Teachings

  • Message from Valerie: An Invitation to Serve

    Valerie ForstmanJanuary 25, 20232 min read

    Mountain Cloud sangha members are currently coming together once each month to prepare and serve a delicious meal at the Interfaith Shelter, known as Pete’s Place, here in Santa Fe. For members interested in further engagement with vulnerable segments of our community, we have an opportunity to serve with fellow practitioners in Upaya’s Street Ministry project.  Upaya’s Street Ministry focuses on supporting member’s of Santa Fe’s community who are experiencing homelessness. Volunteers in the Street Ministry not only...

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  • Message from Valerie: Welcome Suffering

    Valerie ForstmanSeptember 7, 20222 min read

    This Zen or Chan tradition is at root a response to suffering, sentient being suffering, suffering in all forms. The response is summed up in the first ennobling truth - there is suffering (dukkha) - and the first bodhisattva vow: Sentient beings are numberless; I vow to free them (or I vow to save them all). On the surface, this sounds like mission impossible. But it’s already going on. The vow points to the absolute capacity...

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  • Introduction to Meditation Weekend, Talk Two: All

    MC PodcastSeptember 6, 20221 min read

    "Love sitting in Zazen, as if putting out a fire on top of your head" ~ Dogen Valerie Forstman gives the second talk during the April Intro to Meditation weekend. What are you practicing for? We sit in the midst of it all, the pandemic, climate change, suffering and joy... all. And, here's a link to our YouTube video of this talk. Also, check out our Upcoming Events: 10 Days of Koans: An Introductory Intensive with Henry Shukman and...

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  • Celebrating Valerie, Scott and Bryan

    MCZCSeptember 5, 20221 min read

    Close to seventy people showed up for the reception on Saturday September 3 to welcome our new teachers and executive director. Thank you to our reception host Henry Shukman and our party team: Karen, Margie, Vivian, Rachel, Christy, Joe and probably more, sorry for any omissions. Enjoy these photos from the day.... All photos taken by Mark Petrick.

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  • Rohatsu: In-Person Retreat Registration

    MCZCSeptember 1, 20222 min read

    Use the form below to register and make your payment for Rohatsu 2022. You are receiving this link because you have been approved for on-site attendance. Most of you have arranged with Johanna your lodging or commuting status. Those of you who are staying on-site should select the Shared Cabin Option. Cabins will sleep three people. If we get in a squeeze a cabin may have a fourth person. Commuters, campers and van...

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  • Message from Henry: Kensho

    Henry ShukmanAugust 31, 20222 min read

    Imagine you've been living in a house, using half a dozen rooms. One day it occurs to you -- what if there are more rooms in this house? On the upstairs landing you realize that what you’d always taken to be a wall was in fact simply a dark area. Beyond it, the corridor extends. Indeed, there are more rooms to this house. You start exploring them. The light’s different in some of them, and the feel...

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  • Introduction to Meditation Weekend: Q&A 1 with Valerie Forstman

    MC PodcastAugust 30, 20221 min read

    Description: This is Question & Answer session 1 from the Introduction to Meditation Virtual Weekend. Valerie Forstman is the speaker and teacher for this session. And, here's a link to our YouTube video of this talk. Also, check out our Upcoming Events: Original Love, Deep Clear Lake: Weekend Retreat, September 10-11 led by Henry Shukman 10 Days of Koans: An Introductory Intensive with Henry Shukman and Shana Smith and daily instruction. On-line event Sept 16-26. Details here. Sangha Meeting, Saturday September...

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  • Introducing Bryan Baldwin, MCZC Executive Director

    MCZCAugust 29, 20222 min read

    Santa Fe resident Bryan Baldwin is joining Mountain Cloud Zen Center as our new Executive Director. Bryan brings more than 25 years of progressive responsibility helping mission-driven organizations become more purposeful, focused, and strategic. He has extensive nonprofit management experience and most recently served as a senior administrator for a large public university in New England and concurrently led its private foundation. The earlier part of his career was spent working in the international diplomatic...

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  • The Body of Awakening, Valerie Forstman (Video)

    MCZCAugust 29, 20221 min read

    In this talk from her Women in Zen series, Valerie explores the life, practice, and transmission experience of Zongchi, a woman born into the court who became Bodhidharma’s disciple and dharma heir. Zongchi realizes the joy of seeing who she truly is – and the timeless moment of seeing just once. Bodhidharma recognizes Zongchi’s eye as his own flesh. As Dogen puts it, “’You have my flesh” is “the true human body.” https://youtu.be/1eOXyLMGINM Photo/Image by Mark Paul...

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  • Message from Henry, Original Love

    Henry ShukmanAugust 24, 20222 min read

    What’s the Original Face from before we were born, from before our parents were born? That’s an early Zen koan. When we see the “ original face,” our constructions of reality fall apart; they vanish. We are left in boundlessness.  When we have a glimpse of this unconditioned boundlessness, it brings a beautiful and healing sense of belovedness to our troubled hearts. This is Original Love. How do we learn to live, share and be guided by this...

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  • Introduction to Meditation Weekend, Talk One: What is the Shout?

    MC PodcastAugust 23, 20221 min read

    Listen to this talk by Valerie Forstman from the April 2021 Introduction to Meditation Weekend Retreat. A talk at a Zen retreat is traditionally called a teisho which means, Presentation of the Shout. Valerie asks What is the Shout? It's just this, presenting the fact of who we truly are and offering pointers on how to practice. And, here's a link to our YouTube video of this talk. Also, check out our Upcoming Events: Original Love, Deep Clear...

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  • Presence, Henry Shukman (Video)

    MCZCAugust 22, 20221 min read

    Your consciousness does not exist separately from what it contains. ~ Henry Shukman Henry explores presence from several different angles, including Internal Family Systems (IFS). The word presence includes some of what mindfulness means, and more. All you have to do is taste it.  Presence is really about coming back to yourself, to your own experience.  I am here. It requires no blistering kensho experience, but presence softens the way we cling to ourselves. https://youtu.be/GwSDDFpRA0E Images by Mark Paul Petrick...

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  • Best Teisho Ever, Henry Shukman (Video)

    MCZCAugust 22, 20221 min read

    Enjoy this restful, quiet teisho from Henry. The best teisho you are ever going to hear. Just listen. https://youtu.be/wXgJz2TXltQ Photos by Mark Paul Petrick

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  • Message from Henry: Why Meditate?

    Henry ShukmanAugust 17, 20222 min read

    You might ask, why bother with meditation at all?   It’s hard. We have restless minds and emotions that are difficult to tolerate. In general, often in life we try to stay busy so we don’t have to feel these difficult emotions or reckon with our restless minds.  Many of us suffer from overwhelm too – strong, confusing mental states where we’re trying  to manage many aspects of our lives, and feel like we’re swamped, and failing.  When...

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  • Introductory Day of Zen: Beginner’s Mind with Valerie Forstman

    MC PodcastAugust 16, 20221 min read

    Valerie examines beginner's mind and explores the question"what is Zen?" during our March 2021 one-day Introduction to Meditation retreat. Suzuki Roshi – a Japanese Zen master who brought Zen teaching to America in the mid 20th century – said: Beginner’s mind is the mind of compassion. As Zen practitioners we turn this compassion toward ourselves. Valerie describes the four motivations that bring people to Zen meditation.1. Curiosity2. Seeking well-being3. Wanting to develop a practice or commit to...

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