From the ango opening retreat Peaceful Dwelling in early March through the greening trees and blossoms of Shuso Hossen in late May, here are highlights from our ninety-days of sangha practice at the Monastery in Spring 2019: Continue reading “Manifesting Buddha, Spring Ango” »

Continue reading “The Jizo Project comes to life” »

Zen training in the Mountains and Rivers Order includes taking up creative expression—both the traditional Zen arts as well as contemporary arts—to deeply study the self through using our inherent human creativity. Hojin Sensei spoke in March after her recent art practice retreat, “Face to Face,” offering these words: This exquisite magical display we call our body, our self. What is it? Of course ‘face’ does not always mean the physical part of the body. In another way it's the surface of the mind's mirror which is also being attended to—seeing our bodies, the directness with our embodiment, as a...

An interview with Ely Seiryu Rayek by Diego Antoni Seiryu knows his way from Mexico City to Mount Tremper inside out. He doesn’t even need to spend the night in New York City anymore, as when he was less familiar with the subway and the bus to Mount Tremper. He has now been coming to ZMM from his home in Mexico City several times a year since his first trip in 2007. Continue reading “Meet the Chief Disciple” »

The Beyond Fear of Differences (BFoD) Planning Group held a public forum at the Monastery on Sunday, March 3, 2019—a moment 10 years in the making. It was a chance to welcome the whole Sangha into the development of the BFoD mission and vision process, to share the details about the process that the committee had been involved in, and to let people know how they can get involved. A similar forum was held one week later at the Zen Center of NYC. Continue reading “Perspectives: Beyond Fear of Differences” »

On Saturday, January 5th, ZCNYC held its first retreat just for people of color: Healing the Wounds of Racism with Valerie Brown and Marisela Gomez. This program was the result of changes in the Programming Committee that brought people of color from the Beyond Fear of Differences Planning Group into the decision-making process around programming. With their help promoting this program—even with a cold rainy day—turnout was excellent, indicating a clear need for these programs going forward. Continue reading “Healing the Wounds of Racism – a daylong workshop at the Zen Center of NYC” »

by Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi The True Dharma Eye, Case 101 Nanyue’s “Its Not Like Something” Main Case Zen master of Nanyue went to study with the Sixth Ancestor, Huineng. The Sixth Ancestor said: “Where are you from?” Nanyue said, “I came from National Teacher Huian.” The Sixth Ancestor said, “What is it that has come like this?” Nanyue could not answer. He attended on the master for eight years and worked on this question. One day he said to the Huineng, “Now I understand it. When I first came to study with you, you asked me, ‘What is it...

Shugen Roshi wrote the following preface for issue 37.1, the final quarterly print issue of Mountain Record. This long-considered change reflects how communications have evolved since we began publishing the journal in the 1980s. Starting this spring, follow our on-line updates and offerings, here and through our newsletters, and look for our annual print journal, available December 2019. —The Editors Continue reading “Ending Well, Beginning Well” »

Mondo by John Daido Loori, Roshioriginally printed in Mountain Record in the issue Spiritual Calling (2008) In the Zen Buddhist tradition there are several ways of engaging with a teacher and one of them is mondo, an informal question and answer session on some aspect of the Dharma. This mondo was held with John Daido Loori, Roshi, the founder of the Mountains and Rivers Order, at Zen Mountain Monastery in 2008. Continue reading “Serving the Spirit” »

by Jody Hojin KimmelOriginally published in Mountain Record journal: Zazen (2013) Just resting is like the great ocean accepting hundreds of streams all absorbed in one flavor. A practitioner of the way follows movement and responds to changes in total harmony. Moreover, haven’t you yourself established the mind that thinks up all the illusory conditions? This insight must be perfectly incorporated. Discontinue leaks and do not act on them. — Master HongzhiCultivating the Empty Field How do we leak the vital energy we need for spiritual awakening? What do we have to do to, “discontinue the leaks and not act...