Teachings
You can find all of our weekly Dharma talks for free right here on this page, as well as on our YouTube channel and podcast. Live talks take place every Thursday from 5:30–7:00pm MT, both in-person and on Zoom (sit.mountaincloud.org — password: mountain22). Members receive access to some special archival materials.
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Stephen Batchelor and Henry Shukman, A Conversation, Part 2: Q & A
November 12, 20151 min read
Description: Stephen Batchelor returned to Mountain Cloud on Thursday April 2 for a conversation on early Buddhism, the Zen tradition and ancient Greek Philosophy with Mountain Cloud’s guiding teacher, Henry Shukman. Their wide ranging discussion continued the exploration of contact, connection and congruence between the ancient East and West begun the previous June, when Stephen and Henry sat down for an engaging conversation on “Going Back to the Source.” This episode is part 2 of the...
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Crimson Leaves of Autumn
November 12, 20151 min read
"What will remain of my legacy? Flowers in the spring, The hototogisu in summer, And the crimson leaves of Autumn." - Ryokan, 1758-1831 One Robe, One Bowl, Translated by John Stevens Photo and creation by Rosa Bellino, used with her permission.
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A Bird in the Sky
November 9, 20151 min read
“A fish swims in the ocean, and no matter how far it swims there is no end to the water. A bird flies in the sky, and no matter how far it flies there is no end to the air. However, the fish and the bird have never left their elements. When their activity is large their field is large. When their need is small their field is small. Thus, each of them totally covers...
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The Three Refuges, Part 2, The Dharma
November 6, 201521 min read
Buddham saranam gacchami Dhammam saranam gacchami Sangham saranam gacchami Written by Ruben Habito, Click to read Part 1 of The Three Refuges Part II—The Dharma Refuge We are in the process of elucidating the three refuges which we just chanted. Our intent is not just to give an intellectual explanation, but to allow an unfolding of what actually happens as we chant those verses with our whole body, with our whole mind, with our whole...
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Stephen Batchelor and Henry Shukman, A Conversation
November 5, 20151 min read
Description: Stephen Batchelor returned to Mountain Cloud on Thursday April 2 for a conversation on early Buddhism, the Zen tradition and ancient Greek Philosophy with Mountain Cloud’s guiding teacher, Henry Shukman. Their wide ranging discussion continued the exploration of contact, connection and congruence between the ancient East and West begun the previous June, when Stephen and Henry sat down for an engaging conversation on “Going Back to the Source.” Stephen Batchelor is a contemporary Buddhist...
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Catching the Light
November 2, 20151 min read
...koans are dark to the mind, yet radiant to the heart. Henry Shukman * * * photo and creation by Rosa Bellino
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The Three Refuges: Part 1, The Buddha
October 30, 201513 min read
Buddham saranam gacchami Dhammam saranam gacchami Sangham saranam gacchami Written By Ruben Habito Part I–The Buddha Refuge My task in the next three talks is to articulate what happens when we chant the three refuges, that we may be able to realize this and be able to embody it in our being. Incidentally, we also chant the four vows of the bodhisattva, and the fourth goes thus: “The enlightened way is unsurpassable. I vow to...
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Teisho: Why Buddhism and the modern world need each other
October 29, 20151 min read
Description: David Loy made a special appearance at Mountain Cloud on Wednesday September 16, 2015. He spoke from topics discussed in his latest book, A New Buddhist Path, about the convergence of western traditions of social reform with Asian traditions of inner transformation. Loy’s talk contrasts moral ideals within the Abrahamic traditions with those in Buddhism and proposes that each of these ideals needs the other. David Loy is a professor, writer, and Zen teacher in...
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Facing the Wall
October 28, 20151 min read
It’s me and my shadow again: the little night I cast on the wall looking cubist this morning, square-shouldered, pin-headed. All the trouble, all the pain, yearning and hope: all from that one square yard of darkness on the wall. Bodhidharma sat this way, a leaf of a man blown in from the West, light as dust, a quaver in the haze, for whom night and day were a memory, life and death a dream....
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Wind in Trees
October 27, 20151 min read
When trees toss in high wind and a suspicion of rain travels across their dark faces, I long for the old summers under smoky oaks. Whoever I am, it’s not who I thought. Who is it the rain and wind wake with their sighing? That tree-lover, summer-lover – try and find him, was he ever there? Did he love? Was he love? Shh, say the trees, listen closer, listen closer. Henry Shukman Image: Farmland,...
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One with the Clouds
October 26, 20151 min read
Wherever you are, you are one with the clouds and one with the sun and the stars you see. You are one with everything. That is more true than I can say, and more true than you can hear. ― Shunryu Suzuki Photo and creation by Rosa Bellino Quote by Shunryu Suzuki from Goodreads.com
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Good Morning from a Rose
October 24, 20151 min read
Form does not differ from emptiness; emptiness does not differ from form. Form itself is emptiness; emptiness itself is form. Heart Sutra Photo and creation by Rosa Bellino
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