Danica Shoan Ankele, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Thursday 12/29/2022 - From the Buddha's own life story to contemporary somatic mindfulness, Shoan reflects on how we can recognize and trust the embodied source of our liberation.

Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Wednesday 12/28/2022 - From Master Dogen's Shobogenzo Fascicle "Inmo" (Thusness) - From where do the mental states such as greed, anger and ignorance, fear, insecurity, doubt, etc, originate? Do they come to us or from within us? Gokan brings up the stories of Mara, the personification of these negative emotions, or you could say, a bearer of these, or simply, one aspect of yourself. Mara visited the Buddha before, and many times after, his enlightenment, and he/she visits monastics and lay practitioners in many stories in the early sutras. Who is Mara for us? How do we respond to Mara? Gokan reminds us of the profound example of Buddha remaining peaceful and calm while inviting Mara to tea.

Patrick Yunen Kelly, Senior Lay Student - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 12/18/2022 - Yunen draws on modern science and a story from the life of Master Dongshan to explore the Buddhist teaching of anatman, or 'no-self.' He also looks at how this central teaching functions in our ordinary, day-to-day lives.

Prabu Gikon Vasan, Senior Lay Practitioner - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 12/18/2022 - On the Candima Sutta: The Moon Deity's Prayer for Protection - Inspired by the Pali Canon Sutta about the "Moon God Candima's Prayer for Protection," Gikon reflects on the process of Refuge. How do we recognize and work with our demons? (Whatever they are for us.) Can we connect our momentary discriminating thoughts to larger cycles of discontent and suffering?

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 12/11/2022 - From the Avatamsaka Sutra - A Reading Meditation - Hojin Sensei offers Dharma words from the Avatamsaka (Flower Garland) Sutra, drawing out the importance of being in the world with things, while seeing what they are. She recites an excerpt from the Sutra, accompanied by Stu Pender on guitar.

(We think you'll enjoy this valuable reading even though Hojin Sensei's voice is hard to hear above the guitar in some places. We'll improve the balance for future recordings.)

Danica Shoan Ankele, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 12/11/2022 - In our daily liturgy we refer to Prajna Paramita - Perfection of Wisdom - as "The Mother of all Buddhas...dispelling all fears..." Just as a mother naturally soothes her child's pain and fear, can we allow for the possibility of holding and dispelling our own fear when we're open to this wisdom beyond wisdom? Shoan explores this question and more and shares a moving poem by Joy Harjo addressing fear.

Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Saturday 12/10/2022 - From the encouraging words of Robert Aitken Roshi. - From Robert Aitken Roshi, Intimacy, in Zen, is the nature of Practice and its experience. Gokan reflects on how this intimacy manifests via paying attention and keeping our questions open.

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - Zen Center of New York City, Fire Lotus Temple, Sunday 12/04/2022 - Hojin Sensei reflects on a quotation from Dogen Zenji "When you know the place where you are, practice begins." We can view this quotation as an invitation to reflect on the land on which we live, on indigeneity, or on our living in this very body, each as a gateway to seeing more clearly and to liberation.

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 12/04/2022 - From The True Dharma Eye, Case 95 - Buddha's "Teachings of a Lifetime" - This Sunday morning we concluded ZMM's weekend zazen vigil in celebration and in gratitude of Buddha's enlightenment. In this dharma discourse, Shugen Roshi reflects on the Buddha's life after and also before his enlightenment, his search, his process, his questions, and his teachings. The story is about all of us together; how we stay true to our intentions, how we bring the dharma into our daily lives.

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 11/27/2022 - Beginning with the poem "In Between Your Eyebrows" by Nelly Sachs, Shugen Roshi talks about healing and awakening, the self and mind, giving and receiving; experiencing their equivalence and realizing that we're dwelling in Buddha Nature.