Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 9/29/23 - In the midst of this Fusatsu ceremony, Shugen Roshi offers a teisho using three [ways of transforming bad circumstances into the path of enlightenment] of the 59 mind training slogans, which naturally illustrate...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 9/28/23 - Mumon's Gateless Gate, Case 6 - "Buddha Holds Up a Flower" - Being at the heart of Master Dogen's Intimate Language fascicle, this koan is explored by by Shugen Roshi, opening up the question of What is Intimate...

ZMM - 9/24/23 - Shugen Roshi continues his commentary on the 59 Mind Training Slogans of Atisha in this talk covering points 8, 9 and 10. Roshi looks at how and when we react to our experiences and encouraging us to take full responsibility for our own mind....

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM 9/17/2023 - Shugen Roshi officiates the September 2023 Ango Jukai ceremony at Zen Mountain Monastery. Today, four students formally receive the sixteen Buddhist precepts, taking up these living teachings, living vows in the...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM 9/10/2023 - Shugen Roshi talks about the Buddha's teaching on causation, and how to study this in our own...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 09/03/2023 - Shugen Roshi introduces the theme of the MRO 90-day Fall Ango training period, "Intimate Language." If you'd like to learn more about our Ango program and possibly participate, please click here:...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 09/02/2023 - Shugen Roshi talks about "training." What is it, starting within the context of each moment of our...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 8/27/2023 - From the Book of Serenity, Case 69 - Nanquan's "Cows" - When the teachings talk about being unconcerned, when we practice letting go of the self and the self-consciousness, what is that? How to be simple, that...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 8/26/2023 - During August sesshin, Shugen Roshi speaks of the power of inquiry. “What are you doing with your lack of fulfillment and satisfaction, and peacefulness, and calm, and understanding? We’re all doing...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 8/20/2023 - Shugen Roshi officiates the Novice Monastic Ordination ceremony for Julia Jiryu Krupa; a joyful occasion - both a home-leaving and a homecoming - that Master Dogen described as "a day for turning cartwheels."...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 8/13/2023 - From The Blue Cliff Record, Case 50 - Yun Men's Every Atom Samadhi - Deeply embedded in the Buddhist path is the activity of meditation. Shugen Roshi talks about this "Gate of Joyful Ease"; all of its...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - From The Blue Cliff Record, Case 59 - Zhaozhou's “Why not Quote it Fully?” - Shugen Roshi talks about the nature of speech and thought. Our internal dialog is not harmless, nor neutral. It doesn't just create...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 07/30/2023 - What does Faith mean and what does it encompass in our Buddhist tradition? In this 3-part series, Shugen Roshi talks about the Aspiration to Awakening Through Faith and its many aspects which are the...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 07/29/2023 - Shugen Roshi talks about the Aspiration to Awakening Through Faith and its many aspects which are the essentials of Buddhist teachings and practices. In this 2nd of 3 talks, Shugen Roshi looks at realization,...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 07/26/2023 - What does Faith mean and what does it encompass in our Buddhist tradition? In this 3-part series, Shugen Roshi talks about the Aspiration to Awakening Through Faith and its many aspects which are the...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM 07/02/2023 - From Master Wu-men's Gateless Gate, Case 17 - The National Teacher Calls Three Times - Shugen Roshi talks about the koan, trust, faith, the student-teacher relationship; the teachings, and questions that...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZCNYC 06/25/2023 - Shugen Roshi offers teachings on Patience, the 3rd of the Paramitas. In the Mahayana tradition, there are three forms of patience that are understood to be essential to the Bodhisattva path: practicing how to...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM 6/24/2023 - In this 2nd of 2 talks, Shugen Roshi continues to delve into these 7 characteristics, talking about the challenges we face in really living them, making them truly deeply ours. How do we practice, in a genuine...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM 6/22/2023 - Over two talks, Shugen Roshi delves into these 7 characteristics and talks about the challenges we face in really living them, making them truly deeply ours. How do we practice, in a genuine way, to bring these...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM 06/11/2023 - As taught by the Buddha, Right View (or Right Understanding) is the first and foremost of the Noble 8-Fold Path (the N8FP), while at the same time it originates from the dynamic relationship of all eight...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM 6/04/2023 - From the Book of Serenity, Case 91 - Nanquan's "Peony" - Do we understand what our perceptions actually are? What is happening in the process when we're perceiving and attaching to things? Can we stop and see...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM 5/28/2023 - How do we live in the context of the teachings of identity of relative and absolute, that the nature of things is fundamentally empty, and non-dual? How does realizing these teachings liberate us? How do we live...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM 5/27/2023 - From The Blue Cliff Record, Case 6 - Yunmen's "Every Day is a Good Day" - How is that possible? From what perspective is that so? Can we free the idea of good from our idea of good? And from Master Dogen's...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM 05/21/2023 - From Master Dogen's Treasury Of The True Dharma Eye, Case 289, Daowu's "Alive or Dead" - Shugen Roshi reflects on our understanding of birth-and-death in the context of the Buddha's profound teaching of...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi, ZMM 05/14/2023 - Shugen Roshi speaks about Liturgy and in particular how Oryoki and the Meal Gatha illustrate its beauty, its purpose, and the reality and challenges of our practice in these...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM 05/07/2023 - From the Transmission of the Light, Case 7 - The 6th Indian Ancestor, Mishaka - There are strong karmic currents that keep showing up in our lives: loneliness, insecurity, anger, confusion, amongst many. We can...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM, 04/30/2023 - Dharma Encounter at the conclusion of the 2023 Apple Blossom Sesshin - A teaching in the Maha-Parinirvana Sutra uses the metaphor of an island. The Buddha says: "... You should all live with yourselves as your...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM, 04/29/2023 - From the Book of Serenity, Case 83 - Daowu Tends The Sick - Shugen reflects on this beautifully poetic koan, about seeing clearly into our suffering, into birth-and-death; the wonderful medicine that can...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery - 04/27/2023 - Teisho during the Fusatsu of ZMM's Apple Blossom Sesshin - Shugen Roshi reflects on the ever-present intimacy in our lives and the continuous practice of...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery - 4/23/2023 - Shugen Roshi officiates the Spring 2023 Ango Jukai ceremony at Zen Mountain Monastery. Today, five students - Gashin, Chosei, Juyu, Kyoshin, & Jokai - formally receive the sixteen Buddhist...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZCNYC, Fire Lotus Temple, 04/16/2023 - From The Blue Cliff Record, Case 41 - Zhaozhou's Person Who's Died the Great Death - Shugen Roshi invites us to confront the simple truths of our lives and to honestly and compassionately...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, 04/09/2023 - From the Book of Serenity, Case 62 - Mi Hu's "Enlightenment Or Not?" - From this koan, and quoting Daido Roshi "The way to heaven is heaven itself," and from Thomas Merton's writing on the...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, 04/02/2023 - Dharma Encounter at the conclusion of the 2023 Founding Sesshin; On passages from Dogen's Fascicle "Undivided Activity" and from the Buddha's teaching in the "Maha-Parinirvana Sutra." -...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, 04/01/2023 - From Master Dogen's Treasury Of The True Dharma Eye, "Undivided Activity" - "The great way of all buddhas, thoroughly practiced, is emancipation and realization." What is it about this...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, 03/30/2023 - Fusatsu Ceremony and Teisho from ZMM's Annual Founding Sesshin - Shugen Roshi reflects on the vows of his teacher when founding the monastery; how they've been alive and thriving, reaching...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, 03/26/2023 - From Master Dogen's 300 Koan Shobogenzo (The True Dharma Eye), Case 288 - Zhaozhou's "Indestructible Nature" - Shugen Roshi talks about the MRO's newly formed Sangha Harmony Advisory...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, Mt Tremper, New York, Sunday 03/19/2023 - From Master Wu-men's Gateless Gate, Case 16 - Yün-men: The Sound of the Bell - Setting out on a spiritual path... is it about seeking and finding answers that...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, Mt Tremper, New York, Saturday 03/18/2023 - Shugen Roshi offers the rich heritage of teachings on Zazen; this fundamental activity in the practice of Zen...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, Mount Tremper, New York, Saturday 03/12/2023 - How do we "cultivate a trust in our non-thinking mind"? What happens when you "give yourself over to everyday mind"? Shugen Roshi illustrates these...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, Mt Tremper, New York, Sunday 03/05/2023 - Shugen Roshi introduces the theme of our 90-day Spring Ango training period, "Birth and Death." Preceding Shugen Roshi's dharma talk, you'll hear an 8 minute...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, Mount Tremper, New York, Saturday 03/04/2023 - "Home Leaving" traditionally referred to a person leaving their life behind and becoming a monastic. Shugen Roshi talks about Home Leaving in a deeper,...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 02/26/2023 - One of the stories of Bodhidharma (the founder of the Zen Lineage) goes this way: that he sat in his cave facing the wall for 9 years. We emulate this during our daily zazen...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 02/05/2023 - From Master Wu-men's Gateless Gate, Case 33 - Ma-tsu: "No Mind, No Buddha"  - These things we seek and questions we have... What is Buddha? What is enlightenment? What is...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Wednesday 01/25/2023 - From The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana (traditionally attributed to Asvaghosa) - What does Faith mean and what does it encompass in our Buddhist tradition? Shugen...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 01/22/2023 - On this auspicious day, Shugen Roshi officiated the shukke tokudo ceremony for Jeffrey Kien Martin. Tokudo marks the formal taking of monastic vows and, in our tradition,...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 01/08/2023 - From Master Dogen's 300 Koan Shobogenzo (The True Dharma Eye), Case 105 - "The Hands and Eyes of Great Compassion" - In this New Year's season of reflections and...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Saturday, New Year's Eve 12/31/2022 - Teisho during the Rohatsu Sesshin Fusatsu Ceremony - Shugen Roshi reflects on the vitality of actualized vows in the context of the Paramitas, and urges us...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Friday 12/30/2022 - From the Book of Serenity, Case 67 - The Flower Ornament Scripture's "Wisdom" - Shugen Roshi talks about the Scriptures as the Body of Wisdom. That's not simply a metaphor;...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 12/04/2022 - From The True Dharma Eye, Case 95 - Buddha's "Teachings of a Lifetime" - This Sunday morning we concluded ZMM's weekend zazen vigil in celebration and in gratitude of...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 11/27/2022 - Beginning with the poem "In Between Your Eyebrows" by Nelly Sachs, Shugen Roshi talks about healing and awakening, the self and mind, giving and receiving; experiencing...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Saturday 11/19/2022 - From the Koans of the Way of Reality - Dongshan's "How Dirty is the Water" - In the midst of what we think we know, we can be fooled into believing we're seeing clearly....

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Friday Evening 11/18/2022 - Teisho during the Shuso Hossen Sesshin Fusatsu Ceremony - Shugen Roshi talks about the spirit of atonement, and how the grave precepts and the the paramitas, taken...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 11/13/2022 - Shugen Roshi officiates the Fall 2022 Ango Jukai ceremony at Zen Mountain Monastery. Today, five students - Hogetsu, Shinrin, Sonju, Jiko, & Chian - formally receive the...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 11/06/2022 - From the Book of Serenity, Case 53 - Huangbo's "Dreg-slurpers" - The Buddha said we all have Buddha Nature; we all have an already completely present and perfect enlightened...

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 10/30/2022 - Dharma Encounter at the Conclusion of the 2022 Harvest Sesshin - In the midst of our delusions, attachments, false views, deep habit patterns, we endeavor to live a life of...