Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast

Sensei 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 6...

Sensei 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, Ottaw...

Attention! 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...

Sensei 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: h...

Sensei 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 prac...

Sensei 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 mo...

Sensei 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....

Sensei 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 (Sō...

Sensei 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...

Sensei 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...

Sensei 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: htt...

Sensei 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...

Join 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 u...

Sensei 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, 12...

Sensei 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...

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://...