The Zen Mountain Monastery Podcast

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi – ZMM – 6/1/25 – Why does Buddhism so emphasize life and death? When we begin to see the depths of our attachments to this “self,” we have to face the jarring fact that there really isn’t anything permanent to attach to. But then, what is this? Shugen Roshi reminds us that our vital life energy can be immediate, compassionate, not clinging to anything. And so within life and death we are liberated from life and death. – From the Entangling Vines Koan Collection, Case 38 – The Wise Women in the Charnel Grove.

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi – ZMM – 5/24/25 – What is real strength? Putting to good use all of our obstructions and old habits, we can cultivate our ability to meet whatever arises with pliancy, flexibility, to find our real strength. Zen practice and training is indeed the daily, moment to moment experience of our lives, and learning to find nourishment there. Shugen Roshi encourages us to “meet it simply, honestly” and learn to free ourselves and others. – From the Book of Serenity, Case 33 – Sansheng’s “Golden Fish”

Danica Shoan Ankele, Osho – ZMM – 5/23/25 – Gates of entry are enticing and sometimes overwhelming to enter, but we can gather our courage and bring ourselves forward to experience the world which is revealed there. Drawing on teachings from the Lankavatara Sutra and the Heart Sutra, Shoan Osho tells the story of “Enid in Zendoland,” whereby Enid becomes adept at distinguishing the perceptions of their own mind, and enters a marvelous gate of ease and joy.

Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Osho – ZMM – 5/22/25 – When we can see how we use our minds, we can see where our life is really happening. As we enter into practice and continue to relax into our zazen, we develop our capacity to see our habits and conditioning. With notes from the Surangama Sutra teaching on “purifying the mind” of obscurations, Gokan explores how we can relax completely, with awareness, and really take care of our lives.

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi – ZMM – 5/21/25 – Becoming aware of our minds’ potential, it often seems like we’re causing ourselves more trouble, because we get caught up in the same old patterns and habits. But learning to honestly recognize ourselves, we also can see that it’s possible to live another way, in greater freedom and ease. In this challenging learning process, we can take care of persistent suffering in a new, liberating way, creating the potential and conditions for others to liberate themselves too. – From the Record of Layman Pang.

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi – ZMM – 5/11/25 – The connection between the creative process and the Dharma is an important entranceway to deepening our Zen practice. Engaging creative expression as a practice helps us leap free of the constraints of intellect, experiencing a resonance with the world beyond what we think of as “myself.” Our senses take in the whole world. So how are we not overwhelmed or deceived by our perceptions? How do we inhabit this “dharma body” with clarity, and commune with all reality? – From the Book of Serenity, Case 82 – Yunmen’s Sound and Form.

Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Osho – ZMM – 5/9/25 – What is it we wish to cultivate in our lives, to give energy to? Fusatsu is a chance to bring our intentions alive—especially where we have done harm—by taking responsibility for our actions. Being at one with our transgressions as well as our aspirations are at the heart of this ancient practice of atonement, or “being one with,” and allowing ourselves to resolve, forgive and release what burdens us. – Dharma Talk during the Fusatsu Ceremony at the Spring Ango Intensive.

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei – ZMM – 4/25/25 – Skillful means, “Upaya,” are forms that the teachings take throughout our practice. How do we take up everything, including the edges that appear, rather than fight against them? How do we use our practice to explore and expand our capacity to be alive, fulfilled, and responsive to the world? – Dharma Talk during the Apple Blossom Sesshin 2025 Fusatsu Ceremony.

Ron Hogen Green, Sensei – ZMM – 4/24/25 – Honesty is essential to serious spiritual practice. We need to become honest with ourselves about the nature of our suffering, our habitual reactivity and our fear, so that we can acknowledge them before being able to release them. This level of integrity is needed for the entrance to a loving and compassionate relationship with ourselves and others. As Hogen Sensei says, this intention affects every aspect of living and dying, and the choices we’re free to make along the way. – From Master Dogen’s Treasury of the True Dharma Eye – Fascicle 31 – Continuous Practice (Gyoji)

Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Osho – ZMM – 4/13/25 – Gokan Osho takes us through Master Hongzhi’s Practice instructions, reminding us to appreciate whatever’s arising without grasping.

Ron Hogen Green, Sensei – ZMM – 3/30/25 – To not deceive oneself is the fundamental ground of all moral and ethical action, and to do that we need to go deep into the roots of our greed, aggression and ignorance. How do we work with this? How has our zazen practice helped us become more skillful and to take responsibility even when we resist that? This Dharma Encounter with the sangha brings out the integrity and courage we work with throughout our Zen training.

Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Osho – ZCNYC – 3/30/25 – Gokan talks about the ways of distraction. Whether blatant or very subtle, they are us, they are mind, and it’s so important to be gentle as we work with them.

Danica Shoan Ankele, Osho – ZMM – 3/27/25 – Master Hongzhou says, “Contact phenomena with total sincerity – not a single atom of dust outside yourself.” How we connect with the world of beings and things can be seen as caring, and within zazen the energy of steady presence and attention is what we offer those we love. It is a potent mix of awareness and sincerity, and it doesn’t take much of that to bring everything to life.

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei – ZCNYC – 3/23/25 – What’s Liturgy? What’s not Liturgy? Hojin Sensei talks about it’s place, not just as a function in the Zendo, but as a down to earth, profound opening, right now, in our life.

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei – 3/16/25 – What do we create out of the karma that we have now? How do we “actualize good for others”? Hojin Sensei takes us through Dogen’s Fascicle “Tenzo Kyokun” (Instructions for the Zen Cook), which is an instruction assigned to all successive cooks at ZMM, and is a deep teaching for all of us, to use all of our life, moment to moment, down to the intricate details.

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei – ZCNYC – 3/9/25 – Hojin Sensei stresses the universality of creativity; we’re creating every minute of our lives. i.e. “creativity is not just about art.” Or “Our whole life is art.” Furthermore, we can approach the three pure precepts (do not create evil, practice good, actualize good for others) as the practice of creativity in our everyday lives. So the questions become “What and how are we creating?” “What are we connecting with?” Hojin Sensei comments on Daido Roshi’s teachings from his book “The Zen of Creativity” and talks about the meaning of her own prolific art practice.

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei – ZCNYC – 3/1/25 – Hojin Sensei talks about Master Hakuin; his “Song of Zazen”, and how his art – brushwork and poetry – was integral with his zazen and teaching process. Hojin explains the importance of art in Zen practice and talks about finding herself drawn to a similar teaching path.

Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder – ZMM – 2/16/25 – Taking up this teaching from Shitou, Gokan delves into how an ancient Zen song-poem can help us find our way in our present world of turmoil and stress. “Let go of hundreds of years and relax completely,” the teaching tells us. Don’t separate from this person who you are, this body and mind here and now. In this way we come into accord with our thoughts, words and actions, for the benefit of all beings.

Danica Shoan Ankele, Osho – ZCNYC – 2/16/25 – When polarization seems to surround us, it’s imperative to recognize our own dualistic thinking in its many forms, and cultivate a habit of perspective-shifting. Shoan Osho weaves the Zen teachings on stillness and fluidity as seen in the Vimalakirti Sutra chapter, “The Goddess” to help clarify that everything is groundless, impermanent, and subject to change, and therefore will always benefit from impartiality and the goodness of bodhisattva activity.

Danica Shoan Ankele, Osho – ZCNYC – 2/15/25 – When the heart becomes heavy, can we see how our minds tend to run in circles? Seeing this clearly we can have space to stop, breathe, and return to stillness. In this way we can touch the wisdom of being fully embodied, and recognize our inherent spiritual power which is always present within us, right here and now.

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei – ZCNYC – 2/9/25 – Bringing together Rumi’s poem “Only Breath” and The Ānāpānasati Sutta (Sutra on Mindful Breathing), Hojin Sensei takes us through a thorough reckoning of this physical and profound practice, and how it is fundamental to being awake.

Danica Shoan Ankele, Osho – ZMM – 2/9/25 – A timely reminder from Shoan Osho that a bodhisattva is one who interrupts the cycle of samsara, to stop creating and perpetuating greed, anger and ignorance, for the benefit of all beings. This “inner revolution” that practice offers is how we can calm the spinning mind and bring the light of wisdom and compassionate action to meet the challenges of the “outer world.”

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei – ZCNYC – 2/2/25 – The spiritual journey is a path of discovering our true nature. The Ten Ox Herding pictures are a pictorial depiction of the training we each have to put together in our own body mind from the methods and teaching offered in this wisdom tradition. Hojin begins this talk with a live painting of the second ox herding picture: Finding the Traces of the Ox. As the preface to this stage says: “With the aid of the sutras, we gain understanding; through the study of the teaching, we find the traces. The many vessels are clearly all of one gold; and we ourselves, are the embodiment of the ten thousand things. But unable to recognize correct from incorrect, how are we to distinguish true from false? Since we have yet to pass through the gate, only tentatively have we seen the traces.” We follow the tracks until we catch it! — Watch Hojin Sensei paint the second ox-herding picture: https://vimeo.com/1054251015

Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Dharma Holder – 1/23/25 – The dharma song of Shitou describes the simplicity possible in the mind of practice. With this settled awareness we can see how habits are formed and re-formed again and again. Gokan brings alive the ease and gentleness that can become the mind of zazen as we practice letting go of habitual thoughts and tendencies.

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei – ZCNYC – 1/5/2025 – What are we seeking? The spiritual journey is a path of discovering our true nature. The Ten Ox Herding pictures are a pictorial depiction of the Zen training path of enlightenment. Hojin begins this talk with a live painting of the first oxherding picture: Searching for the Ox, followed by a talk on this beginning stage of training: feeling an “offness” in our life, the raising of the Bodhi Mind, and the sense that some kind of search is on! Watch Hojin Sensei draw the first ox-herding picture: https://vimeo.com/1044299063

Danica Shoan Ankele, Osho – ZMM – 12/29/24 – On a liberative path, we know we want to feel better but the enormity of the task, and the continuous “undoing” that it promises, can give pause. Shoan Osho explores the conditions of the Buddha’s enlightenment experience, and brings to the center Sujata’s role as the nourisher of life, as well as the cosmic female image of Prajna Paramita, the Mother of all Buddhas. Such images are in fact an emanation of each of us, our many forms of no-form, and are as limitless as space.

Danica Shoan Ankele, Osho – ZMM – 12/15/24 – A poem by Zen monastic hermit Ryokan brings inspiration for this talk from Shoan Osho. Ryokan communicated Zen and Buddhist teachings through everyday encounters, directly expressing awakened nature, or Buddha nature. Shoan explores how this awakened nature, inseparable from the natural world, comes to life in taking care of what is around us and from taking care of ourselves and each other.

Ron Hogen Green, Sensei – ZMM – 11/21/24 – From The Book of Equanimity, Case 30 – Daizui’s Fire at the End of the Kalpa – Practice offers a way for cutting through dualities within which we tend to get lost, as all of our lives are based on these dualities. Hogen Sensei challenges us to see from a larger perspective, a way which inherently challenges dualistic ways of being in the world. Within this practice, how do we understand the permanence of Buddha Nature which is not a “thing”?

Danica Shoan Ankele, Osho – 11/15/24 – Our ordinary life experiences are what we work with in practice; “a lifetime of alchemy” as Shoan Osho notes in this Fusatsu talk. This ancient practice gives us the tools with which to transform karma, in how we can recognize, acknowledge, and atone for our actions. In this way we can heal and live fully in accord with reality: our true Buddha nature.