Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., a Bodhisattva’s Living Legacy

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - 1/19/25 - Invoking the life and words of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Shugen Roshi celebrates his "living legacy": the power of love and its manifestation in the Beloved Community to heal a troubled world. He draws from King's speech on the "new phase of the civil rights struggle", given the year before his assassination, and his calls for an equality based on love to address disparity, poverty and injustice. Speaking from a Christian perspective, King's views resonate with the universal religious truths of interrelatedness, and the true freedom and equity that is an expression of wisdom and compassion. Such is the Bodhisattva's vow to put an end to the suffering of all beings. - This dharma talk was preceded by this year's MLK tribute presentation:  https://vimeo.com/1048203464 - Also, see the presentation from a few years ago by the People of African Descent (PAD) Affinity Group: "From Refuge to Sanctuary: an MRO Tribute to Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.": https://vimeo.com/666366222

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The Mountains and Rivers Order (MRO) is a Western Zen Buddhist lineage established by the late John Daido Loori Roshi and dedicated to sharing the dharma as it has been passed down, generation to generation, since the time of Shakyamuni Buddha. Zen Mountain Monastery, the main house of the Mountains and Rivers Order, is one of the West’s most respected Zen Buddhist monasteries and training centers. Nestled in New York’s beautiful Catskill Mountains, the Monastery draws its strength from the ancient tradition of Buddhist monasticism. Since 1980, the Monastery has offered spiritual practitioners traditional and innovative ways to engage the dharma through a wide range of retreats and residential programs that unfold within the context of authentic, full-time Zen monastic training. The Zen Center of New York City: Fire Lotus Temple is the city branch of Zen Mountain Monastery. Supporting home practitioners in the metropolitan area, ZCNYC offers varied practice opportunities within the Eight Gates training matrix.