Teachings
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Dharmatalk: The Great Matter
November 30, 20211 min read
"... What holds us back from experiencing the boundless freedom of who we truly are? ..." Description: In the aftermath of the death of George Floyd in 2020, Valerie takes up a koan in which a master asks a student struggling to attain liberation, “Who is binding you?” After searching, the student realizes, “No one.” In the face of all the bindings that constrain us and our fellow human beings today, we may remember Master...
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Keichu’s Cart: Dharma Talk with Henry Shukman (Video)
November 24, 20211 min read
Henry takes us into Keichu's Cart, case eight from the Gateless Gate. Keichu was a legendary cart maker. What happens if the wheels and both axels are removed from the cart, what would become clear about the cart? What might it be to remove a wheel, if the cart is you - as you ordinarily function? Consider what the two wheels might be: dualistic pairs that we take for granted, high and low, life and...
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Dharmatalk: Bearing Witness from Deep Realization of Inseparability
November 23, 20211 min read
Description: Henry talks about the corona-virus pandemic and endemic racism in America and what our practice offers as a solution to racism; bearing witness from deep realization of inseparability. And, here's a link to our YouTube video of this talk. Also, check out our Upcoming Events: Original Love Weekend Nov 27-28. Rohatsu - Virtual Retreat Dec 6-12. Post & Featured Image (edited): Coronavirus Outbreak by lightsource, purchased from depositphotos, for use only on our website/social channels (this image is not...
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Dharmatalk: Is Zen Buddhist?
November 16, 20211 min read
"... Zen is a mechanism for letting go ..." "... One fruit of wisdom is not being so caught up in having our desires met ..." Description: Zen draws its tradition from both Buddhism and Daoism. Many of the ancient masters rejected the notion that awakening could happen gradually. They insisted that the reality of shunyata (emptiness) must be realized in personal experience, encompassing everything in its scope. Regardless of how we classify it, Zen is a...
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St John of the Cross – To Reach Satisfaction in All
November 15, 20212 min read
Poem Maura Noone quoted in her talk on Thursday November 18, from John of the Cross. TO REACH SATISFACTION IN ALL To reach satisfaction in all, desire its possession in nothing. To come to the knowledge of all, desire the knowledge of nothing. To come to possess all, desire to possess nothing. To arrive at being all, desire to be nothing. To come to the pleasure you have not, you must go by a way in which you enjoy not. To come to...
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Gone with the wind – Valerie Forstman (Video)
November 15, 20211 min read
In this final talk of the Circle of the Way retreat, Valerie takes up case 31 of the Blue Cliff Record, “Mayoku Circles the Dais,” as a way of exploring the intrinsic wholeness of this world that Nansen calls “nothing but a whirling of the wind.” Our practice invites us to taste this with every breath, every step; nothing lacking, nothing extra. [embed]https://youtu.be/k5swStf9sr4[/embed]
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According to my capacity – Valerie Forstman (Video)
November 15, 20211 min read
This second Circle of the Way Retreat talk opens with images of circles, including the enso attributed to Kyozan, all pointers to the freedom and compassion of practice-awakening. Valerie then turns to case 77 in the Book of Equanimity, where Kyozan and a very adept monk are at play on our behalf, freely using the circle to illumine this empty and infinitely capacious world. [embed]https://youtu.be/GQYETU3UgUU[/embed]
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Round, round, rounder than a mirror – Valerie Forstman (Video)
November 12, 20211 min read
In this first talk of the Circle of the Way retreat, Valerie takes up case 69 from the Blue Cliff Record, “Nansen Draws a Circle,” as an invitation to find our place in what Dogen calls “Continuous Practice” right where we are. [embed]https://youtu.be/r1bvw2AD6Sw[/embed] Featured image: Photo by Heneli & Flower on Unsplash
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Sangha Meeting Minutes from October 30, 2021
November 9, 202116 min read
October 30, 2021 Sangha Meeting Minutes The meeting was held on zoom. 48 attendees were present. Agenda approved by those present Minutes from the May 15, 2021 sangha meeting were also approved. Teacher’s Reports Henry and Valerie’s reports are attached at the end of these minutes. Interim Executive Director’s Report Our new website is practically ready to launch. At the very latest it will launch in January, hopefully before. The new site is beautiful and much improved. The launch is in the capable...
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Dharmatalk: Sosan, Doshin and Mu
November 9, 20211 min read
"... The capacity to awaken is not something you have. It’s what you are ..." Description: In this talk given jointly by Valerie and Henry on the last day of Mountain Cloud’s May 2020 4-day retreat, we consider the experiences of two of the early Chinese Zen patriarchs, Sosan and Doshin, both of whom sought liberation from the sense of unease that is part of the human condition. Zen, and particularly Mu practice, offers us a...
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Original Love Weekend: November 27-28
November 5, 20212 min read
Original Love Weekend Retreat November 27-28 10am - 3pm MT Online only Recordings available for people who can’t attend live This is a thrilling and potentially life changing weekend, where we’ll be immersing ourselves in practices and perspectives designed to help us get tastes of Original Love itself. We’ll be investigating our deeper nature in four different dimensions - the four different “zones” of the Original Love program: Mindfulness and Self-Love Finding Support Flow States, Meditative Absorption, and Samadhi Awakening In practice, these four different dimensions...
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