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, 3/14/2019
This Fusatsu talk invites us to reflect deeply on Dōgen’s teaching from the Spring Ango study fascicle: “Refrain from unwholesome action. Do wholesome action. Purify your own mind. This is the teaching of all buddhas.” Shugen Roshi explores how all actions (positive, negative, and neutral) are unborn, undefiled, and are reality manifest in various ways. Study of our thoughts, words, and actions with an undivided heart offers insight to understanding intentions, desires, and karma. Refraining from unwholesome action is how is “the power of practice immediately actualized” which Dōgen describes.
Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei
Zen Mountain Monastery, 11/8/2018
Hojin Sensei, in a talk given during a renewal of vows ceremony, speaks about six forms of reverence: training, heedfulness, hospitality, and reverence for the buddha, dharma, and sangha.
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.
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi
Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 12/12/2021
From Dongshan’s “Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi”
Shugen Roshi offers this Dharma Discourse as a fitting teaching at the completion of this year’s Buddha’s Enlightenment Vigil. We do the vigil to endeavor what the Buddha did. And there is indeed something to celebrate; that the Buddha decided to teach and transmit what he realized. Dongshan’s song starts out by imploring us to take care of this intimate, profound teaching. “Now you have it, keep it well.”
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi
Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 12/05/2021
From Wumen’s Gateless Gate, Case 39 – Yunmen says you’ve missed it.
When we experience suffering, more often than not, we disseminate it in various ways so that others also experience suffering. However, the Buddha realized that we can actively bring suffering to rest. Don’t wait. Examine it when it arises.
