Geoffrey Shugen Arnold
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold is a sensei
of the Mountains and Rivers Order (MRO) founded by John Daido Loori
, from whom Shugen received shiho
in July 1997. 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 in Brooklyn
. He also manages the National Buddhist Prison Sangha, which started as The Zen Mountain Monastery Prison Program in 1984. The program is a loose network of various Buddhist organizations that connect prisoners with volunteers for correspondence. Volunteers may visit prisoners, or even begin meditation groups within prisons. Nondenominational in its affiliation, volunteers in the program come from a variety of Buddhist traditions and backgrounds. As of yet there are no programs available in female facilities.
Sensei
' is a Japanese word that basically means "person born before another." In general usage, it means "master" or "teacher," and the word is used as a title to refer to or address teachers, professors, professionals such as lawyers, CPA and doctors, politicians, clergymen, and other figures of authority...
of the Mountains and Rivers Order (MRO) founded by John Daido Loori
John Daido Loori
John Daido Loori was a Zen Buddhist rōshi who served as the abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery and was the founder of the Mountains and Rivers Order and CEO of Dharma Communications. Daido Loori received shiho from Taizan Maezumi in 1986 and also received a dendokyoshi certificate formally from the...
, from whom Shugen received shiho
Shiho
refers to a series of ceremonies in Sōtō Zen Buddhism wherein which a priest receives full transmission, inheriting the Dharma from his/her master and becoming empowered to transmit the precepts and lineage to others. A shiho ceremony can last anywhere from one to three weeks, with the final...
in July 1997. As a lineage holder in the Sōtō
Soto
Sōtō Zen , or is, with Rinzai and Ōbaku, one of the three most populous sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism.The Sōtō sect was first established as the Caodong sect during the Tang Dynasty in China by Dongshan Liangjie in the 9th century, which Dōgen Zenji then brought to Japan in the 13th century...
tradition, Shugen currently serves as head of MRO and abbot of the Zen Center of New York City in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. He also manages the National Buddhist Prison Sangha, which started as The Zen Mountain Monastery Prison Program in 1984. The program is a loose network of various Buddhist organizations that connect prisoners with volunteers for correspondence. Volunteers may visit prisoners, or even begin meditation groups within prisons. Nondenominational in its affiliation, volunteers in the program come from a variety of Buddhist traditions and backgrounds. As of yet there are no programs available in female facilities.