Zen Mountain Monastery: The Mountains and Rivers Order
By Jennifer Andreacchi
The Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, New York is home to a Zen Buddhist community, known as The Mountains and Rivers Order, founded by John Daido Loori Roshi. Daido Roshi was a creative photographer and initially established the Zen Mountain Monastery as the Zen Arts Center in 1980, for people to focus primarily on artistic expression aided by Zen teachings. Members of the Zen Arts Center became increasingly interested in Zen Buddhist principles, which led to its transition into a working monastery. However, in the present, the Zen Mountain Monastery continues to emphasize “creative expression as a vital element of spiritual practice.” The community is named after “Mountains and Rivers Sutra” by Zen Master Eihei Dogen, and the name takes on further meaning because the Zen Mountain Monastery is situated at the base of a mountain and at the crossing of two rivers. The Mountains and Rivers Order has been influenced by both Rinzai and Soto schools, as its founder had trained with a lineage holder of the Soto school of Zen, but received the seal of approval from two Rinzai teachers.
The Zen Mountain Monastery is a western Buddhist community which traces its lineage back to the ancient teachings of Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism, unlike the other major sects of Buddhism, does not assert that any of its written teachings are the words of the Buddha. Instead, it builds upon the established Buddhist cannon as a special transmission that is based on the mind of the Buddha, not his words. The word “Zen” is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word “Chan,” meaning meditation. Two dominant schools of Zen Buddhism, Rinzai and Soto, have contributed most to the platform of the Mountains and Rivers Order. Daido Roshi, founder of the monastery, was a disciple of Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi Roshi at the Zen Center of Los Angeles. Maezumi Roshi was a lineage holder within the Soto school of Zen, but received Inka, or a seal of approval, from two Rinzai teachers.
Rinzai is the Japanese word for Linji, describing the school established by Linji in the ninth century. Linji focuses on a direct path to enlightenment, not a gradual, light-in-the-distance model. There are many instances of the process becoming so immediate that masters would strike or scream at their disciples in order to bring about their awakening. Linji teaches to “see your own face,” to be disrupted from complacency in order to break through normal ways of thinking and achieve awakening. When using conventional language or traditional modes of thought, one is doing nothing to overcome the trappings of samsara, or unenlightened life. The other influential school in the Zen Mountain Monastery is the Soto school, the largest of the main sects of Zen Buddhism in Japan. It was established in Japan by Dogen Zenji in the 13th century, but came from the Chinese Caodong school. Soto teaches “silent illumination,” or “just-sitting,” where one does not strive for achievement, but the “dropping away body and mind.” This meditation-focused school of Buddhism has contributed to a major practice of the Mountains and Rivers Order, zazen.
The pinnacle teaching of the Zen Mountain Monastery is The Eight Gates of Zen, an outline for monastic life, developed by founder Daido Roshi. It is a guide to Buddhist study specifically designed for Western students. The first of the eight “gates” is called zazen, which means “sitting” and comes from the Sanskrit word for meditation, dhyana. Zazen emphasizes deep concentration and counting the breaths, but also serves as a more profound tool of self-actualization. According to The Eight Gates of Zen, with zazen, “we realize the unity of the self with the ten thousand things.” Zazen is a cherished practice for the monastic community, but certain sessions are also open to the public. One woman describes her experience at the Zen Mountain Monastery’s thirty minute open meditation as “euphoric,” and explained the basics of zazen: “The idea is to find the most comfortable pose for absolute stillness. You can take a few deep breaths to settle in, but then you are supposed to breathe as silently and be as still as possible.” The second gate is influenced by Rinzai and Soto teachings, and recommends studying with a teacher. The historical focus on mind to mind transmission within the Zen tradition is evident in the personal study between master and pupil. One specific practice involved in the student/teacher relationship is dokusan, or private interview, where students can raise concerns or ideas with their teacher. The second gate does not suggest that the teacher has anything fundamental to offer the student, but rather asserts that the guidance and experience of an enlightened superior can be immensely helpful while the pupil is navigating the many challenges and questions that arise from zazen.
At the Zen Mountain Monastery, in order to experience a well-rounded form of Buddhism, Daido Roshi suggests familiarizing oneself with important Buddhist texts and engaging in group rituals. The third gate counsels that the Western Buddhist practitioner study Buddhist history, philosophy, and psychology through reading the records of ancient masters and modern masters, the Buddha’s life story, central sutras like “The Diamond Sutra” and “The Lotus Sutra,” the history of Zen Buddhism, and the history of Buddhism in America. Specific works which correspond to these themes can be found on the Zen Mountain Monastery’s Recommended Reading List, where in various stages, important texts, including the founder’s own teachings, are presented in a certain order to foster understanding. The fourth gate, liturgy, takes on new meaning when applied to a nontheistic religion like Buddhism. Instead of group worship of a god, liturgy in the Mountains and Rivers Order means group experiences which emphasize self-realization or comprehension of the Buddha nature. These rituals are meant to “point to the intimacy between the self and the ten thousand things,” meaning that they help Buddhist practitioners make sense of their place within this life and all that it encompasses.
The fifth and sixth gates of Zen according to Daido Roshi focus on how to properly incorporate Buddhism into outward means of expression, titled Right Action and Art Practice, respectively. Right Action, or the study and practice of traditional Buddhist moral and ethical precepts, helps students understand the concept of no-self and how a Buddha functions in a diverse world. Students at the Zen Mountain Monastery are encouraged to apply the life experience of the Buddha to Zen principles, as is outlined in Daido Roshi’s book, The Heart of Being. As it was central to the foundation and continued success of the monastery, the sixth gate appropriately suggests exploring the insights evoked by artistic creation, examining the relationships between artist and subject, art and audience, etc., to culminate in a deeper understanding of the human condition. Art Practice is meant to illuminate creativity’s role in human life.
Finally, a balanced monk at the Zen Mountain Monastery must exercise the body, “the vehicle of self-realization,” and nourish the mind with productivity, as is suggested in the seventh and eighth gates of Zen. Body Practice aims to “unify body, breath, and mind, through activities ranging from refined practices like Tai Chi to mundane activities like washing our face or eating breakfast.” This seventh gate stresses the importance of a healthy lifestyle in understanding the true nature of self. Similarly, idleness does not foster growth, so Daido Roshi recommends Work Practice, a manner of translating spiritual practice into the working world. One begins with simple, repetitive jobs and escalates gradually to see how the mind handles more complicated tasks. A daily “caretaking period” with formal work experiences offers the chance to empower oneself and others. The Eight Gates of Zen form the backbone of life at the Zen Mountain Monastery, outlining the most important aspects of monastic life according to the founder.
The Zen Mountain Monastery maintains an essential doctrine of inclusion, stating that any person, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, political views, economic standing, etc. may enter the Mountains and Rivers Order. The community consists of both male and female teachers and laypeople. However, ethnically, the community is not notably diverse. All of the teachers and staff at the monastery are Caucasian, including the monastery’s founder. The monastery also opens its doors to laypeople, having frequent retreats that engage spiritual practitioners in a specific brand of Zen Buddhism designed for Westerners. While it is possible to become ordained and be full-time practitioners, the services of the Mountains and Rivers Order are open to anyone.
In addition to the main monastery in Mt. Tremper, New York, there is another central location and several affiliate groups connected to the Mountains and Rivers order. The Mountains and Rivers Order’s other main location, the Zen Center of New York City, increases the sangha’s accessibility to laypeople. Then, in order to grow a community based on support and harmony, the Mountains and Rivers Order is affiliated with the Zen Institute of New Zealand, the Buffalo Zen Dharma Community, and the Zen Affiliate of Vermont. These groups within the order provide the option for practitioners to come together for retreats and meditation, as well as private meetings between teachers and senior students. In charge of managing the spiritual direction of the Affiliate groups is teacher Geoffrey Shugen Arnold Sensei, along with Zen priest Jody Hojin Kimmel Osho and dharma holders Ron Hogen Green and Vanessa Zuisei Geddard. This team strives to ensure that the practice within these groups is in accordance with the standards set by the Mountains and Rivers Order.
The Zen Mountain Monastery and its order offer an inclusive sanctuary for the practice of the dharma especially geared toward Western artistic communities in the United States. The teachings are influenced primarily by the Rinzai and Soto schools of Zen Buddhism, though studying the life and works of the Buddha is recommended. The focus on zazen, “just sitting” meditation is central to monastic life at the Zen Mountain Monastery, as is Body, Work, and Art Practice, ways to nourish the physical and mental forms in order to bring about self-awareness. With the works of founder John Daido Loori Roshi as the backbone to the Mountains and Rivers Order, students follow a step by step approach to gaining insight into the self, the nature of life, and lessening suffering. With its connections both in the United States and abroad in New Zealand, the Mountains and Rivers Order widens the scope of Buddhism’s expansion and accessibility to a diverse range of people.
Founder John Daido Loori Roshi
Group Meditation
Art Practice
Body Practice
Works Cited
Ahern, Vanessa. “Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper: My Wednesday Evening Meditation Experience in the Zendo.” Hudson Valley Good Stuff. N.p., 04 Jan. 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2016. <http://www.hudsonvalleygoodstuff.com/zen-mountain-monastery-in-mt-tremper-my-wednesday-evening-meditation-experience-in-the-zendo/>.
“Welcome to Zen Mountain Monastery.” Zen Mountain Monastery. The Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen Buddhism, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2016. <https://zmm.mro.org/>.