Dharma Talk: “By Boat or By Land: Crossing over, fully arrived” with Valerie Forstman

Thursday, March 27th | 5:30–7:00 PM
Meditation begins at 5:30 pm MT, followed by the Dharma Talk (teisho) at 6:00 pm MT.
You are invited to join us for an evening with Valerie Forstman at Mountain Cloud Zen Center’s zendo, where she will be leading the Dharma Talk titled, “By Boat or By Land: Crossing over, fully arrived.” In this talk, Valerie will begin by revisiting themes from our recent sesshin – the wellspring of zazen, the intimacy of not-knowing, the peace that passes all understanding. The talk will explore these themes by taking a fresh look at case 51 in the Book of Equanimity, ‘Hogen’s “Boat or Land,”’ Master Hogen’s question to a visiting monk elicits a response that resounds with the homecoming that is available to us all.
This hybrid event is free and registration is not required. Please arrive five to ten minutes ahead of the scheduled time.
To participate online, please click on the zoom link below.
sit.mountaincloud.org
Passcode: mountain22
Trouble logging on to our online sits? Click here for guidance. Need help with time zone conversion? Use the World Time Buddy .
If you miss a dharma talk, you can find it on our YouTube channel within one to two weeks.
Kindly consider contributing dana (a traditional Buddhist offering) to express financial gratitude to our visiting teacher. Dana can be made through PayPal: paypal.me/vforstman
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Valerie Forstman is an Associate Zen Master of the Sanbozen lineage and our Guiding Teacher here at Mountain Cloud. Her first teacher, with whom she continues to work, was Ruben Habito Roshi. Since 2003, she has also trained under the guidance of Yamada Ryoun Roshi, current abbot of Sanbozen.
Valerie came to Mountain Cloud with a shared vision of the core of the Zen path, a way of coming home to who we truly are. In keeping with the Sanbozen tradition, this path or ‘way’ may include koan training, “just sitting” practice, or simple breath awareness practice, all of which funnel into what it means to undergo the immense change of heart implied by the term “awakening.” What a joy and what a rich process it can be, not just to taste this, but to embody it and live it out in lives of compassionate service.
A first-career classical musician, Valerie holds degrees from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and Stony Brook University in NY. She has taught and performed in the U.S., Canada, and around Europe. After discovering Zen, Valerie went on to earn a Masters of Theological Studies and Ph.D. from Brite Divinity School.
As Guiding Teacher, Valerie is responsible for the quality and integrity of Zen offerings at Mountain Cloud. She offers dokusan to over 50 students a week and runs our sesshin and zazenkai. Alongside her guiding work at Mountain Cloud, Valerie leads sesshin (intensive Zen retreats) annually at two Zen centers in Germany.
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Dharma Talk often referred to as a “teisho” in Zen Buddhism, is a discourse or lecture given by a teacher to convey teachings on Buddhist philosophy, principles, and practice. During a Dharma talk, the teacher may explore various aspects of Buddhist doctrine, share insights from personal experience, and offer guidance to the audience on how to apply these teachings in their lives. The purpose is to deepen understanding, inspire contemplation, and support the development of mindfulness and wisdom among the practitioners.
- Date
- March 27, 2025
- Time
-
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
- Event Categories
- Dharma, Talks & Workshops