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The Zen Mountain Monastery Podcast — Buddhism
The Zen Mountain Monastery Podcast

The Mountains and Rivers Order (MRO) is a Western Zen Buddhist lineage established by the late John Daido Loori Roshi and dedicated to sharing the dharma as it has been passed down, generation to generation, since the time of Shakyamuni Buddha. Zen Mountain Monastery, the main house of the Mountains and Rivers Order, is one of the West’s most respected Zen Buddhist monasteries and training centers. Nestled in New York’s beautiful Catskill Mountains, the Monastery draws its strength from the ancient tradition of Buddhist monasticism. Since 1980, the Monastery has offered spiritual practitioners traditional and innovative ways to engage the dharma through a wide range of retreats and residential programs that unfold within the context of authentic, full-time Zen monastic training. The Zen Center of New York City: Fire Lotus Temple is the city branch of Zen Mountain Monastery. Supporting home practitioners in the metropolitan area, ZCNYC offers varied practice opportunities within the Eight Gates training matrix.

Latest Episodes:

The Sanctuary Is Built Here May 03, 2026

Show notes

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 5/3/26 - The middle way between indulgence and denial is not obvious for any of us beginning on our practice path. How could we know where the “middle” might be? We need to stumble and make mistakes to learn how to embrace a wholesome and sustainable balance, through practice. Building a sanctuary, a monastery, or a livable life takes effort, reflection, atonement and renewal. Our own enlightened nature is ready at any time to support what can be of benefit to all beings. (From the Book of Serenity, Case 4: The World Honored One Points to the Ground)

Dharma Encounter: Gathering Life Energy Apr 26, 2026

Show notes

Ron Hogen Green, Sensei - ZMM - 4/26/26 - The energy of our lives is something that we tend to take for granted, but in spiritual practice it is understood that we can deliberately cultivate the energy of clarity through zazen. We can study the ways that energy can “leak out” and diminish our clarity and focus. How do we practice those things that seem to limit us, which might dull or diminish our aspiration? How do we cultivate the “empty field” of Hongzhi’s teachings? In this lively encounter with the sangha, Hogen Sensei and the sangha explore how to gather and nourish our life energy on the path of liberation. (Dharma Encounter at the conclusion of the April 2026 Apple Blossom Sesshin.)

Grass Grows On The Path Apr 25, 2026

Show notes

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 4/25/26 - The words of a koan always point to our original mind—our unobstructed, liberated mind—but the path of seeking clarity is not always so direct. Aspirations help us along, and bodhicitta is essential, but we still must contend with the moment that is arising, in this body and mind, and not some past or future mind. This talk during Apple Blossom sesshin points the listener into the wild, vast acreage of mountain grass on the Path. - From the Book of Serenity, Case 89 - Dongshan's "No Grass".

Fusatsu: Energy For Awakening Apr 25, 2026

Show notes

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - ZMM - 4/24/26 - Resonance is a living reality, and when we turn toward resonance we can experience the energy and aliveness to help us be grounded in our practice. When we let go of grasping and really turn on our attention inward, we stop making a separation between our “self” and everything else. When we don’t let all our attention seep outward, we can find the energy for awakening which help dispel the doubts and distortions that create suffering.

Wonderous Jewel, Never Hidden Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 4/22/26 - From the Book of Serenity, Case 97 - Emperor Tongguang's Hat - Paying attention to how things unfold, we always benefit from skillfully navigating our reactions, our tendencies to mistrust and avoid. Skillfully, we can trust that our true nature is always present, clear and undivided. How do we teach ourselves to trust, to “know without knowing,” and relinquish the tendency of our powerful tendency to divide, separate, disconnect? “In clarity, wonder exists,” says Hongzhi, and Shugen Roshi encourages us to continuously turn toward that clarity.

Not To Be Hindered Apr 19, 2026

Show notes

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 4/19/26 - Living a simple life in the Buddhist tradition is a skillful means which supports the development of clarity and flexibility, so we are not weighted down by things, by situations, or by our own thoughts. Free of unnecessary complications, we can “respond appropriately” to all changes we encounter. This pivot moment, as Master Hongzhi taught, allows us to respond to all the things that come our way.

Jukai Ceremony at ZMM with Shugen Roshi – April 2026 Apr 12, 2026

Show notes

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - 4/12/26 - Shugen Roshi officiates the Spring Ango Jukai ceremony at Zen Mountain Monastery. Today, three students formally receive the sixteen Buddhist precepts, taking up these living teachings, living vows in the company of the sangha with family and friends: Jerry Kyosei Calvillo (Peaceful Mirror), Paul Yugen Burns (The Eye of Devotion/Courage), and Jacob Kyonen McGlaun (Mind Mirror).

Fusatsu: Unsurpassable Giving Apr 05, 2026

Show notes

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - ZCNYC - 4/5/26 - The Buddha began with generosity—dāna pāramitā—as the ground of all practice and the basis of being truly teachable. The precepts live within this spirit, expressing how we give and share this life with others. What does it mean to give in the most complete, unsurpassable way?

Do You Know the Self—or Not? Apr 05, 2026

Show notes

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 4/5/26 - From the Book of Serenity, Case 37 - Guishan's "Active Consciousness" - Who is this “self,” the one we’ve taken ourselves to be all our lives? On the path, this question must be clarified intimately, so we can truly take responsibility for how we live. This requires seeing every arising of mind—even those we would rather avoid, or have been told to ignore—because they may reveal what is asking to be met. In taking responsibility, we learn to work skillfully with negativity and conflict, opening the way to genuine liberation for ourselves and all beings.

Dharma Encounter: Wisdom and Compassion Mar 29, 2026

Show notes

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 3/29/26 - Prajna Paramita is the wisdom of the other shore, encompassing all of the paramitas and expressing the non-duality of wisdom and compassion. As the theme of this Dharma Encounter, Shugen Roshi invites sangha members to present their understanding and their questions about Prajna Paramita, as well as “turning words” which express the heart of this theme, the non-duality of wisdom and compassion.

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