If you can know yourself as the unity of past, present, and future, says Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, then you see you’re right where you ought to be. Prajnatara: Transmission of the Light, Case 28 Main Case The Buddhist master Punyamitra said to Prajnatara, “Do you remember events of the past?” Prajnatara said, “I remember in a distant eon I was living in the same place as [...]
Who Was Prajnatara?
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold tells the story of Prajnatara, the 27th "patriarch" of Indian Buddhism — who is believed to have been a woman. Prajnatara was the teacher of Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen school. In addition to the notable role of being Bodhidharma's teacher, Prajnatara is also an interesting figure because there is some evidence that she was a woman. This [...]
Make Your Love Skillful
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Sensei on the unity of life, love, and practice. “I beg your compassion. Please give me a way to liberation,” the student asked. “Who is binding you?” replied the teacher. “No one is binding me,” answered the student. “Then why seek liberation?” responded the teacher. In the Mahayana tradition, enlightened wisdom and selfless compassion are [...]
Forum: The Beauty of Renunciation
Renunciation is about more than just doing without things. It’s the beautiful realization that you already have everything you need. Forum participants: Ajahn Amaro, Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, and Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel. Introduction by Koun Franz. My first attempt at Buddhist practice was an act of renunciation. I had been reading whatever Buddhist books I could find at my [...]
Trusting the Three Treasures
Taking refuge in the Buddha, dharma, and sangha, says Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, involves taking a leap forward with a deep sense of trust in our own basic nature and the natural wisdom of all phenomena. The three treasures are the path to the awakened mind, and they are that awakening itself. They point to the ultimate nature that is realized through practice, as well as to how [...]
What Do You See?
Ever notice how quickly you form opinions and judgments about the world around you? Next time stop and take a closer look, suggests Geoffrey Shugen Arnold. You’ll find a very different picture emerges. Yangshan’s “High and Low” Main Case One day Zen master Huiji of Yangshan joined his teacher Guishan in plowing the rice field. Yangshan said, “Master, this place is low. [...]
About a Poem: On Yunus Emre’s “Those Who Learned to Be Truly Human”
Those Who Learned to Be Truly Human Those who learned to be truly human found everything in being humble. While those who looked proudly from above, were pushed down the stairs. A heart that must always feel superior will one day lose its way. What should be within, leaks out. The old man with the white beard never sees the state he’s in. He needn’t [...]
Is Meditation Enough?
Sharon Salzberg, Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, and Gaylon Ferguson examine the central role of meditation in Western Buddhism and explore how other practices, such as study and ritual, may or may not be necessary. With introduction by Norman Fischer. The introduction of Buddhism to the West has necessarily involved comparing and contrasting various aspects of Buddhism with our own [...]
Trust
The job of the dharma teacher, says Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, is to help students see deeply into the nature of things. But what happens when the teacher gets lost along the way? Main Case One day Guishan sat in zazen, and after sitting, he pointed at the straw sandals and said to Yangshan, “All hours of the day, we receive people’s support. Don’t betray them.” Yangshan said, [...]
Forum: Long-term Retreat—The Challenges and Benefits
In this Buddhadharma Forum, Guy Armstrong, Elizabeth Mattish-Namgyel, and Geoffrey Shugen Arnold explain what to expect from going on a long-term Buddhist retreat. Introduction by Christine Skarda. Sometimes when I tell people that I live in retreat, they raise their eyebrows in amazement—or is it perhaps disapproval? I seldom go on to say that I have been doing this for [...]
