in the Cloud

“We are always looking for the lack, like Eka (Huike) searching for his mind – this lack is so convincing and so untrue. It blinds us to who we really are and blinds us to see the astonishing beauty of one and other.”

Description: To help us open our eyes, Valerie reads Thomas Merton’s awakening experience and explores an enigmatic line from a verse in the miscellaneous koans: “With empty hands, I take hold of the plow.”

And, here’s a link to our YouTube video of this talk.

Also, check out our Upcoming Events:

Original Love, Zone 2 Support and Trust, 6-Week Sunday series May 1 – June 5

Summer Solstice Retreat: June 20-26. Registration for onsite and online attendees opens soon. The online retreat opens on Tuesday June 21. 

Photo by Katerina Jerabkova on Unsplash

Description: Newly appointed assistant Sanbo Zen teacher Will Brennan offers reflections on Dogen’s Fukanzazengi, (Recommending Zazen for all People) about how to practice, why practice, a beginner’s primer and much more.  

Will has a long history with Mountain Cloud. Will helped with the opening and founding of Mountain Cloud Zen Center in 1985 and has been a committed practitioner and pillar of MCZC ever since. His first Zen teacher was Philip Kapleau Roshi and he began working with Henry Shukman as his teacher in 2011.

Note: The recording segment from ~ 3:15 until ~41:00 has lower volume level. It has been increased as much as possible and is “listenable” … but you may have to increase it. Our apologies for any inconvenience.

And, here’s a link to our YouTube video of this talk.

Also, check out our Upcoming Events:

Original Love, Zone 2 Support and Trust, 6-Week Sunday series May 1 – June 5

Summer Solstice Retreat: June 20-26. Registration for onsite and online attendees opens soon. The online retreat opens on Tuesday June 21. 

Image by Uta E. from Pixabay

Description: Natalie speaks about her new book Three Simple Lines: A Writer’s Pilgrimage into the Heart and Homeland of Haiku. The final section includes a short exchange with Sanbo Zen teacher Ruben Habito and Maria Reis Habito.

Note: The start and end of the recording was clipped due to a technical issue. Our apologies for any inconvenience.

And, here’s a link to our YouTube video of this talk.

Also, check out our Upcoming Events:

Original Love, Zone 2 Support and Trust, 6-Week Sunday series May 1 – June 5

Zazenkai: a Day of Zen, Saturday May 7,  6am-3:30pm

“May each and everybody whether staying still or standing up have ten thousand blessings….Today I have advantage after advantage, now, please practice.” ~ Dogen

Description: Valerie explores the dharma hall discourse that Dogen gave to his monks in 1241, The Advantage of New Years. Valerie describes the tradition of a dharma talk (or teisho which means presentation of the shout). To use Vimalakirti’s language, Zen practice is entering the gate of not-two? How is this entrance achieved, how is it described? What is relayed in Zen does not rely on words. Valerie says there is no need to listen to the talk with the discursive mind. No need to worry about remembering. Allow whatever strikes you to resonate. No figuring it out, only experience

After reading the text, Valerie delves into Dogen’s talk The Advantage of New Years, which consists of a number of dharma dialogues meant to represent the reality of this awakening world. The earnest question repeatedly asked is I want to know who I truly am – how can I enter the way? Just to ask is to put your feet on the path, enter there.

“Wander into the center of the circle of wonder, right where you sit. In accordance with this saying, let us practice.”

And, here’s a link to our YouTube video of this talk.

Also, check out our Upcoming Events:

Original Love, Zone 2 Support and Trust, 6-Week Sunday series May 1 – June 5

Zazenkai: a Day of Zen, Saturday May 7,  6am-3:30pm

“When you sit, the whole world is sitting… We really don’t have to do anything, just show up”.

Description: The invitation of Zen practice is to sit with the world, just as it is – keenly critical now, during challenging and distressing world events. At the same time, this practice is larger than any circumstances. Valerie encourages us to entrust ourself to this practice and to the silence which has the capacity to be thoroughly transformative. She encourages us to throw all we are into the practice, into the silence.

This practice is not about self improvement, it’s about letting self go… sometimes called the great relief. Valerie summarizes suffering and the release of suffering (the pali term dukha often translated as suffering more accurately could be called misalignment). She briefly describes the Buddha’s realization that the four noble truths and eight fold path are the way out of dukha. Concentration practice is the great solvent that over time melts away the crust around our hearts, our many assumptions, and the gaps that we concoct about our sense of separation. Our many beliefs don’t hold up because they are not real.

And, here’s a link to our YouTube video of this talk.

Also, check out our Upcoming Events:

Introduction to Koans, Thursday evening 5:30pm MT, April 21, with Henry Shukman

Reading Group, Mindfulness in Plain English, Saturday April 24, 10am-noon, led by Valerie

Original Love, Zone 2 Support and Trust, 6-Week Sunday series May 1 – June 5

Zazenkai: a Day of Zen, Saturday May 7,  6am-3:30pm

Featured Image (edited): Buddha hands holding flower, close up by anitasstudio, purchased from depositphotos, for use only on our website/social channels (this image is not permitted to be shared separately from this post).