Religion Zen Buddhism Name Geoffrey Arnold Dharma names Kodo Shugen | Nationality American School Soto Titles Sensei | |
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Based in Zen Center of New York CityZen Mountain MonasteryNational Buddhist Prison Sangha | ||
Go Right into Consciousness
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold is a sensei of the Mountains and Rivers Order (MRO) founded by John Daido Loori, from whom Shugen received shiho, or dharma transmission, in July 1997. As a lineage holder in the Sōtō tradition, Shugen currently serves as head of MRO and abbot of both Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, New York, where he serves as the full-time resident teacher, and Zen Center of New York City in Brooklyn. Trained as a musician, Shugen was introduced to and began practicing Zen meditation in 1975. He began his formal training at Zen Mountain Monastery in 1984, and received tokudo, full monastic ordination, in 1988. Shugen's teachings have appeared in various Buddhist publications, including Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly, The Mountain Record and in The Best Buddhist Writing 2005 and 2009. His dharma talks are available for sale through the Monastery Store and as a free podcast at WZEN.org. He is the author of O, Beautiful End, a collection of Zen memorial poems, published by Dharma Communications in 2012. In October 2012, Shugen gave denkai, or priestly transmission, to Jody Hojin Kimmel, Osho. In December of 2016 Shugen gave shiho or dharma transmission to Ron Hogen Green, Sensei. In June of 2017 Shugen gave shiho or dharma transmission to Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei.