Featured Dharma Talk
Don’t Overlook Anything
One of the hallmarks of Zen teaching is that the deepest truth is indivisible from the most ordinary moment. When we release our habitual, grasping mind, then the whole universe can come alive, and we can awaken to our boundless nature in the midst of the most mundane activity. In the end, the purpose of all the koans, and all the sutras, and all the sitting that we do is just simply to meet the reality that is always here, always present. Meeting this moment free and unhindered, we find the joy at the heart of aliveness. This talk by Shugen Roshi was delivered at the conclusion of an Introduction to Zen Training Weekend retreat in October.
Live Streaming
Join us LIVE each Sunday morning for zazen, liturgy, and a talk that concludes our training week. You can also join us weekdays for morning and evening zazen. You can also view past dharma talk videos.
Video Archive of Talks
Access and watch any of our twelve previous videos of dharma talks offered at Zen Mountain Monastery over the past six weeks or so.
A Look Back on 45 Years
Check out Tending the Lamp – 45th Anniversary Celebration of Zen Mountain Monastery: a special slideshow of Monastery memories over the past 45 years.
Listen & Subscribe to our Podcast
Recent Teacher Talks
Dharma Encounter: Bringing Our True Nature to Life
Ron Hogen Green, Sensei – ZMM – 9/27/26 – Drawing on Dogen’s teaching that all beings are Buddha nature, Hogen Sensei asks how we bring this truth to life through practice. What inner resources do we draw on in difficult times, and where do they come from?…Beyond Yes and No
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi – ZMM – 9/26/26 – Drawing on Dogen’s Bussho, Shugen Roshi explores the seemingly contradictory teachings that all beings are, have, or have no Buddha nature. If Buddha nature isn’t something we can possess or acquire, what…Fusatsu: Renewing Our Humanity
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei – ZMM – 9/25/26 – In this Fusatsu talk, Hojin Sensei explores renewing our bodhisattva vows and practicing loving-kindness through the Three Pure Precepts. What does it mean to live by vow rather than be driven by our habitual karma?…Living Beings Are Buddha Nature
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi – ZMM – 9/24/26 – The Buddha realized that all beings are capable of awakening to their true nature. Dogen echoed this truth by saying that all beings are Buddha nature, emphasizing that this is our very nature, not something we…Offering This Buddha Nature
Danica Shoan Ankele, Sensei – ZMM – 9/23/26 – The path of the bodhisattva is not always a convenient one, and probably not as we imagine it to be. We may struggle; it may feel prickly. So how do we stay on the path of unburdening ourselves and waking up?…Transform A Vow Into Action
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi – ZMM – 9/20/26 – What is the cause of suffering, at its root? The bodhisattva vow is to put an end to suffering and its causes—but how do we put that vow into action? First, we have to see clearly what is causing harm: to see…Let Those of You With Miraculous Powers Drink Tea
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei – ZCNYC – 9/20/26 – In the words of Joko Beck “We are just living this moment; stay connected to the present, we don’t have to live 150,000 moments at once. We are only living one. That’s why I say you might as well practice with…Four Greats
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei – ZCNYC – 9/19/26 – The heart of the bodhisattva is a commitment to bringing all that is good into the world and alleviating all that causes harm. In order to do this, we have to study this body, this heart, and this mind. We must…The Form of Buddha Nature
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi – ZMM – 9/13/26 – This formless Buddha Nature, how does it manifest? Is it large or small? Shugen Roshi quotes the great teacher Nagarjuna, “If you want to see buddha nature, first, let go of your pride,” first let go of the…Jukai at Fire Lotus Temple with Hojin Sensei
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei – ZCNYC – 9/13/26 With Hojin Sensei officiating, four students formally receive the sixteen Buddhist precepts, taking up these living teachings, living vows in the company of the sangha with family and friends. Alexis Waller:…
