Mountain Cloud Zen Podcasts

During the season of Rohatsu, Solstice, Christmas and Hanukkha, Maria takes up the psalm of Isaiah: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” This psalm becomes a starting point to reflect on how darkness and light feed our practice of seeing our true nature.

At this time when many of us may be feeling daunted and uncertain, we gather in the zendo to tap into our shared deeper nature that meditation can open up, drawing sustenance and new perspectives from it. In this talk, Henry explores breakthrough experiences — sudden shifts in how we understand and experience this life. They can show up in many forms, and in many areas, both personal and collective. Zen’s history is full of stories of sudden awakenings — moments when practitioners found they had broken out of familiar ways of perceiving and understanding their lives, into new ways of experiencing time, space, a profound sense of belonging, and of participating in the life of this world and all its beings. Please consider supporting Mountain Cloud with a donation or becoming a member so we can continue to provide online programs such as this. Donations: https://www.mountaincloud.org/donate/ Become a member: https://www.mountaincloud.org/about/membership/ Check out our website:  https://www.mountaincloud.org/ All are welcome to join us for sitting and dharma talks. Use this link to join us: https://sit.mountaincloud.org

David Hinton, a prolific author and translator, dives into the interplay of poetry, love, and ecology. He elaborates on the Taoist concept of an 'empty mind' and its connection to self-realization and nature. Hinton critiques how technological advancements affect human consciousness and urges a rekindled kinship with the Earth. He also connects ancient Chinese poetry and Chan meditation, highlighting poetry's power to deepen our bond with nature. The conversation beautifully intertwines art, love, and our ethical responsibilities to the environment.

This week’s talk was offered by Mountain Cloud’s Guiding Teacher, Valerie Forstman. It was recorded on October 31st at the Zendo in Sante Fe. Please consider supporting Mountain Cloud with a donation or becoming a member so we can continue to provide online programs such as this. Donations: https://www.mountaincloud.org/donate/ Become a member: https://www.mountaincloud.org/about/membership/ Check out our website: https://www.mountaincloud.org/ All are welcome to join us for sitting and dharma talks. Use this link to join us: https://sit.mountaincloud.org

Kali invites us to examine the wide array of features that comprise “The Practice Field,” the many aspects of our path of practice. She states that as a species we are quite proficient at ignoring our “shadow side of life,” those parts of us that help inform the richness of the practice field. Through this avoidance of difficult experiences, we contribute to our own suffering. Kali suggests that, with kindness and insight, we can lovingly examine how we are responsible for much of our suffering – not blaming (which consciously assumes we are creating harm) but rather taking responsibility for what we bring into our moments of practice. The invitation is to relax into being with whatever we are experiencing, whatever we have the opportunity to meet, with wonder and curiosity, grounded in our connection with our basic goodness. Recorded on October 24, 2024 * Please consider supporting Mountain Cloud with a donation or becoming a member so we can continue to provide online programs such as this. Donations: https://www.mountaincloud.org/donate/ Become a member: https://www.mountaincloud.org/about/membership Check out our website: https://www.mountaincloud.org/ All are welcome to join us for sitting and dharma talks. Use this link to join us: https://sit.mountaincloud.org

Dwelling no-where, mind comes forth~ from the Diamond Sutra Heart mind directs us to the fundamental point of who and what we are. In Chinese there is one term for Heart Mind. No hyphen necessary, simply one. Contemporary Sanbo Zen teacher Migaku Sato wrote a poem with this line: In nothing at all-ness, there is endlessly everything. Out of nothing, here we are practicing, says Valerie or That thou art, says Ruben Habito. To further open, Valerie looks at goneness and oneness in Case18 from the Blue Cliff Record, The National Teacher’s Gravestone. And, here’s a link to our YouTube video of this talk. Also, check out our Upcoming Events: Mountain Cloud Summer Sesshin, hybrid eventJune 26 – July 2: Details and registration, click here Thursday Evening Event May 25th with Guest Speaker Diana ClarkMeditation: 5:30pm MTDharma talk: 6:00pm MTClick here for details Original Love 2023: Click here for full detailsClouds, River’s Lakes and Seas Weekend Workshop is coming up this weekend, May 27-28Register here.

Valerie explores the clarity and simplicity of Master Hogen who came to be known as the dharma eye of deep clarity. Focusing on Case 51 from Book of Equanimity, Valerie illuminates mind and consciousness through Hogan’s clarity. If you want to study buddha-dharma, everything you see is buddha dharma, a door, a window and the exquisite beauty of the boat is on the river. For Hogan there is no difference between phenomena (worldly dharma) and essential reality (Buddhist dharma). Everything is put to rest. And, here’s a link to our YouTube video of this talk. Also, check out our Upcoming Events: Mountain Cloud Summer Sesshin, hybrid eventJune 26 – July 2: Details and registration, click here Thursday Evening Event May 11th with Maria Reis HabitoMeditation: 5:30pm MTDharma talk: 6:00pm MTClick Here for Details Original Love 2023: Click here for full details

Something puts our feet on this path, starting from the ordinary dualistic world. Gradually, as we practice and practice, in some unguarded moment, everything falls away, and it’s just this. Heaven and Earth: without any space for a conjunction. Then we practice, practice, practice…. and return to the ordinary world, but it’s upside down. This great return is a bridge, a crossing over. Continuing with Joshu from the previous day’s talk on Mu, Valerie looks at Case 52 from the Blue Cliff Record, about a log bridge that is actually a stone bridge once you are able to really see it. Keep in mind that every koan is nothing but Mu and about you. And, here’s a link to our YouTube video of this talk. Also, check out our Upcoming Events: Mountain Cloud Summer Sesshin, hybrid eventJune 26 – July 2: Details and registration, click here Thursday Evening Event May 11 with Maria HabitoMeditation: 5:30pm MTDharma talk: 6:00pm MT Original Love: Clouds, Rivers, Lakes and Sea, with Henry ShukmanApril 30 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pmClick Here for Details Original Love 2023: Click here for full details

Crossing over to the other shore is the heart of our practice and the heart of Buddha’s teaching. Eventually we realize that we were always on the shore, here and now, in the moment at hand. In this first talk of our Spring sesshin, Valerie looks at the famous koan: Does a dog have Buddha Nature? the traditional first teisho in a Zen sesshin. Valerie mentions a choral chant version of the Heart Sutra from Plum Village. Here is a link if you are interested. And, here’s a link to our YouTube video of this talk. Also, check out our Upcoming Events: Mountain Cloud Summer Sesshin, hybrid eventJune 26 – July 2: Details and registration, click here Original Love: Clouds, Rivers, Lakes and Sea, with Henry ShukmanApril 30 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pmClick Here for Details Original Love 2023: Click here for full details

“Abiding no-where mind comes forth.” Maria Habito returns to Mountain Cloud’s zoom zendo and talks about the Diamond Sutra. When we enter deep silence, the diamond cuts through every notion we carry. It can show us intimate awareness of no self, no other, no sentient beings and no time. In this talk, Maria focuses on Living Beings, which refers to those who are not yet enlightened. However many species of living beings there are, Bodhisattvas lead all these species/beings to liberation. However once all these many beings are liberated, we must not think that a single being is liberated. Maria untangles this contradiction. And, here’s a link to our YouTube video of this talk. Also, check out our Upcoming Events: Spring Online RetreatThursday-Sunday, March 23-26 Four-day online retreat led by Valerie Forstman Original Love 2023: Click here for full details