of the women’s order), Moshan Liaoran, Liu Tiemo (both renowned early Chan masters featured in the koan collections) and Mugai Nyodai (the first recorded Japanese woman Zen master and female abbot.)
With the exception of Mugai Nyodai, history didn’t preserve death dates for these masters, and so we had to exercise our creative license, selecting dates that resonated—sometimes playfully—with what we do know about them. Now on the 6th, 7th, 26th and 28th of each month, we’ll take a moment to express our gratitude and remember our connection with them, and by extension, the thousands of other women and gender nonconforming practitioners whose lives in the dharma continue to ripple out through space and time. And a shout out to Kando Johnston, Sansho Benton and monastic Jiryu, who created the memorial plaques, to Taisho Sands, who helped tremendously with the research, and to all of you in the sangha who have asked, “Why don’t we have memorial days for any of the women ancestors?”
Diamond Net is a group of lay students whose mission is to help sangha members connect and support each other through times of difficulty. The group has evolved to have three sub-groups, each with a different focus. “Feet on the Ground” works to connect people who need support with volunteers who reach out in person or through zoom, phone calls, or letters. Diamond Net also hosts a monthly support and connection meeting—typically on the second Sunday–for those in roles of caregiving, those dealing with health issues, and anyone who is feeling isolated and wants a way to connect with sangha—this could include those moving out of residency at ZMM or the Temple, or grappling with any life circumstances or transitions where some contact with sangha just might help. To participate in this monthly meeting, or for more information on Diamond Net’s other activities (including the “Growing the Garden” sub-group which is researching co-housing for sangha, and the “Education & Outreach” sub-group that is hosting quarterly Death Café’s) email diamondnet@dharma.net. They’d be happy to hear from you.
For several weeks in September and October, stone masons worked hours a day on an extremely high lift to repoint both of the chimneys on the main building. This was an extensive project as much of the mortar was rotten, and in some places the stones were actually loose. The masons did an excellent and thorough repair job, exercising their craft with patience and meticulous attention. Hopefully we’ll be in good shape for another hundred years.
Monastic DiscernmentIt’s with love, care, and a tender heart that I share the news that novice monastic Jiryu Krupa will be stepping out of full-time residence at the end of this fall ango, taking off her monastic robes for now while still continuing her discernment process.
After much reflection, and in conversation with Shugen Roshi, Jiryu recognizes that she needs and wants time to explore her dharma practice outside of the residential context. She will remain a student and use this open-ended period as an opportunity to continue to clarify the question of her life path.
Jiryu entered into full-time residential training in Fall 2018, and has been a wonderful, committed, and integral part of the residential sangha since then. I’m sure I speak for all the monastics when I say we will really miss her presence here, and we also completely support her choice. This is an example of the discernment process working well, and a trustworthy decision arising out of Jiryu’s growth and practice over time. Our dear Compassion Dragon Sister, we are so grateful for all you’ve given and wish you blessings on what lies ahead.
Shoan and JiryuNational Buddhist Prison SanghaThis past summer, NBPS received a letter from a prisoner who, after years of asking to receive Jukai in prison and being denied, had brought a case against the State of California Department of Corrections. His case asserted freedom of religious practice in prison, which for Zen Buddhists includes the Jukai ceremony as well as sewing a rakusu, receiving it from one’s teacher, and wearing the rakusu appropriately. NBPS assisted him by having Kaishin Jameison make a rakusu to send him for use as evidence in court. Thanks in part to this support from NBPS, he won the case. Now inmates in California can receive Jukai according to tradition. He and six other members of his prison sangha received Jukai in July. Congratulations to all of them, and bows to the sangha members who work diligently at NBPS, giving their time to answering letters and also to managing the office. NBPS also made a sizable contribution of donated cushions to a program for inmates reentering society run by an NBPS alum.
Monastery CatOur newest long-term resident, Yumi, is furry, grey, and has big, round golden eyes. Like some other residents, she came to us because her present life circumstances just weren’t working out—from a sangha family where she was making life difficult for her sibling cat. Here in residence, however, it seems her “alpha” temperament is just right, and she’s easing into community life, learning to sit on many laps, and beginning to venture from the cozy common room into the more crowded dining hall. The past few days she’s made a high-profile appearance at the morning work meeting, apparently ready to contribute to caretaking in her own delightful way.
Yumi
Teachings in the Ten DirectionsIn September, Shugen Roshi officiated the wedding of MRO student Chian Minnisali and Rhonda Lowry, who were married near the base of West Kill and Hunter mountains. Congratulations and wishes you a long and happy life together.
Also in September, Shoan Osho traveled to Pendle Hill retreat center in Wallingford, PA for the Soto Zen Buddhist Association conference, a collegial gathering of about sixty ordained Zen priests and teachers from around the country.
Jukai & TangaryoOn Sunday, November 10th, Shugen Roshi gave the Bodhisattva Precepts to four MRO students in a ceremony here at the Monastery. Congratulations to Jill Kisho (Radiant Star) Hamer, Jonathan Dokan (Way of Simplicity) Caronia, Graeme Eikan (Realize the Unconditioned) Daykin, and Maureen Eishun (Eternal Spring) Kemeza.
Since September, Alexander Rockwell, Ayla Ren, and Randall Runyon all completed Tangaryo and became formal training students in the Mountains and Rivers Order. Welcome!
Comings and Goings Fire Lotus Temple welcomes Alexandra Shoenborn to a year of residence.
Zen Mountain MonasteryIn September, month residents included: Raheem Saafir (East Point, GA); Emily Skeels (Frenchtown, MT); Fuyu Spicher (Hanover, PA); and by our chief disciple, Taisho Sands (Gilbertsville, NY), both of whom are staying in residence for all of Ango.
Additionally and notably, Myoyu Voekel, a monastic from Great Vow Monastery, in Clatskanie, OR joined us for a couple of weeks, and Myoshin Takeuchi, a Soto nun from Kasuisai Temple in Shizuoka, Japan, joined us for two months. I think we hit our all-time high for women monastics in residence: seven. Who-hoo!
In October, month residents included: Yudo Abraham (living abroad in Thailand and Bali); Andrew Blackburn (Hopkinton, MA); Glenn Montgomery (Portland, OR); Ikyo Love (Gillams, Newfoundland); Jason Ponce (Philadelphia, PA); Kate Grehl (Sturbridge, MA); Lynn Cornelis (Izegem, Belgium); Tosho O’brien (Toronto, Ontario);and to Seibu Meunier (Bourg-la-reine, France) who is staying until January; and Kokoro Schultz (Tucson, AZ) with us through the end of Ango.
From October 17-20, we were joined by members of the Sangha Harmony Advisory Council, who were participating in an in-person facilitation training led by Center of the Heart co-directors Kelley Alexander and Ayo Yetunde.
In November, we were joined by: Genjo Gebauer (Keene, NH); Keimu Adolfson (Charlottesville, VA); Christopher Kilkenny (Greenwich, CT) Brian Kazanowski (Atlanta, GA); Reuben Hauser (Asheville, NC); Cindy Loe (North Hampton, MA); Neal Tolunsky (Dobbs Ferry, NY); and Scott Glover (Richfield, CT).
In the past couple of weeks, we’ve said farewell to year-long residents Melissa Pfeifer and Mac Roy. We’re so grateful for their commitment and practice this past year and wish them all the best as they take up other endeavors. The Monastery truly depends on year-long residents. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about residency, consider joining us the evening of December 19 for an hour-long zoom gathering regarding residential training and hosted by Dharma Gates.
And to all of you who have taken the time from your day to read this: Thank you for your practice and for showing up in sangha in all the ways that you do. I’ll leave you with this resonant exchange between Ananda and the Buddha:
Ven. Ananda said to the Blessed One, “This is half of the holy life, lord: admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie.”
“Don’t say that, Ananda. Don’t say that. Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life. When a monk has admirable people as friends, companions, & comrades, they can be expected to develop & pursue the noble eightfold path.”
—Upaddha Sutta (Trans. Thanisarro Bhikkhu)So, while certain conditions may feel like a challenge to us at the present time, let’s stay connected to the conditions that feel supportive and conducive to our practice of ceasing from harm, practicing good, and actualizing good for others.
with love,
Shoan
Women monastics in September. Here for some or all of Ango: Ikyo, Taisho, Genjo, Seibu, Lydia, and Fuyu.Myoyu and MyoshinSeptember residents: Raheem, Juan, Miro, and Emily.October residents: Jason, Andrew, Kate, Lynn, and Glenn.Jukai: Eikan, Kisho, Shugen Roshi, Eishun, and Dokan.November residents: Kokoro, Brian, Neal, Reuben, Keimu, Scott, Cindy, and Christopher.SHAC facilitator training: a light moment amidst hard work. Marcia and Ken Haar with Shobon.Chian and Rhonda’s wedding.
“May I support the life of boundless untold beings”
By Sandy Joshin Del Valle
One Sunday afternoon in September 2023, Hojin sensei announced to the sangha her intention to launch a choir at the Temple. She just needed a choir leader and sangha members willing to participate. No training in voice or experience in singing would be required. We would come as we were. All that was required was attendance; showing up, and willing to practice on our own. In essence, Hojin voiced the Three Essentials of Zen; great faith, great doubt and great determination, as her recipe for success.
It felt miraculous when Justin Ward Weber, a fairly new sangha member and a composer stepped up to fill the role. They were willing to work with untrained voices, willing to write a new work based on Shantideva’s “Way of the Bodhisattva,” and willing to have us ready for a performance at the Monastery in December. Hojin imagined the performance as a gift from the Temple sangha to the Monastery sangha given in the season of light and generosity at the end of rohatsu. Here was the Great Faith of Zen manifesting in Justin who in turn, had great faith in us: folks they barely knew who wanted to sing the dharma because it was suggested that we could.
Sunday afternoon Karenji Choir practice session in BrooklynAs we practiced, Sunday after Sunday, I came to think of our singing as sacred chanting. Chants are elemental expressions of faith; they cannot be reduced any further. They are also a healing; in Spanish we would say that they are “curas,” remedies that find their power in the source of grief itself. The world is constantly lamenting, someone somewhere is in a state of grief. We chant to hold that world in a state of grace when no other words will do.
As we began October, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict roared back to the world stage. Far away in Brooklyn, could we mend anything by calling forth our aspiration to “be doctor, nurse, and medicine for sick beings in the world?” We wished for “food and drink to descend ending thirst and hunger.” We chanted our intention to be a balm for the “lost and destitute.” And for me, most poignantly we wished that “even acts of harm” would cause “the violent to awaken.” There is hope here for all of us. We aren’t always good. And we don’t chant just for those who are oppressed or victimized. We chant for the violent as well, who are none other than ourselves, willing all of us to come back to true selves and renounce violence.
The song alone, with its evocations of faith and yearning was powerful. When it is sung as a collective, where each untrained voice is supporting the others, it becomes an active response to lamentation. We are in this world together; maybe we are trembling with fear and anguish. But we can chant together. Make this verbal bow to one another. We are calling to the universe, to Buddhanature. When we chant we remember who we are and are enlarged.
Where there is Great Faith, there is also Great Doubt. We certainly had that. I had never sung publicly outside of a karaoke bar and I knew that wouldn’t get me far. But doing this together with sangha–-some who were very experienced singers, and some just beginning to find their voices, made all the difference. We were comfortable being led by someone we barely knew to a destination we could barely perceive. Living into the unknown was why we practiced! But I think it also helped that our leader was Justin, one of the choir members dubbed them “our angel.” Justin’s joyful, compassionate spirit and their confidence in us was infectious. We were believed in, so we believed. I remember a moment in particular when I felt the dharma and the singing coming together: Justin told us to listen to each other carefully. “When someone is singing, take your breath and then you pick up and let them take theirs.” We became a choir in this way: singing cohesively, interdependent. Our breath became song.
The Great Determination was there probably all along. From Hojin sensei’s first announcement to create a choir when she had none of the components for it, to Justin’s taking up this project, to our own willingness to try something most of us hadn’t done before. But the seeds were there all along, we just hadn’t named it: we love the dharma, we want to be bodhisattvas even on our worst days, and we just needed someone to show us that all this aspiration and intention could be turned to song. As Shantideva says “Until free from pain, may I be life for all beings throughout the ends of space.” How do we do this? One breath, one note, at a time.
You can listen to the Karenji Choir performing at Fire Lotus Temple on this link.
The Karenji Choir continues, albeit in different forms. For more on the Fire Lotus Temple and upcoming programs, see zmm.org
Karenji Choir bus trip to ZMM in Mount Tremper, December 2023
By Shoan Osho
Each training week, the sangha gathers in the rear of the zendo around an altar devoted to the Monastery and Temple’s guardian deity, Hakuryu-o Daizenjin, the white dragon. Hakuryu-o Daizenjin was the protector of Maezumi Roshi’s home temple in Japan, and he brought this dragon with him to America. Daido Roshi continued this tradition of honoring a dragon protector, which goes back as far as Song dynasty China (960-1279) or even earlier. In addition to dedicating the merits to the Monastery’s dharma guardians, we “especially dedicate it” to the “peace of this temple and strength and sound practice of its sangha.”
I’ve been thinking about this lately: How does a dharma guardian protect the peace of a temple? What is the strength and sound practice of the sangha? Are we in accord with these aspirations? Is there anything that needs our attention right now?
This new quarterly newsletter from the Monastery Training Office is an attempt to communicate some of the ways we are tending the Three Treasures here and now. It’s a chance to highlight some things that could easily go unnoticed, and to help make connections between our aspirations as a sangha and what is actually happening in tangible, practical ways.
So, for now, a few things to share. . .
The sangha celebrated Daiō Sekku’s full ordination. Bows to the dragon spirits!
‘We need the vision of interbeing—we belong to each other; we cannot cut reality into pieces.”
—Thich Nhat Hanh
To me, these few words on interbeing from Thich Nhat Hanh speak volumes about the Sangha Treasure, with all its wonder and challenge.
Okay, so we haven’t “undone patriarchy” yet, but this summer, A Circle of Men Affinity Group launched on Zoom. This affinity group is open to all who identify as men and are ready to examine and reflect on their conditioning as men and its effects on themselves and others. A Circle of Men is the outgrowth of a cohort of sangha men who have been meeting for the past eighteen months, doing their own work together before bringing this to the sangha at large. A Circle of Men has had three meetings this summer and will continue to meet monthly. Register here to participate. Other affinity groups, including groups for women and TGNC folks, continue the healing and undoing of patriarchy by offering spaces for healing, connection, and belonging.
The Sangha Harmony Advisory Council (SHAC) members met for some months, exploring processes for horizontal leadership and opportunities for impactful contribution to the sangha.
This Summer, SHAC offered its firstHeart-to-Heart: Meeting in a Brave Space Zoom gathering, with another one on the calendar for September 4th at 7 pm. SHAC members facilitated each group to create space for deep listening. These spaces will be offered each quarter as a way of connecting and cultivating harmony through sharing and receiving in a non-hierarchical format. SHAC is also experimenting with ways of extending the spirit of these gatherings to other types of events, like the recently-held Grief-Sharing Space.
Additionally, members of SHAC have been meeting with the Teacher’s Council to consider how to deepen and evolve our BFOD work as a sangha. We’re exploring some fresh ideas and finding new ways to collaborate.
If you have your own ideas and suggestions for what would help the sangha continue to become more diverse, inclusive, and welcoming, please make use of the Listening Form on the SHAC webpage.
I often think the MRO Board Members are unseen heroes doing their work to safeguard the financial health of the MRO and oversee its governance. The Board serves to support the MRO mission, the vision of the Abbot and teachers, and the Sangha through discussions, decision-making and oversight. They review all financials quarterly and approve a budget each year, making sure that we are generating enough revenue to cover costs, holding enough cash on reserve for a year’s expenses, and allocating funds for capital improvements or special projects.
Additionally, the Board has been working on updating our grievance process and ethical guidelines, and developing a new Right Relationship/Sexual Harassment policy. The need for updates and new policy was galvanized in large part by the Peer Support Group, an independent group of sangha members who have experienced current and past incidences of sexual misconduct and harm within the MRO. So far, this work has included consultation with the Peer Support Group; Tenku Ruff, a Soto Zen Priest with expertise in these matters; and Carol Merchasin, an attorney who specializes in sexual misconduct within spiritual communities.
The MRO Board recently welcomed two new members, Dan Chikyuu Donohue and Michele Seisan Laura. For a complete list of who’s on the Board, and how to observe a Board meeting, look here.
As of summer’s end, we’ve completed converting the Monastery main building to heat pump mini splits: the oil burner has been decommissioned and there’s no longer any oil heat at the Monastery. We’ve also removed the gas boiler at the Temple and are presently in the midst of converting the Temple to all electric heat pump mini splits, too. There is a new 15 kilowatt solar array online at the A-frame meadow to off-set power use in the main building and we’ve purchased our first electric car.
With two new postulants joining the monastic body this summer, Clyde Fusei Forth and Alex Rogetsu Rothstein bring us to lucky number thirteen for now.
At the end of July, Hojin Sensei offered Shukke Tokudo, full monastic ordination, to Simon Sekku Harrison. Sekku took lifetime vows and received the monastic name “Daiō,” meaning “Great Response.” Daiō will continue living, practicing and serving the sangha in residence at ZMM, alongside his partner, Annie Ng, a lay student and member of SHAC.
In August, Shugen Roshi officiated a Newborn Welcoming Ceremony for Ruben Nole Wrenn, whose parents are longtime sangha members Kyuko Wrenn and Jo Scari. The sangha invoked the Bodhisattva of Compassion to offer blessings and support for Ruben, his parents, and his dharma guardians, Tony Cerasi and Andrea Caruso. Ruben’s bright-eyed good cheer and apparent engagement in the unfolding brought smiles and delight to all.
Summer residency has been robust, with sincere practitioners from near and far. We are glad to welcome two new year-long residents, Meghana Bharadwaj and Ben Iven, into the fold, and delighted to share that Robert Pile will be staying on for a second year.
Shugen Roshi with new postulants Fusei & Rogetsu. Meghana and Ben: Welcome to a year of residency!Hojin Sensei & Daiō during Shukke Tokudo ceremony. Daiō and Annie. May it be a long and happy life on this mountain.Shugen Roshi welcomes baby Ruben with some dharma words: “You already know you’re okay.”New Zealand Sangha joins together for sesshin this past July. The faces may be too small to see, but the love is big! Some July residents: (from back left) Jarred, Adrian, BB, Joel, Joshin, Meghana, Nimesh, Ali & BenAugust month residents: (from left) Madhav, Daniel, Elijah, Hoodie & DestinyHojin Sensei with Julie and Stu, both now in their second year of Temple residency . . . . . . and residents Edmund (also in a second year) and Blessing. Thanks for helping make the magic happen!Teachings in the Ten DirectionsIn July Shugen Roshi traveled to New Zealand where he offered several teachings to the Kiwi sangha, held a day-long retreat, and led sesshin at the gorgeous Lake Rotoiti. He also gave Jukai to Steve Eikai Ingram and Philippa Rikisen Cosgrove. Eikai’s dharma name means “Untie the Knot/Clarify the Image” and Rikisen means “Mystic Strength/Spiritual Power.” Congratulations to Eikai and Rikisen!
Closer to home, Hogen Sensei’s July visit to the Buffalo Affiliate focused on turning one’s life toward the Dharma, and included a deep dive into teachings on karma. His presence was especially important for newer sangha members who never encountered a Zen teacher in-person. Right in our backyard, the Monastery collaborated with the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program to offer guided meditation on the shores of the Esopus as part of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
New StudentsSince May, the following practitioners sat Tangaryo and crossed the zendo threshold as formal MRO training students: Seibu Meunier, Mor Waksman, Maria José Gimenez, Amy Nguyen-Kelly, Lillian Childress, Leah Scott, Christopher Bay and Sabine Russ. In New Zealand, Richard Hewetson, Jack Huygens, Patrick Ryan and Rick Jordan entered the sangha as training students. It’s wonderful to feel their deeping commitment.
Comings and Goings Fire Lotus Temple
Current Temple residents include: Blessing Dolenz, who also serves as the Temple Operations Manager; and Edmund Langdell Green, Stu Pender, and Julies Kucks. Edmund, Stu and Julie are all entering in a second year, and in just a few days, the Temple will welcome Grace Dailey.
Zen Mountain Monastery
In June, month-residents included: Sivan Johnson (Albany, NY); Alexandra Ferri (Waterville, ME); Chris Manz (Pelham, MA); Eduardo Zayas (San Juan, Puerto Rico). Claudia Cuellar (Chicago, IL) was here through July and BB Padungpattanodom (Williamsburg, VA) has stayed on all summer.
In July, we were joined by: Christine Myoko Marie (Buffalo, NY); Nimesh Parikh (Seattle, WA); Aiden Tischer (Bethany, CT); Joel Helander (Boston, MA); Alison Boreiko (Somerville, MA); Jarred Collins (Birmingham, AL), and Lydia Moyer (Covesville, VA) began a four-month residency.
In August we welcomed: Madhav Mohammas (Naperville, IL); Destiny Spruill (Brooklyn, NY); Daniel Brottman (Rochester, NY); Hoodie Crescent (Poughkeepsie, NY); and Elijah Hawken (Dallas, TX).
Thank you for sharing your time, energy and practice with us.
Additional shout-outs to: JD Quinitchette (Greensboro, NC) who has been living and giving at the Monastery since March, and to Melissa Pfeifer (Hays, KS) and Mac Roy (Canterbury, CT) who have been holding it down in residence since last fall. Not sure where we’d be without their steady presence all these months. Seriously! The Monastery relies on the practice, hard work, and commitment of our year-long lay residents as much as we do monastics.
Speaking as a member of the Teacher’s Council, we are grateful for all the time, care, and effort that the Board Members, SHAC, Temple Advisory Committee, the Ethics Committee, Affinity Group Facilitators, lay seniors, Zen Kids & Zen Tweens leaders, Temple helpers and SO MANY others of you give to take care of this Sangha Jewel. May our activities, vows, commitments, aspiration and love continue to polish this community so our light can shine ever more brightly.
. . . and last but not least, special thanks to Keimu Adolfson for newsletter design, Joshin Del Valle for editing support, and Lydia Moyer, Dawn Tratt and Shokan McNamara for the photos.
The end of May brought the conclusion of Spring Ango, the three-month span of intensified training and commitments to personal practice taken up by lay practitioners and residents—nearly 300 people practicing together—in the Mountains & Rivers Order sangha.
The three months seemed to speed by with a stream of reminders that impermanence and change is the way of all sentient life. Beloved monastic Yukon passed from this life just before ango started (see related story here), and his funeral became the occasion of over 250 gathering at the Monastery (and more online) to honor and celebrate his extraordinary life, full of love and dharma. And in May came the loss of two other long-term lay sangha members in May, Bob Seiryu Lanaghan and Joanne Jishin Dearcopp (see more below).
And along the way, a myriad sangha treasure activities, and and the energies of residents and retreat participants, adding their strength and joy to all the doings at the Monastery and the Temple. Notable events included a Jukai—Buddhist Precepts Ceremony, a taking of the bodhisattva vows by three MRO students, officiated by their teacher Hojin Sensei.
After fulfilling all the preliminary requirements, these three spent the week in teachings with Sensei and sewing their raksus at the Temple in preparation. Family and friends joined the wider sangha to participate in this entry of these three into the Bodhisattva Path as Buddhists, a day to celebrate! You can listen to the ceremony here.
From left to right, Lou Baisei (“Cultivating the Morning Star”) Procaccino, Hojin Sensei, Holly Bukei (“Dancing Lightly”) Mensching, and Ajay Shinyu (“Trusting the Mystical”) Chandra.In May the sangha lost long-time practitioner Robert Seiyu Lanaghan (June 12, 1964—May 8. 2024). Seiyu is pictured here and at his wedding to his partner of over 35 years, artist Matt Yanchuk, at the Brooklyn Temple. There will be a funeral later at the Monastery and a celebration of his life at the Temple in June. You can read more about Seiyu’s generous life as a teacher, musician and artist here.
SeiyuMatt Yanchuk and Bob Seiyu Lanaghan, 2014In May the sangha also lost another long-term practitioner, Joanne Jishin Dearcopp (October 2, 1940—May 10, 2024). Jishin had been practicing at the Monastery since the 1980s first as a student of John Daido Loori, Roshi, and later of Shugen Roshi. She received Jukai from Shugen Roshi in 2021 and the dharma name Jishin, “compassionate faith.” She will also be buried at the Monastery in a ceremony for family and friends. You can read more about Jishin’s life in media and publishing here.
Shugen Roshi and Jishin, 2021Joanne Jishin DearcoppWith the ending of May sesshin at the Monastery, and the sangha group photo on the back steps, spring ango was completed! Some early summer images from the Monastery garden:
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Senior Monastic Michael Choke Yukon Grody who left this life on Wednesday, February 28th, following a six month ordeal with brain cancer. In the end, it was a peaceful death with family and one of his monastic brothers at his side. The following morning, Yukon’s monastic and blood family gathered at dawn to perform the liturgy for the newly deceased, which included caring for his body and dressing him in his robes. Afterwards, everyone joined in the zendo for a morning service in his honor. The sangha gathered again the following Monday at Wiltwyck Rural Cemetery in Kingston for a liturgy service that accompanied his cremation. His funeral took place on Sunday, March 31st at Zen Mountain Monastery.
Read about Yukon’s journey and watch a slideshow of his life.
Funeral Service on Easter Sunday For Choke Yukon:
Scroll down to read tributes to Yukon and perhaps to even add your own.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 10/02/2022 - Dharma Encounter at the conclusion of the Mountains & Rivers Sesshin - The Buddha said there is "ordinary suffering" - dukkha - which is the everyday garden variety of suffering that you think of and experience when you hear the word "suffering". There is the suffering that arises through "change"; i.e. you have something, and you want it to last forever, but it won't. You have something that you don't want, and it won't change fast enough. You have a position, a relationship, a feeling, an accomplishment, you have a samadhi, you have something that is dear to you, and you want it to always be "just like that". And then there is the more subtle suffering that is the skandhas themselves. (The skandhas are form, feeling, perception, volitional formation, and consciousness.) The Buddha often referred to them as "the clinging skandhas"; that we are nothing but that very process that happens within the skandhas. We don't see it because it happens so instantaneously and then it's gone and it happens again and again, and our consciousness creates a seamless flow so that we create an experience of continuity, a kind of permanent, ongoing coherence in our actual lived experience which we interpret or equate as a kind of permanent someone. Then there is a kind of symphony, drawing from each of these forms of suffering, that is particular, that is directed towards ourselves; how we see that self, having identified with it, having created, and constructed it, unknowingly for the most part, being very invested in keeping it up and going. Though, never quite complete. We can identify the self (ourself) out of a habit, a behavior, an action, and interpret that as a sign of that incompleteness. (Self-doubt comes out of this.) - How is it when that sense of self is suffering itself? How do we practice this? What needs to be understood about this aspect of self? What understanding will serve to free us? How do we understand this in terms of the Four Noble Truths? - Shugen Roshi brought up these questions for students to engage with him in Dharma Encounter.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Saturday 10/01/2022 - From the True Dharma Eye, Case 148 - Dongshan's "Teachings of the Insentient" - "When we don’t hear the teachings of the insentient the world beyond ourselves can seem dead, inert, and uninteresting. Maybe that’s why we have to keep turning up the volume. And having more and more. And now let’s create worlds that don’t even exist and live in them. What kind of dangerous is this?" - "When we don’t have such moments that reveal to us, that peel back the curtain a little bit and show us there is more right here right now in the most unexpected of places. Of course we expect it in the mountains and beautiful places, but as Donghan said, it’s ceaselessly expounded. Radiantly." - "And so we stop and turn the light around. And look deeply. And make contact. And make contact..."
Rima Vesely-Flad Zen Mountain Monastery, via Zoom, 09/20/2022 A seminar with author and teacher Rima...
Danica Shoan Ankele, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Friday 09/30/2022 - Recognizing our afflictions, our kleshas (states of mind such as anxiety, fear, anger, jealousy, desire, depression, etc...) Can we appreciate them? How can we use them? Can we get close up and allow ourselves to be vulnerable? Shoan reflects on this "Gate of Vulnerability." Without our own share of difficulty and pain, would we be embarking on a path of waking up? That's why the human realm is considered so auspicious, because if you're born in the god realm, life is so good you don't do anything to actually liberate yourself. As Thich Nhat Hanh said: "No mud, no lotus."
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Thursday Evening 09/29/2022 - Dharma Talk during the Mountains and Rivers Sesshin Fusatsu Ceremony - Buddhism speaks of the "Bodies of the Buddha." For instance, Master Dogen, in his Fascicle The Moon, speaks of the Boundless Body and the Buddha Body. Shugen Roshi reflects on how the Fusatsu ceremony invokes these bodies, and how, when we are practicing the dharma, they begin to appear from within our own vows, out of our selflessness... "So we return to these vows, these precepts. We reflect, we invoke the names of the Buddha, the four vows, the three treasures... to remember again, and align ourselves with what is important... it is not a rule, it is not a creed, it's not even Buddhism, not at it's heart... but you could say it's you."
Ely Seiryu Rayek, Senior Lay Student - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Wednesday 09/28/2022 - Seiryu offers his understanding of the dharma of everyday life, dependent co-origination; the practical reality of ceaseless becoming.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 09/25/2022 - From the Book of Serenity, Case 75 - Ruiyan's "Constant Principle" - We might normally think we understand that nothing lasts, everything is impermanent, yet we suffer from our misunderstanding of this all the time, for instance when something happens and we react thinking oh, this is forever, this is the way it's going to be from now on, I am this, I am that,.... This is why it's so important to deeply study our suffering; not just know that we suffer, but to deeply study the intricate details of how we suffer.
Chris Yudo Abraham, Senior Lay Student - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 09/18/2022 - From Shunryu Suzuki: "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" - What is beginner's mind? Where is beginner's mind? Yudo describes his path in zen practice as one of appreciating Beginner's Mind and the constant returning to Zazen as the heart of it.
Patrick Yunen Kelly, Senior Lay Student - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 09/18/2022 - Yunen offers insight into the thusness of negative experiences and emotions. He explores what comes when we allow sad to just be sad, tribulations to simply be tribulations.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 09/11/2022 - From The Blue Cliff Record, Case 35 - The Dialog of Manjusri and Wu Cho "In the first moment of contact, what we see, what we hear, is not obscured. Sound and form are purely real, they are just as they are, they are not anything other. But our mind, in an instant, before we know it, without our seeing it, floods that image or that sound or that taste, or touch, with all of our mind’s karmic burden. All our perceptions, our views, our beliefs, our memories, and so on. While our senses simply perceive things, non-obscured, our mind then begins to in a flash obscures and gives meaning, which is taught. Everything in society teaches us what those things mean. All of those ways we separate and exclude and include and create conflict and wealth and poverty, the whole mass of suffering." "To be able to separate the profound from the naive, to distinguish a jewel from a stone, is actually necessary. If we can’t discern within our own practice of what is practice according to the dharma and what is not, what is a serving or habitual desire, and what is an impulse or sense of a direction that we can trust, it’s going to be very difficult to practice. So we need to learn how to distinguish. But to do so without malice, without ill will. With clarity. And without infusing a sense of absolute truth into those things that we are discerning."
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 09/04/2022 - Shugen Roshi introduces the theme of our 90-day Fall Ango Intensive training period, "Moon Thusness." If you'd like to learn more about our Ango program and possibly participate, please click here: https://zmm.org/teachings-and-training/ango/
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 09/04/2022 - Hojin Sensei offers opening reflections on the Fall 2022 Ango training period, introducing the primary texts that training students will be working with as well as the themes of art practice, nature contemplation, and Dogen's Fascicle "The Moon."
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 08/28/2022 - From the Mahayana teaching The Uttaratantra Shastra - The Sangha Treasure - Shugen Roshi encourages us to look deeply and realize the three treasures as our own nature, our own body and mind. And although we manifest them (how we relate to the ancestors, how we receive the teachings, how we practice, how we gather together as a community, etc.) in terms particular to the Buddhist path, when we truly take refuge in the three treasures we are realizing them as the nature of all of humanity. No boundaries. Sangha is community. We can think of it as "the sangha of one"; i.e. you and the many beings that populate your mind and body. We can think of it as this community practicing together. Sangha is the virtue of harmony. Sangha is the Three Treasures.
Degna Chikei Levister, Senior Lay Student - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 08/28/2022 - Chikei Levister explores practicing in the midst of our busy lives. She discusses harnessing attention as a means to better understand our anxiety and fear of missing out.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Saturday 08/27/2022 - From the Mahayana teaching The Uttaratantra Shastra - The Dharma Treasure - "Dharma" refers to The Law, The Teachings, Reality. But what is it actually, beyond the superficial? Shugen Roshi explores all the many aspects of Buddhist practice which together bring us to a true encounter with the Dharma.
Danica Shoan Ankele, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Friday 08/26/2022 - From The Zen Teaching of Huang Po: On the Transmission of Mind - "The Buddhas and all living beings are only one Mind. There is no other reality." Shoan uses Huang-Po's teachings to reflect on the notion of progress in Zen training, encouraging us to relax and let go of this kind of seeking and instead use our wholehearted practice as a way of open discovery. Have faith and trust yourself!
Patrick Yunen Kelly, Senior Lay Student - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Thursday 08/25/2022 - Yunen explores how "emptiness is form" is expressed and illustrated in the Vimalakirti Sutra and shares his appreciation of its relationship to practice.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Wednesday 08/24/2022 - From the Mahayana teaching The Uttaratantra Shastra - The Buddha Treasure - What is it that makes Buddhist meditation, liturgy, teachings, practices, the precepts that we follow, the vows that we take, a path to liberation? And how is it that we can awaken to the three treasures - the Buddha, Dharma & Sangha - in our everyday lives? Shugen Roshi encourages us to see the Buddha Treasure right within ourselves.
Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 08/21/2022 - One way or another, we've all experienced impermanence; we all know that we're going to die... And we don't know. How is that? How do we maintain that? Dharma Holder Gokan shares his poignant reflections on the Five Remembrances and the continuous practice of impermanence.
Danica Shoan Ankele, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 08/21/2022 - What role does space and spaciousness play in our practice? How can we cultivate space, and work with blockages? In this talk, Shoan speaks about the art of attuning to what isn't here - the space that permeates our physical universe and experience, yet is often harder to notice than the concrete manifestations of our world and mind. To the extent that we can allow this natural space, we open ourselves to relief, freedom, and joy.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 08/14/2022 - From the Book of Serenity, Case 16 - Magu Shakes His Staff - Why do we practice mindfulness, why do we develop concentration, why do we do meditation? These and other aspects of practice... What do they bring us to? Shugen Roshi asks us to look carefully about what we think we're after; what are we aiming for? For instance, how do we manifest compassion, living in a world of good and evil, without creating more entanglements, without getting caught in the realm of right and wrong?
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 08/07/2022 - From Master Wu-men's Gateless Gate, Case 8 - Hsi-chung Makes Carts - The Buddha realized, and taught, that it is our sense of self, our sense of our individual person within, that is the source of everything we create that causes distress and confusion and unhappiness. Salvation from this dukkha is not about finding a way out of it but about finding a way into it. If we want to actually free ourselves we have to practice freeing ourselves right now, just now.
Patrick Yunen Kelly, Senior Lay Student - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 08/07/2022 - In this talk, Yunen explores Dogen's teachings on zazen through his Fukanzazengi. One of Dogen's central questions was "If all beings possess the Buddha nature, then what is the need for vigorous practice?" Yunen interweaves an account of Dogen's life with an inquiry into how he practiced this Great Doubt.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 07/31/2022 - Our own beliefs, conventional wisdom, our enculturated consciousness; these encompass the paths we follow in life. As practitioners of The Way, Shugen Roshi encourages us to look carefully into and through this conditioning and see that what we're moving towards is already here. - Concluding his talk, Shugen Roshi offers a poem in tribute to the Woman of Taishan: On the road to Mount Taishan a Tea Dragon serves illness and medicine for the well-being of the thirsty traveler. Please don't be deceived by her humble appearance. She has the power to change a life in an instant. Don't feel the need to adorn her humble appearance. She is majestic and noble, just as she is. Can you hear? Oh, person of the way, which road will you take to the great and calling mountain? - (The Woman of Taishan appears in a koan in both The Book of Serenity, Case 10, and The Gateless Gate, Case 31.)
Patrick Yunen Kelly, Senior Lay Student - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 07/31/2022 - How can we bring alive appreciation in our practice? Yunen speaks to cultivating appreciation that does not depend on external circumstances. He brings in the Meal Gatha as an expression of our interdependence and an example of liturgy that can cultivate great appreciation.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Saturday 07/30/2022 - What is our understanding of Conventional Wisdom, or Relative Truth in Buddhist parlance, as it makes up what we call "the self"? Shugen Roshi brings in the writing of Marcus Borg, the American Christian Theologian, and examines what we are doing when we undertake the extensive project of "studying the self."
Danica Shoan Ankele, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Friday 07/29/2022 - From the the Sutra of Hui-Neng (The Platform Sutra of the 6th Ancestor), Hui-Neng himself describes his realization: "I thought there was an I who sees and hears. That was a great mistake. It's only a sound perceived with a mind resting in no place. Now I understand there is no birth or death. This wide open state of mind is my original mind. The mountains, the rivers, the sun and the moon are all me." - Shoan brings up this fundamental teaching of "no-self"... OK. So, there is no self. And yet here I am. How do we hold these "two truths"? And our sense of identity... How does it come to us? And why does it often become such a seemingly unresolvable entanglement? Shoan encourages us to be mindful and patient and to hold our stories loosely.
Linda Shinji Hoffman - Zen Mountain Monastery - Lay senior Shinji Hoffman draws on her experience as a farmer to help explain the Buddha's teaching on the twelve-link chain of dependent origination, the teaching that everything arises due to causes and conditions. How can we use this teaching to transform our karma? How do we stop causing suffering for ourselves and others? Shinji gives examples of how to shift our deep negative habits at the chain link of feeling.
Robert Rakusan Ricci, Senior Monastic - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Wednesday 07/27/2022 - The three messengers: old age, sickness, and death. Why do we call them messengers? What do they tell us? Do we listen? And how do we respond? In this poetic offering, Rakusan talks about how he holds his personal encounters and experience of the three messengers in light of Master Dogen's teachings (...to study the Buddha Way is to study the self, to study the self is to forget the self....) along with the wisdom of Leonard Cohen ("Who by Fire"). Rakusan gently admonishes us to heed the call of the three messengers and give voice to our Bodhisattva vows.
Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 07/24/2022 - How do we truly take care of each other? How do we truly take care of ourselves? How do we do both at the same time? Is there a difference? How do we soften any opposition that might arise? Gokan shares his own experiences and mindfulness practices while exploring these questions.
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 07/17/2022 - Hojin Sensei speaks on Chapter 7 from the Vimalakirti Sutra entitled "The Goddess." In this chapter, Manjushri asks Vimalakirti , "How should we regard living beings?" Hojin Sensei offers insight into the harm done through the oppression of particular human embodiments. She shares teachings on how to honor all aspects of ourselves and others: sameness and difference as one reality.
Danica Shoan Ankele, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 07/17/2022 - Shoan reflects on what it is that we're doing and why it matters. How does "looking inward", rather than just outward, help us navigate our life? Shoan brings in three "boat parables" to illustrate. From Master Dogen's Genjokoan, Charlotte Joko Beck's "Everyday Zen", and a poem by 17th century Chinese nun Jingnou in "Daughters of Emptiness".
Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery - Drawing from 12th century Zen Master Hongzhi, monastic and dharma holder Gokan provides us with guidance on turning inside and entering into our zazen practice. What does practicing true reality mean? How do we bring our life into the immense reality that it is?
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 07/10/2022 - From The Blue Cliff Record, Case 82 - Ta Lung's "Hard and Fast Body of Reality" - In this crucible of our lives today, so full of so much, why, in Buddhism is there an emphasis on realizing emptiness? Similarly, why does realizing the nature of the self liberate us from our attachments? At the same time, we speak of the body of reality. That doesn't sound very empty, and we're certainly attached to our own bodies, the living manifestation of impermanence. So what is our true body, our body of reality? We speak of the three bodies of the buddha: Nirmanakaya, Sambhogakaya and Dharmakaya. Can we understand these as aspects of ourselves?
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 07/10/2022 - How can we recognize the mechanics of proliferation in our thoughts? How can we skillfully meet the "grasper" in our minds? In this talk, Hojin Sensei speaks to the natural capacity of our mind to proliferate and the similarly natural capacity to make space. She draws upon the practice instructions of Zen master Hongzhi in The Bright Boundless Field.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 07/03/2022 - From Master Wu-men's Gateless Gate, Case 44 - Pa-chiao and a Stick - "What is it that we attach to? Anything that is perceived as being outside ourselves becomes an object and therefore becomes a very likely candidate for clinging. Because to grasp at anything, it has to be ‘not me’. So what’s actually being grasped in our grasping? Is it the object? So there is something that I want. It might be an object, a car, clothing, a plate of food, a house, a person. It could be anything. Am I grasping at the object itself? Or am I grasping at my idea of the object? Or am I grasping at my desire for the object? Or am I grasping at whatever I want that object to do for me? Whatever I want to get from it: happiness, satisfaction, a thrill. Or am I grasping at what I want all of that to make me feel about myself? Worthy, capable, intelligent, smart, successful. What are we actually grasping at?"
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 07/03/2022 - What is sincere practice? How can we look at ourselves and the world honestly and gently? Hojin Sensei speaks about the role of sincerity in Zen practice and how to enter every moment with a sincere heart.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 06/26/2022 - Drawing from the teachings of Longchenpa (14th Century Tibet), Shantideva (8th century India) and Dogen (13th century Japan) Shugen Roshi speaks of The Four Immeasurables. He reminds us of the importance of reciting them as a practice each morning. The recitation is a raising of intention, a setting of our attitude - an attitude of love, compassion, sympathetic joy and impartiality. What's next? Shugen Roshi encourages us to keep that intention in mind all day long, to "set out" to actualize them for others and ourselves in our everyday activities, continuously practicing and opening, with the guidance of the precepts and the Six Paramitas (Giving, Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Concentration and Wisdom.)
Patrick Yunen Kelly, Senior Lay Student - Zen Center of New York City, Sunday 06/26/2022 - In this talk, Yunen delves into the Heart Sutra, exploring how this important teaching comes to us and the depth of what it has to offer.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Saturday 06/25/2022 - Drawing from the teachings of Shantideva (8th century India), Dogen (13th century Japan) and Longchenpa (14th Century Tibet), Shugen Roshi speaks of bodhicitta, the wish to realize enlightenment for the benefit of others. "This bodhicitta is not something. It’s alive, it’s inexpressible, it’s inconceivable. It doesn’t belong to buddhism but buddhism understands it profoundly, and we have our own language for it. It’s available to every person but you cannot possess it. You can’t lose it. But it can grow dim. It is born from faith, it is nurtured by faith, it is verified by faith, within ourselves. Bodhicitta requires an opening, a softening, to find its way in to our discerning mind that is beyond calculation. Where does this come from? In response to affinity between the dharma and the student. You feel it when it’s there. You know it. You may not understand it, be able to express it. But there is something going on. Something is stirring, something is coming together. It’s as if it is something you already know. It is not a stranger. But it is strange..."
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Friday 06/24/2022 - How do we relate to all that comes up in our everyday life - our "ingredients" - and what are the attitudes with which we conduct ourselves? How do we practice our lives? Hojin Sensei guides us through Master Dogen's "Tenzo Kyōkun - Instructions for the Cook", and explores Dogen's "Secrets of Enlightenment": 1) Living with a joyful heart 2) Caring with the deep concerns of a parent 3) Performing all activities with compassion.
Degna Chikei Levister, Senior Lay Student - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Thursday 06/23/2022 - From a poem, "Friend", by an early Buddhist Nun, Mita. - How do we know when we are acting out of our conditioning? Are we always aware of our emotional drivers, our fears? From the Early Buddhist nuns to Master Dogen to our contemporaries, Chikei shares her inspiration to diligently and continuously practice everything in our life ("Don't waste your suffering."), be vigilant of our conditioning ("Know thyself.") and remember to hold ourselves with compassion ("Make everyone a friend, especially ourselves.").
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Wednesday 06/22/2022 - From Master Dogen's Shobogenzo Fascicle "King of Samadhis" - We speak of Samadhi as being meditation, concentration, single-minded focus. In this talk Shugen Roshi points out that in the Buddhist sense Samadhi is based in morality and compassion. It's not separate. It's one aspect of the Noble Eightfold Path, all eight of which are to be cultivated together.
Zen Mountain Monastery - From The Book of Serenity, Case 70 - Jinshan Asks About Nature - "What happens in the moments when the self has been seen through and we are still being held back? In that moment, that which has been seen is not being actualized. Having tamed the untamed, having freed the buddha from its entanglements, those entanglements still have energy, still have life. That’s why the idea that we can practice, apply effort, have an experience that we call enlightenment and be done is a false idea. What is this whole idea of being ‘done’. If you’re an artist, when are you done? If you’re a school teacher, a parent, when are you done? Not just done in the sense that there is something more to do, but done in the sense of strengthening your strength, refining your skill..."
Linda Shinji Hoffman, Senior Lay Student - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 06/19/2022 - In this talk, Linda Shinji Hoffman explores the Seven Factors of Awakening through the lens of an orchardist tending to trees. She also honors Juneteenth.
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei and Ron Hogen Green, Sensei - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 06/12/2022 - Hojin Sensei and Hogen Sensei officiate the June 2022 Jukai ceremony at Fire Lotus Temple in which four students received the sixteen Buddhist precepts: Marie Ninsei ("Patient, Enduring Heart Vow") Ringo, Dan Chikyuu ("Endlessly Clarifying Enlightenment") Donohue, Tate Kairyu ("Open Dragon") Dougherty, Stu Shintai ("Percevering Faith Mind") Kennedy. Ninsei, Chikyuu, Kairyu, and Shintai have all been practicing as formal students and studying these moral and ethical teachings for a number of years. During the ceremony, Hojin Sensei and Hogen Sensei offer joyful encouragement to the recipients as they take up these vows.
Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 06/12/2022 - With the teaching of Bodhidharma's "Outline of Practice" and recalling Daido Roshi's frequent admonition: "trust yourself", Gokan offers us heartfelt encouragement to make these teachings our own.
Zen Mountain Monastery - From The Book of Serenity, Case 12 - Dizang Planting the Fields - "How do we stop our seeking that which is outside and turn the light around? How do we learn how to investigate in a way that is nonconceptual? How do we use this mind? This bright, clear, sharp, awake, miraculously aware mind? We have to bring it out of its dullness, sleepiness and lethargy. All of which are good strategies to live in a world that’s kind of hard to live in. Just shut it down. It makes sense. Lower the curtain, put up a wall, close the door. It seems to be quieter. But it’s not really a life yet. And so, in opening the curtain, opening the door, turning on that bright clear light, now we have to learn how to meet pain and sorrow. Inside and outside."
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 06/05/2022 - How can we hold the beauty and love in our life and the deep human suffering? In this talk, Hojin Sensei invokes the story of Patachara, one of the earliest Buddhist women ancestors: within a life of immense loss and grief she followed her heart, awakened, and became an influential teacher. Hojin Sensei also recognizes the 22nd anniversary of Fire Lotus Temple and all those who have devoted their time and energy to establishing and maintaining this refuge.
Zen Mountain Monastery - Dharma Encounter at the Conclusion of the Ocean Gathering Sesshin (and concluding the Spring Ango) - Using the Parable of the Good Physician from the Lotus Sutra, Shugen Roshi brought up questions for students to engage with him in Dharma Encounter. How can we be skillful when we are under the sway of our defilements and we don't want to turn towards the medicine? How do we help others when they don't want to take the medicine? When someone perceives medicine as poison, what is skillful? These and other question were engaged in live, unrehearsed dialog at the end of our 90 day ango training period.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Saturday 05/28/2022 - From Master Dogen's Shobogenzo Fascicle "Bussho: Buddha Nature" - When do the seeds of our practice ripen? Will our Buddha Nature appear at some moment in the future, or is it present now and we just don't see it? In this talk, Shugen Roshi explores the relationship between practice and time, how we practice for the now and observe the cause and effect of our karma over time.
Ron Hogen Green, Sensei - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Friday 05/27/2022 - Dharma Talk during the Ocean Gathering Sesshin - Drawing on the lyrics of the song 'Momentum' by Aimee Mann, Hogen Sensei illuminates how much our lives are driven by fear. What is the alternative to fear? When we are fearful, what is it that we do not want to feel? Instead of a strategy of numbness, how do we turn towards and disrupt the momentum of our fearful karmic patterns?
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Thursday Evening 05/26/2022 - Dharma Talk during the Ocean Gathering Sesshin Fusatsu Ceremony - To navigate the Path, the Buddha taught an approach of skillful means. But what does that term mean for us as unique individuals, with our own karma, and in a world that is not fixed? In this talk, Shugen Roshi takes up this essential teaching as part of a Renewal of Bodhisattva Vows ceremony.
Danica Shoan Ankele, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Wednesday 05/25/2022 - How does one accomplish Buddhahood? And how long does it take to do so? Using the story of the Dragon King's Daughter from the Lotus Sutra, senior Monastic Shoan Ankele investigate this precarious question and offers guidance on the art of letting go.
Ron Hogen Green, Sensei - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 05/22/2022 - What is true compassion and how do we develop it? If Buddhist teachings say a compassionate heart is our birthright, what must we do to reveal it? With Leonard Cohen's song Sisters of Mercy as a muse, Hogen Sensei explores the nature of compassion, its relationship to wisdom and loving-kindness, and the vital role our own suffering plays.
Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 05/15/2022 - From the Book of Serenity, Case 18 - Zhaozhou's Dog - If buddha nature is ineffable, if it has no characteristics, then how do we turn towards it? We want to direct our attention towards it so we can examine it and realize it. But it doesn’t exist. It doesn’t have a form. So how do we study that which is our true self, our true nature? Shugen Roshi takes up these questions using the well known koan "Does a dog have buddha nature?"
Degna Chikei Levister, Senior Lay Student - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 05/15/2022 - How do we bring all of who we are into practice? How do we embrace the full reality of the world while not getting turned around by external causes and conditions? In this talk, Chikei Levister explores the teachings of Zen Master Hongzhi on the practice of true reality.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 05/08/2022 - From Master Wu-men's Gateless Gate, Case 35 - Ch'ien and Her Soul Are Separated - How do we remain undivided amidst the divisive forces within and around us? And where can we truly go to seek wholeness in our lives? In this talk, Shugen Roshi explores the experience of division and wholeness, and how Zen practice brings us closer to the heart of the matter.
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 05/08/2022 - How do we practice fearlessness in the midst of fear? In this talk, Hojin Sensei invokes the dragon - a being that is often referenced in the Zen tradition as an embodiment of our enlightened nature. It is through turning around and facing the dragon with direct, kind awareness, she says, that we develop our capacity for fearlessness.
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 05/01/2022 - This Dharma Encounter with Hojin Sensei took place at the conclusion of the Apple Blossom Sesshin. What are our reasons for coming to the Dharma? Is our practice helping to answer those questions? And how do we know that our practice is working? Hojin Sensei takes these questions up with Ango participants in a lively discussion.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Saturday 04/30/2022 - From The Blue Cliff Record, Case 87 - Medicine and Disease Subdue Each Other - Why do certain afflictions arise for us? Are we simply victims of our karma, of causes and conditions? Or might our hardships be helping us cultivate something that we need? In this talk, Shugen Roshi illuminates how it is through our suffering that we find our path to liberation and that our teachers are often closer than we think.
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Friday Evening 04/29/2022 - Dharma Talk during the Apple Blossom Sesshin 2022 Fusatsu Ceremony - Not Creating Evil, Practicing Good, and Actualizing Good For Others -- these are The Three Pure Bodhisattva Precepts. But what does it mean to truly take up these vows in our own lives? In this talk, Hojin Sensei explores the meaning of each precept and how they can guide us in our practice.
Ron Hogen Green, Sensei - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Thursday 04/28/2022 - The Buddha pointed to our desires as the origin of our suffering. But how do we understand desire? Does having wants guarantee us pain? In this talk, Hogen Sensei discusses the nature of desire and investigates the difference between having attachments and liking certain things. How can we determine if we are bound by desire? And how do we hold the things in life we do like?
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Wednesday 04/27/2022 - Why are we drawn to a retreat where silence is practiced? And why did the Buddha refer to this practice as "Noble Silence"? In this talk, Hojin Sensei opens the April Apple Blossom Sesshin by inquiring into the first sesshin precaution--to maintain inner and outer silence--and explores what silence and stillness have to offer us.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 04/24/2022 - Why are the Bodhisattva Vows so important in Buddhist Practice? Where do they come from and why are they these particular four--to save all sentient beings, to put an end to desires, to master the dharma, and to attain the Buddha Way? In this talk, Shugen Roshi explores the meaning of each vow and illustrates what they can teach us about our true nature.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 04/17/2022 - Shugen Roshi officiates the Spring Ango Jukai ceremony at Zen Mountain Monastery in which six students receive the sixteen Buddhist precepts. Rennin, Seisan, Jiho, Yugaku, Shindo & Onren have all been practicing as formal students and studying these moral and ethical teachings for a number of years. During the ceremony Shugen Roshi offers joyful encouragement to the recipients as they take up these living teachings, living vows.
Richard Rennin Hubbard ("Pure Patience") Michele Seisan Laura ("Peaceful Mountain") Mark Jiho Taylor ("To Set Free, Release the Self'") Tom Yugaku Caplan ("To Remember and Know Courage") Rebecca Shindo Kisch ("Trust in the Way") Daniel Onren Latorre ("True Kindness" / "Pure Gratitude")
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 04/17/2022 - In this talk, Hojin Sensei speaks about the profound practice of being still. She explores the relationship between stillness and activity, and offers teachings on how we might interrupt our busyness through being undivided in every moment.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 04/10/2022 - From The Blue Cliff Record, Case 21 - Chih Men's "Lotus Flower, Lotus Leaves" - Shugen Roshi explores Buddha Nature as a foundational teaching of the Dharma, one we can actively study and focus on. How can we come to reveal our own enlightened nature, and what conditions are necessary for the husk of our seed to open?
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 04/10/2022 - What is taking refuge in letting go and stillness, among the many visitors to our guest house? In this talk, Hojin Sensei speaks to the practice of resting in all moments of our living and dying, bringing in her recent experience of sitting with a dying friend. Being still, not turning away, we will encounter the unborn and the undying.
Ron Hogen Green, Sensei - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 04/03/2022 - This Dharma Encounter with Hogen Sensei took place at the conclusion of the March Founding Sesshin. What does it mean to take refuge in the Buddha? What does it mean to take refuge and what exactly are we taking refuge in? Hogen Sensei takes this question up with Ango participants in a lively discussion.
Patrick Yunen Kelly, Senior Lay Student - Zen Center of New York City, Sunday 04/03/2022 - How can we liberate the causes of our suffering in the midst of our lives and circumstances? In this talk, Yunen examines the Buddha's teachings on suffering and the liberation of suffering, both of which are the reality of having a human life. Yunen frames this talk with a poem by Uchiyama Roshi, "Samadhi of the Treasury of the Radiant Light."
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Saturday 04/02/2022 - In this talk, Shugen Roshi speaks about the importance of having a connection with our dharma ancestors. How we should appreciate the great heart-felt efforts that were made to allow us to have the opportunity to train and practice today. Roshi shares with us some of the early days of Zen Mountain Monastery, as well as the efforts put forth by Daido Roshi, his teacher Maezumi Roshi, two of Maezumi's teachers, Yasutani Roshi and Koryu Roshi, as well as all the students who were training with them.
Ron Hogen Green, Sensei - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Friday Evening 04/01/2022 - Dharma Talk during the Founder's Sesshin 2022 Fusatsu Ceremony - The tenth Buddhist Precept is to "Experience the intimacy of things; Do not defile the Three Treasures." How do we understand and apply this Precept? In this talk, Hogen Sensei takes up this profound teaching, imploring us to look closely at our practice and our lives.
Linda Shinji Hoffman, Senior Lay Student - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Thursday 03/31/2022 - Why do 'bowls' play a prominent significance as a utensil and symbol in Buddhist practice? In this talk, Senior Lay Student and sculptor Linda Shinji Hoffman offers a meditation on the teachings of bowls – on emptiness and fullness, food and hunger, creation and decay. In the Zen tradition, we take food in a formal meal called Oryoki – translating to "just enough". What can we bring to mind as we receive food that will lead us closer to the true nature of reality? What do our bowls hold? And what does this tell us about our lives?
Ron Hogen Green, Sensei - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Wednesday 03/30/2022 - From Master Dogen's 300 Koan Shobogenzo (True Dharma Eye), Case 122 - Fayan's Fire God - As practitioners of the Dharma, are we truly on the edge of our practice? Is peace and calm an indicator that we can rest in our accomplishment? Or is this just a transitory experience and there is more to be seen? When we reside firmly in our knowledge and don't step forth to continue inquiring more deeply, what could we be missing?
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 03/27/2022 - From Master Dogen's 300 Koan Shobogenzo (True Dharma Eye), Case 19 - Ordinary Mind Is The Way - What does "non-doing" actually mean? How do we understand this profound Zen teaching, and find the middle way between passivity and our regular reactive tendencies? In this talk, Shugen Roshi explores the topics of effort, effortlessness, and energy, and demystifies our ideas of non-doing.
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 03/27/2022 - From The Blue Cliff Record, Case 21 - Chih Men's Lotus Flower, Lotus Leaves - In this talk Hojin Sensei explores the title of the Lotus Sutra and the koan Lotus Flowers Lotus Leaves as a teaching about our Buddha nature. That there is no before and after, that we are all already included and pierced as a Buddha —just know this wondrous Dharma! That the lotus grows out of muddy waters. How do we make good use and find freedom in the darkness of our suffering just like the lotus needs the nutrients of that muck to giving and make its way to the light?
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi and Dr. Rebecca Li - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 03/20/2022 - Shugen Roshi is joined by Dr. Rebecca Li for a lively question and answer discussion with attendees to our regular Sunday Program. Rebecca is a Dharma heir in the lineage of Chan Master Sheng Yen and the founder and guiding teacher of Chan Dharma Community. Shugen Roshi and Rebecca explore the topics of grief, loss, and skillful action.
Patrick Yunen Kelly, Senior Lay Student - Zen Center of New York City, Sunday 03/20/2022 - Yunen talks about his experience of the more devotional aspects of Zen practice. He makes connections to the Lotus Sutra and devotional practices from other religious traditions.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 03/13/2022 - From Master Wu-men's Gateless Gate, Case 26 - Two Monastics Roll Up the Bamboo Blinds - How do our projections affect our understanding of ourselves and the world around us? And how can we more clearly see these projections and the ways they cloud us from our own wisdom and Buddha Nature? In this talk, Shugen Roshi illustrates the reason we practice zazen remaining where we are, as well as the relationship between doubt, faith, and perseverance as we practice over time.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 03/06/2022 - Shugen Roshi introduces the theme of our 90-day Spring ango intensive training period, Faith in Buddha Nature. If you'd like to learn more about our Ango program and possibly participate, please click here: https://zmm.org/teachings-and-training/ango/
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Saturday 03/05/2022 - From Master Dogen's 300 Koan Shobogenzo (True Dharma Eye), Case 10 - Qingyuan's "Come Closer" - How do we walk the Path amidst our perceived distractions and obstructions? In this talk, Shugen Roshi explores the power of trust, and its relationship to vulnerability and intimacy. How do we trust in the Dharma? And ultimately, how do we trust ourselves?
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 02/27/2022 - From Master Dogen's 300 Koan Shobogenzo (True Dharma Eye), Case 265 - Shuilao's Enlightenment - In Buddhist practice and particularly Zen, there is a great emphasis on the power of words. Words can be both destructive or generative, can create war and can bring about peace. How do we understand the karma of our words and the actions they beget? To do so, Roshi explores the radical practice of stopping, noticing, and taking responsibility. Note: this talk begins with a prayer from Shugen Roshi for the people of Ukraine and the recent attack on their country.
Danica Shoan Ankele, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, Friday 02/25/2022 - In Zen practice we have many sacred containers of ceremony--liturgy, rituals, sesshins, and koans—into which we enter. And yet, why is it that we practice this ancient mystical tradition? For stress reduction, or to wake up to life's mystery and be free? In this talk, monastic Shoan explores this wisdom tradition with readings from Zenju Manuel's "The Shamanic Bones of Zen." When we enter ceremony, we can begin to see for ourselves that there is no separation between ourselves and the mystical.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Wednesday 02/23/2022 - From Master Dogen's 300 Koan Shobogenzo (True Dharma Eye), Case 41 - Shitou's "Ask the Pillar" - A student asked Master Shitou, "What is the meaning of Bodhidharma coming from the west?" Shitou said, "Ask the pillar." The student said, "I don't understand it." Shitou said, "I don't understand it either." - The Buddhist path is based in inquiry. This asks that we abandon our formulas and perspectives, and inquire deeply from within our own body and mind. We practice not only letting go of attachments and dualities of right and wrong, but also of "knowing," releasing the need for ready answers. Every day and every moment is alive--an aliveness that is not based on a fixed meaning—but is reality itself.
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 02/20/2022 - What is sympathetic joy? Hojin Sensei explores one of the Four Immeasurables. In bringing our attention to the delights in our life, we can experience joy for ourselves and others even in the midst of suffering. Sympathetic joy, or Mudita in Sanskrit, is a natural state of our minds, yet often it takes a practice of cultivation to rediscover it. Hojin Sensei quotes from the teachings of Venerable Nyanaponika Thera and HH Dalai Lama, and from the poet Ross Gay.
Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, Sunday 02/13/2022 - With the teachings of Shantideva and the Paramita of Patience, Gokan offers us guidance to stay with our difficult experiences so we can better understand where our suffering arises. While uncomfortable, it is in these challenging times that we can cultivate and discover a peace and joy that is not dependent on anything, and find the path to all that we are.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 02/06/2022 - From Master Wu-men's Gateless Gate, Case 13 - Deshan Carries His Bowls - How do we create our own distractedness? And how do we get caught up in our flurry of concepts? It's not conceptual thinking itself that is the problem. Shugen Roshi offers that by taking the seat of no evasion, turning our attention inwards, we can witness how "what we think we know" impedes our experience of our lives as they are, full and complete.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 01/30/2022 - From Dongshan's "Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi" - The conclusion of a series on Master Dongshan's poem, this talk looks at the dynamic relationship you have—as the practitioner—with the ancient sages, and with all phenomenal world of reality and within its absolute unity. How do we listen, and truly hear this ancient song?
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Friday 01/28/2022 - One of the Paramitas (or Perfections) is patience, and if you've ever reached the limits of yours, you know there can be more to discover. Hojin Sensei revisits the story, "Nature Like Ashes" to stir up it's warm embers.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Wednesday 01/26/2022 - From Dongshan's "Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi" - Faith is required—just enough to keep returning to a simple practice of deeply seeing the presence of our delusion. With the help of that delusion, the way opens for discovering true freedom in the whole of reality. Shugen Roshi continues the study of Dongshan's Jewel Mirror Samadhi to help us practice letting go attachments and opening to experience of a unified life.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 01/23/2022 - From Dongshan's "Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi" and Thich Nhat Hanh's "Please Call Me By My True Names" (This is Part 3 of Shugen Roshi's teaching on Dongshan's poem.) - Given on the occasion of Thich Nhat Hanh's passing. This talk spans the centuries of buddhadharma, taking up the teachings of Master Dongshan and Thich Nhat Hanh. Pointing to the unity of emptiness, the truth of non-duality and the boundless heart of the bodhisattva, Shugen Roshi invites us afresh into the age-old question of Zen: what do we call the self?
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 01/16/2022 - Celebrating the Love in Action of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Invoking the life and words of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Shugen Roshi celebrates his teachings on the power of love and its manifestation in the Beloved Community. Sangha is an example of this united effort to live as an expression of love, and the life of practice requires our sincere engagement and action. Dr. King believed in the “practical realism” of love, a power which is always available and can be lived every day. Understanding the interrelated structure of reality from a Christian perspective, he said, “Your suffering is my suffering,” echoing the Bodhisattva's vow to put an end to the suffering of all beings. - Shugen Roshi's dharma talk is preceded by a sangha presentation "From Refuge to Sanctuary: an MRO Tribute to Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr." hosted by senior lay student Chikei Levister. - (You can watch the video of the sangha presentation here: vimeo.com/666366222.)
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 01/09/2022 - From The Gateless Gate, Case 20 - A Person of Great Strength
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Friday Evening 12/31/2021 - Shugen Roshi offers inspiration on the virtues of vow during the New Year's Eve Fusatsu, or renewal of vows, ceremony.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Thursday 12/30/2021 - From Transmission of the Light, Case 41 - The 40th Ancestor, Great Master Tongan Daopi
Danica Shoan Ankele, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, Wednesday 12/29/2021 - Mn. Shoan begins with a powerful thought experiment and then takes us on a journey recounting her investigation into the beginnings of the Zen tradition, the stories of Bodhidharma facing the wall, in his cave, and some early interpretations of what it means to meditate. Through zazen we can experience reality intimately and completely, abiding in love and compassion, non-doing.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Tuesday 12/28/2021 - From Dongshan's "Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi" - This is Part 2 of Shugen Roshi's teaching on Dongshan's poem. Here he focuses on the metaphor of the mirror; how it's been used throughout various Buddhist teachings, what it means and how it helps us relate to our own experience.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 12/19/2021 - Shugen Roshi offers this dharma discourse on the monastic life.
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Center of NYC, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 12/12/2021 - Dharma talk at the completion of the vigil commemorating Buddha's enlightenment. - Hojin sensei speaks to the life of Buddha before and after his enlightenment. Her skillful narration points to the same experiences we may share with Shakyamuni, and we can find an inspiration to practice wholeheartedly.
Samples from fellow practitioners are posted below. On Wednesday, November 13th at Fire Lotus Temple...
Dear Sangha, Looking toward this Fall 2019 Ango, I feel the excitement and trepidation of...
May 26, 2019At the close of our Spring 2019 ango training period, the sangha gathered...