Geoffrey Shugen Arnold
| Geoffrey Shugen Arnold | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | Zen Buddhism |
| School | Sōtō |
| Lineage | Mountains and Rivers Order |
| Dharma names | Kodo Shugen |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
October 20, 1957 Atlanta, Georgia |
| Senior posting | |
| Based in |
Zen Center of New York City Zen Mountain Monastery National Buddhist Prison Sangha |
| Title | Sensei |
| Religious career | |
| Teacher | John Daido Loori |
| Website | mro.org |
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.[1] As a lineage holder in the Sōtō tradition, Shugen currently serves as head of MRO and abbot of the Zen Center of New York City[2] in Brooklyn, where he serves as the full-time resident teacher. 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. As the head of the Mountains and Rivers Order, Shugen oversees the training in the various MRO affiliate groups and at Zen Mountain Monastery, where he works closely with abbot Konrad Ryushin Marchaj Sensei. He also manages the National Buddhist Prison Sangha,[3] a right action program offering spiritual guidance and support to prison inmates. 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.
See also
Notes
- ↑ Seager, 257
- ↑ Zen Center of NYC website
- ↑ Prebish, 100
References
- Prebish, Charles S (1999). Luminous Passage: The Practice and Study of Buddhism in America. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-21697-0.
- Queen, Christopher S (2000). Engaged Buddhism in the West. Wisdom publications. ISBN 0-86171-159-9.
- Seager, Richard Hughes (1999). Buddhism In America. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-10868-0.