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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  • Billy Doyle: Our Real Nature

    MCZCMay 2, 20241 min read

    In this dharma talk, Billy leads us gently along the path of non-duality. With words he asks us to remember that our real nature can’t be expressed by words. By feeling deeply into the body, the senses, the moment by moment conscious awareness, we can truly experience it. His introduction is followed by questions and answers and finally a short guided meditation. https://youtu.be/3xmNfbLHTCE?si=V4JJyhKM7W8L-xuW

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  • Valerie Forstman: What Are You Dreaming?

    MCZCApril 25, 20241 min read

    In this teisho, Valerie takes up the subject of aging and illness using case #94 from The Book of Equanimity. In this case, titled Tozan’s Illness, we hear Master Tozan confounding the shallow questions of the student about this illness. Tozan is not merely ill but facing death. Even from his diminished physical state, he is still guiding his monks in how to understand and experience fundamental reality. Valerie does the same in this teisho,...

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  • Teisho with Shana Smith

    MCZCApril 18, 20241 min read

    https://youtu.be/HDtOs2lR-8w

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  • Maria Reis Habito: Coming Out of Exile

    MCZCApril 11, 20241 min read

    With grace and deep compassion, Maria Habito offers us a beautiful story of deliverance from exile. Like the Israelites being in bondage in Egypt, we are all in some kind of prison, even if it is a palace. “For even a palace has walls,” she reminds us. Drawing on the story of Shakyamuni Buddha from the Transmission of Light, by Master Keizan, we can appreciate the consonance of the deliverance from bondage with the Buddha’s...

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  • Valerie Forstman: Shoji

    MCZCApril 4, 20241 min read

    Shoji is the Japanese word for “life and death.” Where will we go when we die? In this teisho, Valerie takes up the matter of life and death and its prime importance. The koan for this teisho is from Dogen’s collection of 300 koans, case 3. Joshu asks his teacher, Nansen, “Where will the one who knows go?” Nansen answers, “To the donor’s house near the mountain and become a water buffalo.” This koan is...

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  • David Loy: Changing our Story

    MCZCMarch 28, 20241 min read

    In his teisho, David Loy leads us through a consideration of the stories that many of the world’s religions tell. They are stories which give priority to a world separate from this one, held out as a reward for leading an ethical life and for following the commandments of religion. Unfortunately for this world, the stories often devalue our home planet and make its destruction and the continuation of life here of no ultimate concern....

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  • Scott Thornton: Stop the Sound of the Distant Temple Bell

    MCZCMarch 14, 20241 min read

    In his teisho, Scott takes up case 1 from the Sanbo Zen collection of miscellaneous koans. As he explains, this collection is usually the next step on the path of koan study after passing the koan “Mu.” The koan is the statement, “stop the sound of the distant temple bell.” We are guided to examine this gem from many perspectives. What do we want to stop? Who hears it? Is it a statement or a...

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  • Valerie Forstman: Celebration of Sister Elaine MacIness

    MCZCMarch 7, 20241 min read

    This teisho is given on the 100th birthday of Sister Elaine MacIness. Valerie shares a sketch of the remarkable life and work of Sister Elaine who was a Roman Catholic nun as well as a student and Dharma heir of Yamada Koun Roshi. With great warmth and respect, Valerie describes Sister Elaine’s experience during sesshin on December 6, 1972. “The heart-spot burst open, and its beautiful contents exploded right through the whole of me, until...

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  • Valerie Forstman: Leaping into Here and Now

    MCZCFebruary 29, 20241 min read

    In this teisho, Valerie takes up the important koan, “Three pounds of flax.” This is case 12 in the Hekiganroku or Blue Cliff Record and also appears as case 18 in the Mumonkan or Gateless Gate. A monk asked Tozan, “What is Buddha?” To which Tozan answered, “Masagin!” Explore this answer with Valerie, but as she says, “blink and you will miss it.” Concepts can’t touch this one beating heart, this one radiance. https://youtu.be/T5HE3reSRKQ?si=62rJPTSEESsKDmdU...

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  • Valerie Forstman: Where Does the Moon Dwell?

    MCZCFebruary 24, 20241 min read

    In this Zazenkai talk, Valerie shares the moon's reflection through Dogen's teaching and the awakening verses of Chiyono (Mugai Nyodai) and Nyozen of Tokeiji. Chiyono, the first woman in Japan to receive dharma transmission, awakened when the bottom of her bucket dropped out. A century later, Nyozen awakened by meditating on Chiyono's awakening verse. https://youtu.be/ECdFBJwlsOw?si=vq3_cg-OWZjJE-Ur

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  • Carolyn Seburn: The Barbarian Has No Beard

    MCZCFebruary 22, 20241 min read

    In this teisho, Carolyn takes us through case 4 of the Mumonkan or Gateless Gate. The case is simply stated: Wakuan said, “Why has the western barbarian no beard?” The western barbarian is believed to be Bodhidharma who famously had a wild and generous beard. The pattern of this koan is referred to as “calling black white” as Yamada Koun said. Listen to this beautiful teisho and explore with Carolyn how to feed the spark...

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  • Valerie Forstman: Layman Pang’s Snowflakes

    MCZCFebruary 15, 20241 min read

    Valerie begins by reminding us of the wide reach of our practice. While there are innumerable expressions, there is but one fact. According to Dogen, we may have only an inkling, but our continuous practice touches and affects everything. Keeping with the theme of snowflakes (recall Haryo’s silver bowl filling with snow) we are presented with case 42 of the Blue Cliff Record or Hekigonroku, “Layman Pang’s Beautiful Snowflakes.” A couple of slaps, sharp surprise,...

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  • Teisho: Valerie Forstman: The Zero Point

    MCZCFebruary 8, 20241 min read

    In this teisho, Valerie continues with the theme “beginners mind.” Drawing on Dogen’s fascicle “Continuous Practice” from the Shobogenzo, we are reminded of the all-inclusive and undivided circle of the way - the zero point of this very moment. This is “beginner’s mind” or “sho shin.” Valerie also completes the circle of Haryo’s “three turning words.” This one is known as Haryo’s “feather blown sword” or “sharpest sword.” A monk asks Haryo, “What is the...

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  • Teisho: Valerie Forstman: Falling into the Well

    MCZCFebruary 1, 20241 min read

    Valerie takes up another of Haryo’s turning words in this teisho. A monk asks Haryo, “What is the Way?” Haryo answers, “A clearly enlightened monk falls into a well.” This falling is with eyes wide open, clearly seeing while stepping willingly into the unknown. Weaving a rich offering which includes the “Verse of Purification” from the Flower Ornament Sutra and quotes spanning the history of Zen from Dogen to Katagiria Roshi, Valerie leads us along...

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