Mountain Cloud Zen Podcasts

For this final Rohatsu talk, Henry looks at three questions. What are we doing here, just sitting with each other? What is awakening? and What then? We are living “it”

In this talk from day 5 of the Rohatsu sesshin, Valerie picks up on the previous day’s talk by Henry where he presents the title and first line of the

Henry Shukman, an expert in Mahayana Buddhism and the Heart Sutra, explores the practice of Zen Buddhism and the significance of the Heart Sutra. He discusses the importance of being present, patience in meditation, enhanced perception, the concept of the other shore, and the role of confusion and doubt in spiritual practice.

In celebration of Shakyamuni Buddha’s awakening, Valerie takes up the Head Chapter of the Denkoroku or Transmission of Light. “I and the great earth and all beings simultaneously attain the

Henry asks the question, matters most? When you reflect on this question, have any open mind, beyond ordinary or day to day concerns. He asks, what is this experience and

In this talk from the first day of the Rohatsu sesshin, 2022, Valerie offers a tribute to Sr. Elaine MacInnes, Roshi, who died a week ago and whose celebration of

Join Stephen Snyder, a seasoned teacher in Jhana practice and coauthor of Practicing the Jhānas, as he unpacks the deep roots and transformative power of concentration meditation. He explores how Jhana predates Buddhism, serving as a precursor to the Zen lineage. Listeners learn about the essence of meditative absorption, the significance of present-moment awareness, and how breath techniques cultivate relaxation. Stephen guides us through the intricate layers of meditation, emphasizing the synthesis of traditional practices with modern mental wellness.

It is said that the Buddha teaches only suffering and its end, but what is suffering? Guest speaker Rick Hanson attempts to define this suffering, challenging that suffering is only

“We don’t study koans, we use koans to investigate our life.” ~ Maezumi Roshi Guest teacher Peggy Sheehan from Zen Center Denver says that koans have been a life long

On this first day of Fall, Teshin takes up case 27 of the Blue Cliff Record, Unmon’s Complete Exposure. The Case reads as follows: A monk asked Unmon, “What is