Shows
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastThe Garuda Trap: How to Master Karmic Momentum and Sustain Presence🎧 Episode Notes: The Garuda TrapTitle: The Garuda Trap: How to Master Karmic Momentum and Sustain PresenceSpeaker: Sensei Michael Brunner (Founder, One River Zen, Ottawa, IL)Summary: What happens to your hard-won peace the moment you step off the cushion and back into your life? In this essential Zen talk, Sensei Michael Brunner dives into the perennial struggle of maintaining clarity against the immediate pull of habit energy. Using the compelling imagery of Case 44 of the Shōyōroku (Kōyō’s Garuda Bird), Sensei Michael reveals the Garuda Trap: that instantaneous surge of...
2025-11-2022 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastThe Stream of Unhindered Life: Compassion, Koans, and the Unstoppable Function🎧 Awakening Streams Episode NotesTitle: ZEN KOAN: The 2 Secrets of True Compassion | Sensei Michael BrunnerTeacher: Sensei Sōen Michael Brunner, Sōtō Zen Buddhist Priest (Lineage: Dainin Katagiri Roshi through Rev. Dr. Sojun Diane Martin Roshi).Community: One River Zen, Ottawa, Illinois.—CORE TEACHING: Throughout the BodyThis talk, given by Sensei Michael Brunner, challenges the idea that Zen practice is limited to the cushion. He connects the deepest spiritual teachings to the tangible work of One River Zen's community missions, Karuna Pantry and the soon-to-open David’s...
2025-11-1518 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastShōyōroku Case 19 | Ummon’s Mount Sumeru — A Zen Koan on Meeting the Obstacles of MindIn this episode, Sensei Michael Brunner of One River Zen Center in Ottawa, Illinois explores Shōyōroku Case 19 — Ummon’s Mount Sumeru, a profound Zen koan on how we meet the obstacles of the mind.When a monk asks, “When not producing a single thought, is there any fault or not?” Ummon replies, “Mount Sumeru.”What does it mean to encounter life’s difficulties as the mountain itself rather than something to climb over or escape?Sensei Michael unpacks this question through the lens of the Three Transformative Touchstones — maintaining wonder, including everything, and transforming s...
2025-11-0914 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastZen Kōan on Ego and Original Nature — Mountains, Rivers, and the True WillZen Kōan on Ego and Original Nature — Mountains, Rivers, and the True Willwith Sensei Sōen Michael Brunner, Abbot of One River Zen (Ottawa, Illinois)When every movement of the heart leans toward I want or I don’t want, how do we know what direction is true? In this Dharma talk, Sensei Sōen Michael Brunner turns to the final case of the Book of Equanimity — Rōya’s Mountains and Rivers — to explore how ego, will, and awakening unfold in daily life.Through the unlikely pairing of Aleister Crowley’s dictum “Do what...
2025-11-0212 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastHōgen's Hair's-Breadth: Shōyōroku Case 17In this talk Sensei Michael Brunner turns to Case 17 of the Shōyōroku — Hōren’s Hair’s-Breadth. The koan pivots on a single line from the Shin Jin Mei: “If there’s even a hair’s-breadth of difference, heaven and earth are clearly separated.” Rather than analyzing the line, Sensei shows how this “hair” is born in the instant we prefer, resist, explain, or try to understand. The moment we step back from what is happening and make an observer, heaven and earth fly apart.The exchange between Hōgen and Shuzan becomes a mirror for our own practice...
2025-10-2216 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastSong of the Grass Roof Hermitage | Part FourIn the final talk of this four-part series, Sensei Michael Brunner concludes his exploration of Sekitō Kisen’s Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage — the poem that traces the building, opening, and dissolving of the hermit’s mind of practice.Having built the hut, opened it to vastness, and rested in stillness, the hermit now turns the light inward and returns to what was never apart. This is the completion of the circle — the end of seeking, the recognition that practice and enlightenment are not two.Through Sekitō’s closing verses, Sensei reflects on the humility of not-knowi...
2025-10-0920 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastSong of the Grass Roof Hermitage | Part ThreeIn the third talk of this four-part series, Sensei Michael Brunner turns to the stillness at the heart of Sekitō Kisen’s Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage.Having built the hut and opened it to the vastness of the world, the hermit now abides within it — steady, simple, and free. From here, Sekitō speaks of the life that remains after awakening: a life of ordinariness, quiet joy, and deep compassion.Through verses such as “Firmly based on steadiness, it can’t be surpassed” and “Just sitting with head covered, all things are at rest,” Sensei explores the hum...
2025-10-0817 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastSong of the Grass Roof Hermitage | Part TwoIn the second talk of this four-part series, Sensei Michael Brunner continues his exploration of Sekitō Kisen’s Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage, turning to the widening vision of the awakened hermit.Where Part One built the hut — the dwelling of simplicity — Part Two opens its doors. The small hut now contains the entire world. The hermit’s heart, once enclosed by self and circumstance, dissolves into vastness.Through Sekitō’s verses, Sensei explores how realization naturally unfolds — how renunciation becomes inclusion, how separation softens into compassion, and how the whole world can dwell within a ten-foot spa...
2025-10-0819 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastSong of the Grass Roof Hermitage | Part OneIn the opening talk of this four-part series, Sensei Michael Brunner introduces Sekitō Kisen’s Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage — a timeless Zen poem about dwelling freely in the world just as it is.Sekitō’s first line, “I’ve built a grass hut where there’s nothing of value,” becomes a gateway into the mind of practice — simple, transparent, and unbound.In this episode:– Who Sekitō Kisen was and why his teaching endures– The meaning of the “grass hut” as the dwelling of awareness– How simplicity reveals true abundance– Letting go of the stories we build arou...
2025-10-0818 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastHyakujo's Fox | Mumonkan Case 2In this opening talk for the Ango Practice Period, Sensei Sōen Michael Brunner explores Hyakujo’s Fox (Mumonkan Case 2), one of Zen’s most mysterious and instructive koans.When a monk once answered that “the enlightened person does not fall under cause and effect,” he was reborn as a fox for 500 lifetimes. Through this story, Sensei examines how easily we misunderstand karma—as punishment, fate, or escape—and how true freedom is found by meeting life exactly as it is.This talk invites listeners to stop seeking freedom elsewhere, to step fully into their circumstances...
2025-10-0619 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastWhere'd You Get this Dust?🔔 OverviewIn this Dharma talk, Sensei Sōen Michael Brunner takes us deep into the Platform Sūtra and the legendary verse contest between Jinshū and Daikan Enō. Through vivid storytelling and lived insight, Sensei explores how the desire to “polish the mirror” of the self can subtly undermine our realization of Buddha Nature.The talk is both grounded and profound, moving from a humorous account of a temple bat rescue to the core question that still echoes through Zen halls today:“Where did you get this dust?”🧘 Key ThemesThe story of Daika...
2025-08-0514 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastLet the Dust Settle | Shōyōroku Case 33In this episode of Awakening Streams, Sensei Sōen Michael Brunner reflects on the often unnoticed energy behind our words and the subtle traps we fall into when speaking from pride, performance, or certainty. Through the lens of Case 33 from the Book of Serenity, we’re invited to confront the question:What happens when the desire to be seen replaces the desire to connect?Sanshō comes to Seppō with the declaration that he has passed through all the nets—the traps of Dharma, koans, concepts. But Seppō replies, “I’ll wait until you get out of the net...
2025-07-1910 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastThe Radiant Thread of Being | Shōyōroku Case 67In this teisho from sesshin, Sensei Sōen Michael Brunner explores Case 67 of the Book of Equanimity: The Avatamsaka Sutra’s Wisdom. Shakyamuni Buddha proclaims that all sentient beings are already endowed with the Tathagata’s wisdom and virtue—but due to deluded thoughts and attachments, they fail to realize it.Topics covered in this talk include:The liberating power of wonder over mere knowingThe vision of radical interdependence found in Indra’s NetKarmic momentum and how it conditions our experienceDōgen’s teaching on traceless enlightenmen...
2025-07-1518 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastThe Taste of the Ordinary: Beyond Buddhas and Ancestors | Shōyōroku, Case 78Title: The Taste of the Ordinary: Beyond Buddhas and AncestorsTeacher: Sensei Michael BrunnerKoan Source: Case 78 of the Shōyōroku (Book of Equanimity) – “Umon’s Farm Rice Cake”In this Dharma talk delivered during a Zen retreat, Sensei Michael Brunner reflects on the deeply ordinary yet radically transformative nature of awakening.A monk asks Master Umon, “What is the speech that transcends the Buddhas and goes beyond the ancestors?” Umon answers with stunning simplicity: “Farm rice cake.”What unfolds from that exchange is an invitation to stop chasing the extraordinary and...
2025-06-2712 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastStop Trying to Understand, and See | Shōyōroku Case 80: Ryuge Passes the Chin Rest🎧 Ryūge Passes the Chin Rest: When Even "No Meaning" Becomes a TrapSeries: Dharma Talks from One River ZenSpeaker: Sensei Michael BrunnerKoan Source: Book of Equanimity, Case 80🪷 Episode Summary:Ryūge asks the same question twice and gets struck twice. His response? “There’s still no meaning in the Patriarch’s coming from the West.” But what if even that response is still part of the trap?In this talk, Sensei Michael explores how we turn realization into a fixed stance—how we cling to the language of awakening instead...
2025-06-1211 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastWalking in Daylight | Hekiganroku Case 41In this talk, Sensei Michael Brunner works with Case 41 from the Blue Cliff Record, where Joshu asks: “When one who has experienced the great death comes back to life, then what?” The reply—“It is not permitted to go at night”—opens the gate to a teaching on vulnerability, presence, and the courage to meet life without pretense.This episode explores:The “great death” as the dropping away of the constructed selfWhy patching the old narrative keeps us boundDōgen’s teaching: “When you encounter hardships, think of them as the body of the Bu...
2025-05-1913 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastRight Here. Now What? | Sensei Sōen Michael Brunner | Hekigan-roku – Case 23🧘 Episode Notes – Right Here. Now What?Sensei Sōen Michael BrunnerHekigan-roku – Case 23: Hofuku’s Summit of Mystic PeakIn this talk, Sensei Sōen Michael Brunner guides us into the subtle terrain of Blue Cliff Record Case 23, where a seemingly simple exchange—“Right here is the summit of Mystic Peak” / “What a pity”—opens the entire question of realization, intention, and embodiment.Drawing from the rich imagery of Hofuku, Chōkei, and Setchō’s commentary, this episode explores:How conceptualizing awakening turns it into “smelly saltwater”The essential role of great intenti...
2025-03-2915 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastTaming the Monkey Mind: Shōyōroku Case 72 – Chuyu’s MonkeyIn this episode, Sensei Michael Brunner explores Shōyōroku Case 72 – Chuyu’s Monkey, a Zen kōan that reveals how our grasping mind—like a restless monkey—constantly reacts, interprets, and shapes our experience. But what happens when the monkey is asleep? Who are we beyond the endless mental commentary?Through humor, direct insight, and Zen practice, we examine:The six windows and the monkey—what they represent in Yogācāra thoughtHow the mind constructs narratives and why we get caught in themWhat happens when we step beyond concepts into direct experienceHow Zen practice helps us meet l...
2025-03-1719 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastGo Straight On: Seeing Through Illusion | Mumonkan Case 31In this episode, Sensei Sōen Michael Brunner explores Mumonkan Case 31, where a monk asks an old woman for directions to Mount Tai. She tells him, “Go straight on.” But as he walks away, she remarks, “This good honest priest goes off that way too.” When Jōshū investigates, he simply says, “I’ve seen through the old woman for you.”What did the monk miss? What was the old woman revealing? And why does seeking so often blind us to what’s already here?This teisho dives into how our grasping for certainty obscures direct experience...
2025-03-0415 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastSeeking Meaning and the Empty Search | Blue Cliff Record Case 20We spend so much of our lives searching for meaning—trying to fit our struggles into a grand narrative, hoping for an explanation that will make sense of it all. But what if the search itself is what keeps us trapped?In this episode, Sensei Michael Brunner explores Hekiganroku Case 20: Ryūge Asks Suibi and Rinzai, where a monk asks the age-old question, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from the West?" Instead of receiving an answer, he is struck. Why? Because Zen does not deal in intellectual understanding—it points directly to what is....
2025-02-1615 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastThe True Person of No Rank: Breaking Free from the Illusion of SelfIn this episode, Sensei Michael Brunner explores Shōyōroku Case 38, where Rinzai challenges us to see the true person of no rank—the one who moves freely, unbound by illusion.We spend our lives constructing a self, reinforcing it with experiences, roles, and beliefs. But what happens when that self collapses? What remains when there’s nothing left to defend?🔹 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:How pain and fear shape our identitiesWhy our self-image is an illusion reinforced by othersRinzai’s direct teaching on cutting through the construct of selfWhy awakening is not an att...
2025-02-1520 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastChanting the Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo: A Path to Boundless LifeIn this episode, Sensei Michael Brunner explores the Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo, a ten-phrase sutra dedicated to Kanzeon (Avalokiteśvara), the Bodhisattva of Compassion.🔹 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:The power of chanting beyond intellectual understandingHow Kanzeon embodies both deep listening and actionThe role of rhythm, breath, and resonance in dissolving the small selfWhy compassion is not something we do—but something we becomeThe transformative impact of chanting in Zen practiceEnmei Jukku Kannon Gyo (延命十句観音経)KanzeonNamu ButsuYo Butsu U InYo Butsu U EnBu Po So EnJo Raku...
2025-02-0817 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastSeeing Through the Eyes of the Universe | Mumonkan Case 36In this talk, Sensei Michael Brunner examines the Three Pure Precepts as a practice of seeing beyond the limitations of self and other. Rather than moral commandments, these precepts serve as a dynamic way of engaging with the world, allowing us to break free from conditioned narratives and step into direct experience.The talk explores how our judgments shape perception, how the gap between self and other is self-imposed, and how true compassion arises naturally when separation dissolves. Using Mumonkan Case 36, Sensei Michael challenges us: If we meet a fully awakened being, how do we greet them...
2025-02-0214 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastThe Hand That Moves: Zen and the Nature of True CompassionIn this talk, Sensei Michael Brunner explores the nature of true compassion through the lens of Shōyōroku Case 54. Ungan asks Dōgo about the function of Avalokiteśvara’s thousand hands and eyes, and Dōgo responds with a powerful image: “It’s like a man reaching for his pillow in the dark.” No hesitation. No calculation. Just movement.But what does this mean for our daily lives? How do we move beyond conceptual thinking and into the uncontrived, effortless action of compassion? Sensei Michael unpacks this koan with insights from Dōgen’s Tenzo Kyōkun, showing...
2025-02-0111 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastThe Gateway of Mu | Mumonkan 1In this episode, Sensei Michael Brunner of One River Zen takes us into the heart of Zen practice with the first case of the Mumonkan (Gateless Gate), Joshu’s “Mu.” This foundational koan isn’t just a barrier to be overcome—it’s an invitation to go beyond concepts, labels, and fears to discover the boundless clarity and freedom that lies at the core of our lives.Sensei Michael shares how we fence ourselves in with judgments, create barriers with our thoughts, and how “Mu” clears the way for us to reconnect with the wonder and curiosity we were born wit...
2025-01-2612 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastSweeping out the Dust, Finding the Buddha | Shōyōroku 68In this episode, Sensei Michael Brunner of One River Zen explores Case 68 from the Shōyōroku (Book of Equanimity), “Kasan’s Slashing Sword.” Through the contrasting teachings of Kasan and Sekisō, this teisho examines key Zen concepts such as:The interplay between practice and realizationThe dynamic balance of relative and absolute truthsMoving beyond dualistic thinking to embody the DharmaThe transformative power of cutting through illusionsActualizing wisdom and compassion in the present momentSensei Michael also reflects on the nature of karmic momentum, the importance of embracing life's challenges, and how true practice allows us to meet life full...
2025-01-2613 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastJoshu meets Wittgenstein: Beyond Knowing, Into Being | Shōyōroku 57In this episode of Awakening Streams, Sensei Michael Brunner explores the profound intersection of Zen wisdom and Western philosophy, focusing on the teachings of Zen master Joshu and philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein.Drawing from Joshu’s koan in the Shoyoroku (Case 57), “Genyo’s One Thing,” and Wittgenstein’s insights in the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and Philosophical Investigations, Sensei Michael examines the limits of language, the pitfalls of clinging to concepts, and the liberating power of letting go. Through stories, teachings, and even a nod to Tom Petty’s song “I Need to Know,” this episode highlights how our attachment to knowing obscu...
2025-01-1113 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastTimeless Abundance: The Wine of This MomentIn 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 tra...
2025-01-0414 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastSeeds of Sorrow–Harvest of JoyIn this heartfelt episode, Sensei Michael Brunner delivers a teisho exploring the transformative power of Zen practice in the face of personal challenges. Sharing openly about his affair and its impact on his family, Sangha, and practice, Sensei illustrates how mistakes are not deviations from the path but integral to it. Guided by Roshi Diane Martin, supported by Hoshi Vanessa, and embraced by the Sangha, this journey through suffering became a profound opportunity for growth and awakening.Key topics discussed in this episode include:Dōgen’s teachings on mistakes: How even a “false step” is part of...
2024-12-2814 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastCarl Jung Meets Master Zuigan: The Dialogue WithinIn this episode, Sensei Michael takes us on a journey into Mumonkan Case 12: Zuigan Calls Himself Master, weaving the timeless wisdom of Zen with the psychological insights of Carl Jung. Through Zuigan’s unusual practice of calling out to himself and Jung’s exploration of the shadow and individuation, we uncover the deeper truth of our fragmented selves and the path to integration.With the holiday season as a backdrop, Sensei Michael explores how karmic grooves, old patterns, and unresolved dynamics can dominate our lives—and how to find the Master within to navigate these challenges with clarit...
2024-12-0918 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastSozan Shows Heidegger the WayIn this episode of Awakening Streams, Sensei Michael Brunner examines Shoyoroku Case 87, "Sozan's With or Without," through the lens of Zen and Martin Heidegger’s existential philosophy. Sensei explores how both traditions challenge our reliance on conceptual clinging and habitual ways of knowing, urging us to step into a direct and authentic encounter with reality.Key Points Discussed:The Gravity of Knowing: How our questions about existence often become tangled in conceptual clinging, keeping us trapped within the limits of reason.Heidegger’s Insight: An introduction to das Man (“the They” or “the One”), inauthentic being, and the Kehr...
2024-12-0920 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastObedience to Reality: Letting Go of Ego and ResistanceIn this episode of Awakening Streams, Sensei Michael Brunner reflects on Case 4 of the Sanshekishu, "Obedience," featuring the timeless teachings of Master Bankei. This case tells the story of a proud Nichiren priest who challenges Bankei, only to have his resistance gently unraveled through simple instructions.Sensei dives deep into the heart of this story, exploring:The nature of ego and how it binds us to repetitive patterns.Why true freedom lies not in control but in letting go of judgments and expectations.How obedience in Zen is about aligning with reality rather than submitting to...
2024-11-2312 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastEmbracing Every (Mis)stepIn this episode of Awakening Streams, Sensei Michael explores the transformative power of missteps on the spiritual path. Far from being obstacles, our mistakes are opportunities to deepen our practice, embrace humility, and awaken to the present moment.Sensei shares insights from Zen teachings, including Dōgen's concept of uji (being-time), reminding us that every moment—including those we might label as failures—is a complete and perfect expression of our path. Through stories, reflections, and practical advice, you'll learn how to:Reframe mistakes as integral parts of your journey.Let go of perfectionism and self-judgment.Culti...
2024-11-1611 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastPut It Down: Embracing Compassion Beyond JudgmentIn this teisho titled "Put It Down: Embracing Compassion Beyond Judgment," Sensei Michael Brunner explores Shasekishu Case 14, "Muddy Road." This Zen case brings us face-to-face with the challenges of releasing guilt, shame, and the stories we cling to about ourselves and others. Sensei Brunner encourages us to examine how judgments and labels often obscure the reality of the present moment, keeping us bound to suffering.Through the lens of "Muddy Road," we learn how to soften these boundaries, letting go of rigid ideas and allowing compassion to arise naturally. This practice becomes a way of moving beyond...
2024-11-0913 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastResponding to the Call: Finding Freedom in DisciplineIn this episode, Sensei Michael Brunner delivers a powerful teisho from our Zen of Recovery Retreat, examining Shōyōroku Case 16, "The Sound of the Bell and the Seven-Piece Robe." Sensei discusses how discipline and freedom come together in Zen practice, emphasizing the importance of being fully present and responding to life as it unfolds—without the interference of our judgments or the habitual stories we tell ourselves.This talk explores how labels and judgments shape our experience, often controlling us, and how letting go of these limitations can open us up to the vast possibilities of life...
2024-11-0510 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastAwakening the Master Within: Breaking Free and Leading the WayIn this teisho from our Zen of Recovery retreat, Sensei Michael Brunner dives into the teachings of Sansheki-shu, Case 2: "Finding a Diamond on a Muddy Road." The story of Zen master Gudo and a gambler in desperate need of transformation serves as the foundation for a profound exploration of awakening. Sensei emphasizes that the master we seek is already within us and that our true nature can only be revealed by letting go of the small self, with its limitations and judgments.Through the virtues of honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness, we can see clearly, move beyond our...
2024-11-0423 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastSeeing Beyond Concepts: Embracing Life’s Boundless MysteryIn today’s teisho, Sensei Michael Brunner examines Shōyōroku Case 91, Nansen’s Peony, a classic koan that questions the nature of reality and our habitual tendencies to divide and categorize our experience. Through Nansen’s response to Riko Taifu’s statement about the unity of all things, Sensei illuminates how our minds draw boundaries between “real” and “unreal,” and “self” and “other,” creating a fragmented view of life.Rather than getting caught up in the endless cycle of judgment and labeling, Sensei encourages us to let go of our grasping and dwell in the seamless reality of the present mom...
2024-10-2611 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastKnock Down the Flagpole: Letting Go of Expectations and Awakening to LifeIn this teisho, Sensei Michael Brunner draws on Case 22 from the Mumonkan, Kashyapa’s Knock Down the Flagpole, to explore the nature of awakening and the importance of letting go of our deeply held expectations and self-concepts. Through the dialogue between Ananda and Mahakashyapa, we’re invited to reflect on what it means to release the notion of who we think we are, to drop our ego, and to meet life as it truly is.Sensei shares the deeper meaning behind Mahakashyapa’s instruction to “knock down the flagpole,” explaining that enlightenment isn't something to be achieved or worn li...
2024-10-2115 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastWandering in the Mountains: Living Fully"Wandering in the Mountains: Living Fully with Positive Samadhi"In this episode, Sensei Michael Brunner reflects on the kōan from the Hekiganroku (Blue Cliff Record), Case 36: Chōsha Wandering in the Mountains. Through this powerful teaching, Sensei explains the difference between positive samadhi—the experience of fully living in the present—and absolute samadhi, which signifies the dissolution of the self in death.Sensei discusses how Zen practice is about embracing life as it unfolds, without getting caught up in expectations or intellectual judgments. He encourages us to stop living in the storylines we’ve creat...
2024-10-1921 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastEmbracing the Present: Letting Go of Stories and Finding Compassion"Embracing the Present: Letting Go of Stories and Finding Compassion"In today’s episode, Sensei Michael Brunner offers a powerful teisho based on Shoyoroku Case 14, "Attendant Kaku Serves Tea." Through this ancient Zen encounter, Sensei explores the core teaching of letting go of our habitual stories, judgments, and expectations to embrace the clarity of the present moment.Key insights include:The practice of bearing witness to our lives without the filters of the small selfThe dynamic exchange between teacher and student as a mirror for wisdomHow compassion naturally arises from emptiness and present-moment awarenessPractical re...
2024-10-1212 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastPractice as if Your Life Depends on It | Shōyorōku Case 32 | Kyōzan's State of MindIn this episode, Sensei Michael shares reflections from the closing of a September 2024 sesshin at One River Zen. As the retreat draws to a close, he explores the powerful insights that arise when we step out of the stories we've created about ourselves and engage with the present moment. Drawing from Shōyōroku Case 32, "Kyōzan’s State of Mind," Sensei Michael invites us to observe our thoughts and experience life directly, without being swept away by mental constructs.The episode also weaves in the teachings of Carl Jung from his Red Book, emphasizing the importance of le...
2024-10-1113 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastSurrender | Shōyorōku Case #59 | Seirin’s Deadly SnakeCase #59 of the Shoyoroku – Seirin’s Deadly Snake:Attention! A monk asked Master Seirin, “How about when a student proceeds on the trail?” Seirin replied, “The dead snake hits the great road. I advise you not to bump into it.” The monk said, “When it’s bumped into, then what?” Seirin answered, “You lose your life!” The monk continued, “When it’s not bumped into, then what?” And Seirin said, “There’s no place to dodge to.” The monk said, “At that very moment, then what?” Seirin replied, “It has been lost.” The monk then said, “I wonder where it’s gone.” And Seirin responde...
2024-03-1114 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastDaring Greatly | Mumonkan Case #46 | Stepping from the Top of a PoleCASE 46: Stepping Forward From the Top of a PoleCase:Master Sekiso said, “How will you step forward from the top of a hundred-foot pole?”Another eminent master of old said, “Even though one who is sitting on the top of ahundred-foot pole has entered realization, it is not yet real. He must step forward from thetop of the pole and manifest his whole body throughout the world in ten directions.”
🪷 Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastTeachings and reflections with Sensei Michael Bru...
2024-02-2826 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastFinding the Way | Mumonkan Case #19 | Ordinary Mind is the WaySensei Michael discusses the nineteenth case of The Gateless Gate: Ordinary Mind is the Way. He stresses the importance of not looking at a spiritual path as something extra - instead finding it in every moment of our lived experience. 🪷 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.
🌐 Learn more & join practice: https://www.oneriverzen.org
🎧 Listen to more episodes: Awakening Streams Podcast
🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate
#SenseiMichaelBrunner #MichaelBrunnerOttawa #OneRiverZen #ZenKoan
#ZenPodcast #OttawaIL #SotoZen
2024-02-1214 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastBanzo's Sword | Shaseki-shu Case #91 | The Taste of Banzo's SwordSensei Michael Shikan Brunner Discusses case number ninety-one from the Shaseki-shu - "The Taste of Banzo's Sword." Sensei teaches that when we devote ourselves fully to being open, we find the unexpected always bringing us joy and richness.
🪷 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.
🌐 Learn more & join practice: https://www.oneriverzen.org
🎧 Listen to more episodes: Awakening Streams Podcast
🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate
#SenseiMichaelBrunner #MichaelBrunnerOttawa #OneRiverZen #ZenKoan
#ZenPodcast #OttawaIL #SotoZen
2024-01-2413 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastIn Living Color | Shoyoroku Case #6 | Baso's White and BlackAttention! A monk once asked Baso, “Your reverence, abandoning the four propositions and wiping out the hundred negations, please point out to me directly the meaning of Bodhidharma’s coming from the West.” Baso said, “I don’t feel like explaining to you today. Go ask Chizo.” The monk then went to ask Chizo, and Chizo said, “Why don’t you ask the master?” The monk said, “The master told me to ask you.” Rubbing his head with his hand, Chizo said, “I’ve got a headache today. Go and ask Brother Kai.” The monk asked Kai, and Kai said, “Ever since I have bee...
2024-01-2216 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastWhat Loving-kindness? | Shasekishū Case #6 | No Loving-kindnessSensei Michael gives a Dharma Talk about letting go of our judgements about self and others as a prerequisite to awakening. Case six of the Record of Stone and Sand is discussed: No Loving-kindness 🪷 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.
🌐 Learn more & join practice: https://www.oneriverzen.org
🎧 Listen to more episodes: Awakening Streams Podcast
🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate
#SenseiMichaelBrunner #MichaelBrunnerOttawa #OneRiverZen #ZenKoan
#ZenPodcast #OttawaIL #SotoZen
2024-01-1312 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastWorking With the Flow | Hekiganroku Case #80 | Joshu's Newborn BabySensei Michael gives a Dharma Talk about cutting through the rough turbulence of the mind to find our True Self in this very moment. Case eighty of the Blue Cliff Record is discussed: Joshu's Newborn Baby 🪷 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.
🌐 Learn more & join practice: https://www.oneriverzen.org
🎧 Listen to more episodes: Awakening Streams Podcast
🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate
#SenseiMichaelBrunner #MichaelBrunnerOttawa #OneRiverZen #ZenKoan
#ZenPodcast #OttawaIL #SotoZen
2023-12-2708 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastFreedom from Other | Hekiganroku Case #57 | Joshu's NondiscriminationSensei Michael discusses our inalienable intimacy with our lived experience through case fifty-seven of the Blue Cliff Record: "Joshu's Nondiscrimination." 🪷 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.
🌐 Learn more & join practice: https://www.oneriverzen.org
🎧 Listen to more episodes: Awakening Streams Podcast
🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate
#SenseiMichaelBrunner #MichaelBrunnerOttawa #OneRiverZen #ZenKoan
#ZenPodcast #OttawaIL #SotoZen
2023-12-2011 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastThe Path is the Goal | Shaseki-shu Case #37 | Publishing the SutrasSensei Michael Shikan Brunner Discusses case number thirty-seven from the Shaseki-shu - "Publishing the Sutras." Sensei teaches on the importance of living your life true to your intentions rather than some distant or lofty goals. 🪷 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.
🌐 Learn more & join practice: https://www.oneriverzen.org
🎧 Listen to more episodes: Awakening Streams Podcast
🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate
#SenseiMichaelBrunner #MichaelBrunnerOttawa #OneRiverZen #ZenKoan
#ZenPodcast #OttawaIL #SotoZen
2023-12-0716 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastBeyond Ideas | Mumokan Case #29 | Not the Wind, Not the FlagSensei Michael Shikan Brunner speaks during the 2023 Ango Sesshin to his students about case twenty-nine of the Gateless Gate: "Not the Wind, Not the Flag". The case inspires us to look beyond our ideas of how things are or should be and truly appreciate all that is present right here and now. 🪷 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.
🌐 Learn more & join practice: https://www.oneriverzen.org
🎧 Listen to more episodes: Awakening Streams Podcast
🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate
#Sense...
2023-12-0615 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastOpening to Life | Hekiganroku Case #43 | No Cold or HeatSensei Michael speaks to students during day two of the 2023 Rohatsu Sesshin about Blue Cliff Record case forty-three: "No Cold or Heat". The importance of moving beyond our judgements and preferences and truly opening to our lived experience is discussed in this case of the Hekiganroku. 🪷 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.
🌐 Learn more & join practice: https://www.oneriverzen.org
🎧 Listen to more episodes: Awakening Streams Podcast
🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate
#SenseiMichaelBrunner #MichaelBrunnerOttawa #OneRiverZen #ZenKoan
#ZenPodcast #OttawaIL #Sot
2023-12-0513 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastSeeing Beyond | Mumonkan Case #31 | Joshu Sees Through an Old WomanSensei Michael speaks during the 2023 Rohatsu Sesshin on case 31 of the Gateless Gate, Joshu Sees Through an Old Woman. Ultimately, we need to see past all of our ideas, judgements, and labels to really open to and appreciate our lives. 🪷 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.
🌐 Learn more & join practice: https://www.oneriverzen.org
🎧 Listen to more episodes: Awakening Streams Podcast
🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate
#SenseiMichaelBrunner #MichaelBrunnerOttawa #OneRiverZen #ZenKoan
#ZenPodcast #OttawaIL #SotoZen
2023-12-0417 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastLet Go and Live! | Mumonkan Case #38 | A Buffalo Passes Through a WindowSensei Michael Brunner engages in a discussion with his formal students during the 2023 Ango Practice Period about Case #38 in the Mumonkan, or Gateless Gate: The Buffalo Passes Through a Window. 🪷 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.
🌐 Learn more & join practice: https://www.oneriverzen.org
🎧 Listen to more episodes: Awakening Streams Podcast
🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate
#SenseiMichaelBrunner #MichaelBrunnerOttawa #OneRiverZen #ZenKoan
#ZenPodcast #OttawaIL #SotoZen
2023-12-0110 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastTaking the Plunge | Life Beyond RegretSensei Michael Brunner engages in a discussion with his formal students during the 2023 Ango Practice Period about living life beyond regret. He draws inspiration from the insights of Bronnie Ware, an Australian nurse who intimately cared for individuals in the final 12 weeks of their lives. Ware compiled the top five regrets expressed by the dying. Sensei skillfully juxtaposes these regrets with Buddhism's Five Great Fears, illuminating a path towards a life that matters, emphasizing the importance of living beyond the confines of regret. 🪷 Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast
Teachings and reflections with Sensei Michael Brunner (Sōen) of One
...
2023-11-2528 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastDying the Great Death | Book of Equanimity Case #63, Joshu Asks About DeathJoin Sensei Michael in this episode as he delves into the profound concept of embracing the death of the small self. Drawing from his own transformative journey through Zen Practice, he illuminates the significance of this path in finding true appreciation for life. Exploring the wisdom encapsulated in case 63 of the Shōyōroku, "Joshu Asks About Death," Sensei Michael offers insights that invite us to contemplate our existence and the essence of living fully. 🪷 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 613...
2023-11-2112 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastIs that (really) so? | Book of Equanimity Case #36, Master Ma is UnwellSensei Michael Brunner addresses his formal students at a gathering during Ango 2023 to discuss the importance of practice and the virtue of equanimity through case 36 of the Shōyōroku: Master Ma is Unwell. Case 3 of the Shaseki-shu is also discussed: Is that so? 🪷 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.
🌐 Learn more & join practice: https://www.oneriverzen.org
🎧 Listen to more episodes: Awakening Streams Podcast
🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate
#SenseiMichaelBrunner #MichaelBrunnerOttawa #OneRiverZen #ZenKoan
#ZenPodcast #OttawaIL #SotoZen
2023-11-1934 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastLife Beyond the Self | Blue Cliff Record Case #36, Roaming the MountainsSensei Michael discusses fully immersing ourselves into our practice and our lives - losing the cares and concerns of the constructed "small self." The koan examined is case #36 of the Hekiganroku - Roaming the Mountains. 🪷 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.
🌐 Learn more & join practice: https://www.oneriverzen.org
🎧 Listen to more episodes: Awakening Streams Podcast
🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate
#SenseiMichaelBrunner #MichaelBrunnerOttawa #OneRiverZen #ZenKoan
#ZenPodcast #OttawaIL #SotoZen
2023-11-1509 min
Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastAm I Dreaming? Blue Cliff Record Case #40, Nansen's "This Flower"In this episode, Sensei Michael Discusses Case #40 of the Hekiganrou, "Nansen's This Flower". We examine the difference between genuinely embracing your life and living in your expectations. 🪷 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.
🌐 Learn more & join practice: https://www.oneriverzen.org
🎧 Listen to more episodes: Awakening Streams Podcast
🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate
#SenseiMichaelBrunner #MichaelBrunnerOttawa #OneRiverZen #ZenKoan
#ZenPodcast #OttawaIL #SotoZen
2023-11-1315 min