post by Alison Mills
photographs by Nicholas Lue, MRO
On Sunday, March 29th, Shugen Sensei opened the first Dharma Encounter of the ango by asking the sangha, “What is Buddha?” and “What does it mean to take refuge in the Buddha?”
Read moreOn Sunday, March 8th, Shugen Sensei officially stepped into the role of Abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery in a brief but emotional ceremony as the sangha prepared to enter into the Spring Ango Intensive training period.
Coming on the heels of the weekend’s Ango Opening Sesshin, the Sunday morning program began as usual with a liturgy service, after which the timekeeper announced, “Prepare for Abbot’s Installation Ceremony.”
Read moreFrom December 19th to December 21st, a number of ZMM residents had the rare opportunity to step off campus and attend a retreat offered by Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD), the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery just down the road in Woodstock. Tenzin Palmo, reknowned for being one of the first Westerners ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun and for the twelve years she spent in solitary retreat in a Himalayan cave, offered teachings on the Six Realms of Existence, among other things. The retreat, entitled “Understanding Emptiness: The Twelve Links of Dependent Arising—Wheel of Life,” was an exploration of samsara and karma. Over the weekend, it was powerful to experience the liturgy, form, and aesthetics (Gold statues! Saffron robes! Intricate thangkas!) of another tradition. At the same time, Tenzin Palmo emphasized teachings which various schools of Buddhism share.
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