Description

In this episode of Awakening Streams, we dive into Mumonkan Case 10: Seizei the Poor, a profound koan that challenges our narratives of scarcity and reveals the abundance already present in our lives.

Seizei’s plea to Master Sōzan, "I am solitary and poor. Help me become prosperous," opens a powerful teaching on the nature of time, the stories we tell ourselves, and how stepping beyond dualistic thinking transforms our experience.

Key topics explored in this talk:

• The role of contradiction in shaping ideas and concepts (self/other, up/down, rich/poor).
• How practice transforms time into something boundless and malleable.
• Recognizing the “Hakka wine” of life—savoring the richness of this moment.
• Why saying, "I don’t have time to practice," is no different from saying, "I don’t have time to live."

This episode invites you to let go of judgments, conjectures, and refutations and step fully into the gap where life becomes whole, complete, and free.

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🪷 Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast
Teachings and reflections with Sensei Michael Brunner (Sōen) of One River Zen Center, 121 E Prospect St, Ottawa IL 61350.

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