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This talk begins with an exploration of the first grave precept in Mahayana Buddhism, not-killing. Valerie then turns to case 14 in the Mumonkan or Gateless Gate, the next koan in the collection. This famous case, "Nansen Kills the Cat," is often described as a difficult koan, opaque to understanding and troubling to our sensibilities. Would a Zen master actually slay a cat in an all-out effort to awaken his monks? What are we to make of the startling image of Nansen holding up an innocent creature in one hand, a knife in the other, and addressing us: "Say a word and I will spare the cat." Faced with the matter of life and death in the hands of a great master, what would you say?   The koan unfolds with Joshu, Nansen's student of 40 years, hearing what happened and offering his response. We smile as he walks through the koan and leaves us with questions: What is the cat? What is cut through and what, possibly, spared? What is the turning word in a story that asks us to drop everything and enter in?  

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For this episode, we're reaching back in time with Will & Lucie Brennan, two of the original founders and builders of Mountain Cloud. So fun to take a trip down memory lane with them. I hope you enjoy hearing the 'origin stories'.

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Freshly returned from the annual Sanbo Zen teacher training in Germany and a sesshin she led there, Valerie reflects on these experiences and on the many gifts of practice. How do we find our way on this path of practice exactly where we are, lacking nothing, and, at the same time, called ever more deeply into the freedom and compassion that is our native ground?

The talk offers a tribute to Patty Underbrink, a longtime practitioner who died on Sunday, three years to the day she was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Patty was deaf and fluent in American Sign Language. In celebration of Patty's life and her tireless encouragement to others, the talk turns to case 89 in the Book of Equanimity, with its question: "What does the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion use so many hands and eyes for?" Let our practice be a portal and a response.

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Such a delight to chat with Vanessa Zuisei Goddard. Zuisei has a fascinating pathless path. She joined me online, from her home in Panama City. You, too, can join Zuisei online, with the Ocean Mind Sangha.

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Shana reflects upon the recent Kenshukai in Germany, and examines Case 86 of the Blue Cliff Record, "Unmon's Bright Light."

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We're back with another episode of Path(less)! Today with the lovely Daisy Lin. We had a great time chatting about a whole host of interesting topics. Please enjoy!

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As our 30 Days of Dogen course comes to an end, Valerie invites a return to Dogen's seminal awakening: Body and mind fallen away. What geography of awakening does Dogen's experience lay bare for us and can it be anywhere but here? Looking into this, the talk turns to case 27 in the Blue Cliff Record, "Unmon's 'Complete Exposure.'"  The koan asks, 'When everything falls away, what then?' Our practice itself offers a response. Fallen away, fallen away and simultaneously falling headlong into the heart of this beautiful, broken world.

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What a pleasure and a privilege to sit down with Henry Shukman for a conversation in the Study at Mountain Cloud. Henry's app, The Way, is a single-path meditation program designed to bring the depth of traditional practice into the digital age. He's also the author of the excellent books, One Blade of Grass and Original Love. Henry and The Way offer opportunities to gather in-person around the world, as well.

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Many of us come to spiritual practice because of a persistent feeling that there's something wrong—something off about us or about the world. Perhaps we struggle with loneliness or a sense of alienation. Perhaps we crave intimacy but are afraid to get close. Perhaps we wonder why there's so much conflict everywhere. Is there a better way to relate to others and to ourselves?

In this Teisho, Zuisei Goddard, Guiding Teacher of Ocean Mind Sangha, takes up the koan of Senjo and Her Soul to show that when we look closely, we realize that our sense of separation is an illusion. That when we wake up to ourselves, we see that we've always been perfect and whole.

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A real joy chatting Light Watkins from his home in Mexico City. Light's latest book, The Year You Transform, is a wonderfully practical guide to how small, daily behaviors can have truly transformative power.

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In this talk, Valerie begins with a look into Dogen's phrase, "mountain-still sitting," asking how this practice of divesting ourselves – "dropping away body and mind" – is, at the same time, an invitation to realize the inexhaustible abundance that runs through all things. The talk then turns to a koan that embodies this realization: case 10 of the Gateless Gate, "Seizei the Poor." In the case, a seasoned monk presents himself to a renowned master: "I am solitary and poor." This is no lament but the meeting ground for an exchange that freely illumines the awake world and invites us to taste and see.

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So nice to chat with Sarah Giffin, the Executive Director of Mountain Cloud Zen Center. Sarah's had an interesting pathless path to her current role at the Center, and has such a gift for storytelling.

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Returning to the zendo after co-leading a monthlong 'mini-ango' at a beautiful Zen center in the Black Forest region of Germany, Valerie reflects on travel and long sitting and Zen's ever-present invitation to come home to what we truly are. The talk then turns to case 9 in the Gateless Gate or Mumonkan, "Daitsu Chisho," another name for the essential wisdom that pervades all places.    This koan hinges on the question, can you - or can anyone - "attain Buddhahood"? More to the point, can you become anything? If not, what is awakening? What liberating wisdom is it that is ours to discover without ever leaving home?

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Scott explores Case 53 of the Blue Cliff Record or Hekiganroku: "Hyakujo and the Wild Ducks."

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Really enjoyed this conversation with Eric Zimmer. Eric was in Santa Fe while touring in support of his latest book, How A Little Becomes A Lot. Also check out his incredibly popular podcast, The One You Feed.

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When the Buddha touched the Earth (bhumisparsha), was the Earth touching him?  What does our nonduality with the Earth really mean?

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Such a pleasure to sit down with Elena Brower in the Study at Mountain Cloud for a beautiful conversation around the pathless path of practice and life.

Please check out Elena's latest book, Hold Nothing, as well as her Substack, where she writes on practice, study, and listening. Elena also hosts a wonderful podcast called Practice You.

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Please consider supporting Mountain Cloud with a donation or becoming a member, so we can continue to offer these programs freely.

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Such a joy to sit down with Tias Little (during a break from writing his latest book) on the beautiful grounds of Prajna Yoga. Tias and Surya offer amazing courses and classes, both in their temple in Santa Fe, as well as online.

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In this talk, Valerie begins with an Earth Day reflection, acknowledging and honoring what Hakuin Zenji calls "this earth where we stand." The talk then turns to case 8 in the Gateless Gate or Mumonkan, "Keichu Makes Carts." The koan asks: What happens to the cart when all the moving parts are removed? And what about us? When all our concepts and assumptions fall away, what remains? In his verse to the case, Mumon calls this fundamental reality "the active wheel" – the wheel that is always functioning freely no matter the circumstances.

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Really enjoyed this conversation with author, journalist, and ultra-endurance athlete, Katie Arnold. Her latest book, "Brief Flashings in the Phenomenal World", is a beautiful Zen meditation wrapped in a memoir.

And check out all of the great things Katie is up to, including her next "Flow Camp", in Telluride, Colorado ...

Website

Substack

Instagram

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Ben's talk is based on his new book, Inside the Flower Garland Sutra: Huayan Buddhism and the Modern World.

Huayan Buddhism arose in the sixth century in China rooted in the Mahayana Flower Garland (Huayan) Sutra. Huayan is relational, practical, and positive. Its emphasis on interdependence, celebration of the sensual world, and diversity of people and practices has much to offer during this era when many folks see ever-deepening divisions.

Ben will illustrate the teachings with stories and lessons from his recent involvement with an array of nonviolent community responses to the violence ICE brought to his hometown Minneapolis over the last few months.

 

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It was an honor to sit down with David Loy for this next conversation in the Path(less) series. David will be joining us here at Mountain Cloud for our May EcoDharma Residency.

To learn more about David, his teachings, books and appearances, check out his webiste: https://www.davidloy.org

 

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Ukraine … Gaza … Iran … Can Buddhist teachings help us understand what is happening, and how we might respond?

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Such a pleasure to sit down with Valerie Forstman, Guiding Teacher for Mountain Cloud Zen Center, for this first conversation in the Path(less) series.

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In this first dharma talk following the Spring Sesshin, Valerie begins with a poem that whimsically maps the trajectory of practice. The talk then turns to Case 7 in the Mumonkan or Gateless Gate, "Joshu's 'Wash Your Bowls.'" A monk arrives at the monastery and asks for instruction. On the surface, Joshu's response is a word of practice guidance to the monk and to us. Deeper still, Joshu's every word presents the world where there is not the slightest bit of dust to wipe away. This world. This fact. The Gateless Gate that is always exactly where you are.

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Welcome to a new converation series, titled "Path(less)," on the "in the Cloud" podcast. In this introductory episde, host, Grant Goulet, provides a brief orientation to the theme of the series: the pathless path of practice and life.

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In this Teisho, Carolyn takes up Mumonkan Case 20: A Person of Great Strength – Seeing Shôgen's World From the Midst of Fire.

Recorded on March 12, 2026

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Valerie begins this talk with an exploration of Zen's invitation to 'come home' to who we truly are. What kind of path is it that can arrive fully without taking a single step? And what are we to make of this homecoming when the suffering of the world is fully included?

As a way of exploring these questions, the talk turns to a koan: Blue Cliff Record or Hekiganroku Case 69, "Nansen Draws a Circle." Three monks, dharma siblings, set out together to visit a renowned master. Along the way, they stop to share the teaching – and to offer us a glimpse of home that is always right where we are.

Recorded on March 5, 2026

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In Case 2 of The Blue Cliff Record, Master Joshu instructs us that "The Supreme Way is not difficult; it simply dislikes picking and choosing." How can this actually apply to a human life, especially in such trying times, since we seem to be faced with nothing but choices every day, from the most mundane to the most heart wrenching?

Recorded on February 26, 2026

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This talk is in reference to the Biblical "Tree of Life," from which we disconnected when we ate from the "Tree of Knowledge." How does our Zen practice help us to reconnect? Does Joshu's "Oak tree in the garden" give a hint?

Recorded on February 19, 2026

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Zen practice invites us to sit in the midst of things just as they are without being tossed about by difficulties. As the waves settle, it can happen – in one unguarded moment – that the world suddenly falls open. The long imagined scaffolding of separation falls away. And we discover: right there in the vicissitudes of our lives there is ONE who is completely free and untroubled. Dogen called it "untrammeled."

In this talk, Valerie acknowledges the ills of this world then turns to case 94 in the Book of Equanimity or Shoyoroku to explore the reality that doesn't divide and doesn't depend on circumstances. An exchange between Master Tozan (Dongshan) and a monk offers a window into Tozan's sickroom and a gateway into realizing – and taking care of – the one who does not get ill.

Recorded on February 12th, 2026

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Shana delves into Case 9 of the Hekiganroku and Case 15c of the Miscellaneous Koans as pointers to navigating the polycrisis.

Recorded on February 5th, 2026

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This talk begins with the question of how to embody the freedom and ease of Zen's empty hands while being fully attuned to the cries of the world – including the cries of our own hearts.

As a prelude to a koan, the talk turns to the great lay disciple of the Buddha, Vimalakirti, who lies ill and says, "I am sick because the whole world is sick." What wholeness has Vimalakirti seen that allows him to say this? Case 3 of the Hekiganroku or Blue Cliff Record offers a response. About to die, Master Baso (Mazu) gives a final teaching that continues to resound.

Recorded on January 29th, 2026

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Opening with a reading of Mountain Cloud's Land Acknowledgment, this talk is framed by a tribute to Joanna Macy through poetry that helped to inspire her deep and abiding support for the earth and all forms of life.

Within this frame, Valerie turns to a koan about Prajnatara, teacher of Bodhidharma and an ancestor who may well have been a woman. Case 3 of the Shoyoroku or Book of Equanimity presents Prajnatara embodying the way by "always reciting the 'Such-as-this'-sutra" and opening our eyes to what that is.

Recorded on January 22nd, 2026

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Scott takes up Case 6 of the Blue Cliff Record, Unmon's "Every Day is a Good Day."

Recorded on January 15th, 2026

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In this first Dharma talk of the new year, Valerie reads from a recently published collection of poetry, Begin Where You Are, then turns to the question, 'Where Are You?' Issuing from our practice, this question is not a matter of geographical location but a pointer to the fundamental reality of who and what we truly are.

Centuries ago, Master Tosetsu Etsu famously addressed his monks with this fundamental question: Right in the midst of your seeking and searching, where is your self-nature at this very moment? Addressed to us, how will we respond – right now in 'this very moment,' exactly as it is?

Recorded on January 8th, 2026

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In the wake of the Rohatsu sesshin at Mountain Cloud and our deep dive into Hakuin's Song of Zazen, Valerie begins this talk with a painting by Hakuin, an image of three blind men crossing a precarious log bridge. What does Hakuin's vision of 'crossing over' say about our practice, about awakening, and about the leap or fall right into the heart of this broken open world?

By way of response, Valerie takes up case 62 in the Hekiganroku or Blue Cliff Record, "Unmon's 'One Treasure.'" In the case, Master Unmon/Yunmen quotes a famous passage about the one treasure that is always right in our midst and offers a teaching about its manifold activity.

Recorded on December 18th, 2025

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On the occasion of the last full moon of this calendar year, Valerie turns to case 100 in the Blue Cliff Record or Hekiganroku. Speaking directly to our life and practice, Master Haryo (Baling), asks, "What is the sharpest sword? He himself answers, "Each branch of coral reflects the moon."

How does that sharpest sword function and what does it have to do with the light of the moon?

In the course of her talk, Valerie reflects on a recent sesshin in Germany then makes the turn toward Rohatsu, the deepest ingathering of the year at Zen centers around the world. The talk also includes a poem by Maelna Mörling from her forthcoming collection, 'Lumina Station.'

Recorded on December 4th, 2025

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Maria turns to Mumonkan Case 7, Joshu's "Wash your Bowl", his advice to a newcomer who earnestly asked him for instruction about the way. How does this simple instruction reflect the boundless way that Joshu himself asked his own teacher Nansen about when he first entered the monastery?

Recorded on November 20th, 2025

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How do we reconcile the wondrous and borderless reality of the essence with the messiness of our everyday lives? Are changing diapers, checking a phone or driving to work really compatible with "vast and void, no holiness?"

Carolyn explores this question as it was posed by Unmon in 10th century China (Case 16 of the Mumonkan) "the world is vast and wide like this. Why do we put on our seven-panel robe at the sound of the bell?" Delve in to see how there is no contraction here.

Recorded on November 13th, 2025

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In this talk, Scott takes up Case 10 of the Mumonkon, "Seizei the Poor."

Recorded on November 6th, 2025

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For this talk, Valerie is joined by friend, author, artist, and dharma teacher, Natalie Goldberg. Together, Natalie and Valerie take up case 25 in the Book of Equanimity or Shoyoroku as a way of exploring the dharma that is at the heart of every koan – this world that is at once broken and utterly complete.

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Recorded on October 30th, 2025

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This talk begins with the question, 'What is it to be human?' When Siddhartha Gautama was 29 years old, he leapt beyond the palace walls of his rarified life in search of an answer to this question. One of Shakyamuni Buddha's earliest teachings points the way towards what he discovered: Stop and see. Stop the conditioned activity of our discursive minds, our habitual ways of framing the world, our fixed concepts about who and what we are. Put down the artifice of that narrow flashlight. Turn off the projector and see. See what remains. In effect, see in the dark.

In response to this invitation, Valerie turns to case 89 in the Hekiganroku or Blue Cliff Record, 'Unmon's Bright Light.' Addressing the assembly, Unmon says, "Everyone has their own bright light. When you look at it, you can't see it; it is complete darkness. Now, what is the bright light of you all?" Unmon's own reply is a pointer to who we truly are and to how that matters in our lives.

Recorded on October 23rd, 2025

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This talk takes up case 34 in the Blue Cliff Record or Hekiganroku, "Kyozan's 'Not Wandering,'" as a guide to that exploration. Kyozan (Yangshan) asks a monk, "Where have you come from?" It's a common question – a fundamental question – that the monks of record repeatedly fail to realize. Here, the monk responds in terms of geography, the distance between here and there, near and far, coming and going. The exchange unfolds with a turning word addressed to the student and to us: Can you wander in the mountains without ever leaving home? Can you not?

Recorded on August 7th, 2025

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In this talk, Valerie returns to the basics of Zen practice beginning with a beloved verse by the renowned 8th century Chinese poet, Li Po. The poem is both a practice pointer and an expression of the fundamental reality we can discover along the way as practice unfolds: the essential world that is empty, boundless, and one, while, at the same time, exactly the world of our everyday lives. As a pointer to this one reality, the talk takes up case 21 in the Shoyoroku or Book of Equanimity, "Ungan Sweeps the Ground." Two dharma brothers meet each other eye to eye and invite us into the dance where form and emptiness are not two. Not even one.

Recorded July 31st, 2025

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In this talk, Valerie begins with the poetry of love and loss as a portal to a saying from the eminent 9th century Chan/Zen master Joshu (Zhaozhou) about the timelessness of our everyday lives. The talk explores Joshu's response to a monk who asks, "During the 24 hours, how is mind put to use?" Joshu offers a response that calls us into the immeasurable dynamism of each present moment.

We are creatures inured to time. What happens when, in a moment of zazen, time stands still? Or all time is suddenly nothing but now?

Recorded on July 24th, 2025

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Scott's talked is based on one of Joshu's sayings. When asked "What is meditation?" he responded, "Non-meditation." When asked how that could be, he said, "It's alive! It's alive!"

Recorded on July 17th, 2025

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Fresh home from a memorial service for a beloved mentor and on the heels of the flooding in Texas, Valerie turns to case 41 of the Hekiganroku or Blue Cliff Record, "Joshu's 'Great Death.'" How does this case speak to the root of our human experience? What does it say about the coming and going of life and death? Might this ancient exchange between two masters – a generation apart in age – offer a word to us about the great matter?

Recorded on July 10th, 2025

Please consider supporting Mountain Cloud with a donation or becoming a member so we can continue to provide online programs such as this.

Please consider supporting Mountain Cloud with a donation or becoming a member so we can continue to provide online programs such as this.

Donations: https://www.mountaincloud.org/donate/

Become a member: https://www.mountaincloud.org/about/membership/