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.

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 4/6/25 - Planting, cultivating—how do we affect our troubled world for the better—on a spiritual path? How does this function? Shugen Roshi explores how the reasoning mind can be of service, but the essential ingredient is one’s own intention and commitment, beyond the surface of our thinking minds, to the reality which is always coming into being. - From the Book of Serenity, Case 12 - Dizang Planting the Fields.

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - ZCNYC - 4/6/25 - Hojin Sensei explores the heart of the three pure precepts; the simple path of clarity, kindness and love; this perennial wisdom that flows through all of us. (We apologise for the audio/mic glitches in some parts of the recording.)

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.

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - 3/29/25 - Every concerned person has to consider the realities of cause and effect, or karma.  In fact, it’s causes and conditions that bring this moment to our awareness. We are affected by everything, and every thought and action of ours has an impact. This truth, that our actions matter, is of great benefit to healing ourselves and the world. Shugen Roshi explores further the teachings of Baizhang and the Fox.

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 3/28/25 - Perfecting our actions is how we cultivate the qualities of a bodhisattva, and this is what is practiced in the moral and ethical teachings of Zen Buddhism. In this realm of existence, we can have a positive effect even on difficult circumstances. This talk by Shugen Roshi explores what is of benefit in this present life and how a practitioner can live in accord with this. - Teisho during the March 2025 Fusatsu at ZMM.

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.

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - 3/26/25 - The Zen koan "Baizhang’s Fox" explores the nature of cause and effect (karma) and enlightenment and is taken up in this talk. Shugen Roshi explores how freedom is not about escaping cause and effect but understanding its nature, and seeing that we have an enormous effect through our thoughts, words and actions. Our intentions and perceptions are what truly binds us. Freeing ourselves and others involves shifting our understanding of how our intentions have much to do with karma—through our ways of working with causes and conditions—and not grasping on to fixed ideas or opinions.

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 3/23/25 - “Shedding body and mind” is now a classic Zen phrase, and so what can it teach us about practice? Shugen Roshi explores how a novel translation of the character for “dust” as “body-and-mind” gave birth to a new perspective on zazen practice through the teachings of Dogen, the 9th century Zen master who gave rise to the Soto Zen School. Stability, aliveness and openings to the true nature of reality are all realized through this body. Our own mortal body-and-mind is the site of practice, and living completely in our bodies is an essential pathway of realization. - From the Transmission of Light (Denkoroku) Case 52 - Master Dogen