Zen Mountain Monastery is an American Zen Buddhist monastery and training center for monastics and lay practitioners of the Mountain and Rivers Order. An introductory weekend of Zen training is offered each month, as well as a week-long silent intensive meditation retreat (sesshin). Throughout the year, the regular daily schedule is supplemented with retreats in the Zen arts, martial arts, Buddhist studies, and other areas thought to be relevant and supportive to practitioners.
The ZMM is located among 250 acres of fields and forest, most of which is set aside as a preserve. It lies at the confluence of the Esopus and the Beaverkill Rivers, nestled at the base of the Tremper Mountain and surrounded by thousands of acres of the Catskill Forest Preserve. The main architecture feature is the 'Mainhouse' (hondô), an extraordinary four-story structure built at the end of the 19th century by a Catholic priest and Norwegian craftpeople. It was constructed from locally-mined bluestone and white oak from the Catskills. The Mainhouse is now the home of the meditation, dining and liturgy halls, offices, library and dormitories. The building was recognized for its historic value with an historic landmark designation by the State of New York in 1995.
There is not information available on the garden, except that it was designed by Stephen Morrell.
Good people of old
Looked oft at Mount Yoshino
And said that it was good.
Good people of our time,
Take a good look
At the good mountain of Yoshino!
Good people,
Take a good look!!
Emperor Temmu Manyôshû trans. by Charles Terry (?) 7th century
http://www.mro.org/zmm/zmm.shtml