Dharma Talk – Illumined; Illumining: The Full Moon of Our Lives

On the occasion of the last full moon of this calendar year, Valerie turns to case 100 in the Blue Cliff Record or Hekiganroku. Speaking directly to our life and practice, Master Haryo (Baling), asks, "What is the sharpest sword? He himself answers, "Each branch of coral reflects the moon." How does that sharpest sword function and what does it have to do with the light of the moon? In the course of her talk, Valerie reflects on a recent sesshin in Germany then makes the turn toward Rohatsu, the deepest ingathering of the year at Zen centers around the world. The talk also includes a poem by Maelna Mörling from her forthcoming collection, 'Lumina Station.' Recorded on December 4th, 2025 Please consider supporting Mountain Cloud with a donation or becoming a member so we can continue to provide online programs such as this. Donations: https://www.mountaincloud.org/donate/ Become a member: https://www.mountaincloud.org/about/membership/