Zen Kōan on Ego and Original Nature — Mountains, Rivers, and the True Will
with 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 thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law” and John the Baptist’s “He must increase, I must decrease,” Sensei reveals how Zen transcends both self-assertion and self-erasure. This kōan becomes a living invitation to see the original nature that breathes through mountains, rivers, thoughts, and every ordinary moment.

💠 Recorded live at One River Zen, a Soto Zen Buddhist temple rooted in the lineage of Dainin Katagiri Roshi.
🎧 Learn more, view upcoming retreats, or join practice at www.oneriverzen.org.

Learn more, study with us, and meditate online at oneriverzen.org.

In 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: Hōgen questions, Shuzan repeats, Hōgen presses, Shuzan answers “I am just this,” and the line is spoken again — the same words, but now alive. The closing bow seals their intimacy. Sensei points to how this same movement appears in our zazen, relationships, fear, frustration, and aspiration; how even a fly landing on the scale can tilt the whole heart; and how the work is not to fix the tilt but to see the tilting mind clearly, without measuring or interference.

This episode asks the listener to locate the hair’s-breadth in their own life and to entrust the mind before division — allowing heaven and earth to bow together in the very act of seeing.

Learn more, study with us, and meditate online at oneriverzen.org.

In 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-knowing, the intimacy of self-forgetfulness, and the quiet joy of living freely within the very conditions we once tried to escape.

In this episode:
– Turning the light to shine within
– The return to simplicity and ordinariness
– The end of striving and the fullness of now
– The undying person in the hut
– The dissolution of host and guest

Recorded live during sesshin at One River Zen, this talk completes the Postcards from Sesshin series — reminding us that awakening is not found elsewhere, but right here in the skin bag of our own fleeting life.

I’ve built a grass hut where there’s nothing of value.
After eating, I relax and enjoy a nap.

When it was completed, fresh weeds appeared.
Now it’s been lived in—and it’s covered with weeds.

The person in the hut lives here calmly,
Not stuck to inside, outside, or in between.

Places worldly people live, he doesn’t live.
Realms worldly people love, he doesn’t love.

Though the hut is small, it includes the entire world.
In ten square feet, an old man illumines forms and their nature.

A great vehicle Bodhisattva trusts without doubt.
The middling or lowly can’t help wondering;
Will this hut perish or not?

Perishable or not, the original master is present,
Not dwelling south or north, east or west.
Firmly based on steadiness, it can’t be surpassed.

A shining window below the green pines—
Jade palaces or vermilion towers can’t compare.

Just sitting with head covered, all things are at rest.
Thus, this mountain monk doesn’t understand at all.

Living here, he no longer works to get free.
Who would proudly arrange seats, trying to entice guests?

Turn around the light to shine within,
Then just return.

The vast inconceivable source can’t be faced or turned away from.
Meet the ancestral teachers; be familiar with their instructions.
Bind grasses to build a hut and don’t give up.

Let go of hundreds of years and relax completely.
Open your hands and walk, innocent.

Thousands of words, myriad interpretations,
Are only to free you from obstructions.

If you want to know the undying person in the hut,
Don’t separate from this skin bag here and now.

🪷 Learn more: https://oneriverzen.org
 

#Zen #DharmaTalk #SekitoKisen #SongOfTheGrassRoofHermitage #MichaelBrunner #OneRiverZen #SotoZen #Zazen #AwakeningStreams #Sesshin #GrassRoofHut #TurningTheLightWithin #NotKnowing #Freedom #NonDuality #Fushiryo #Awakening #Stillness

Learn more, study with us, and meditate online at oneriverzen.org.

In 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 humility of not-knowing, the luminous beauty of sufficiency, and the natural freedom that arises when we stop striving to be free.

In this episode:
– Stability and ease as the ground of compassion
– The shining window beneath the green pines
– Not-knowing (fushiryo) as the heart of intimacy
– Living freely within delusion
– The host and guest returning to oneness

Recorded live during sesshin at One River Zen, this talk invites us to rest in simplicity — to sit, breathe, and allow life to express itself completely through us.

I’ve built a grass hut where there’s nothing of value.
After eating, I relax and enjoy a nap.

When it was completed, fresh weeds appeared.
Now it’s been lived in—and it’s covered with weeds.

The person in the hut lives here calmly,
Not stuck to inside, outside, or in between.

Places worldly people live, he doesn’t live.
Realms worldly people love, he doesn’t love.

Though the hut is small, it includes the entire world.
In ten square feet, an old man illumines forms and their nature.

A great vehicle Bodhisattva trusts without doubt.
The middling or lowly can’t help wondering;
Will this hut perish or not?

Perishable or not, the original master is present,
Not dwelling south or north, east or west.
Firmly based on steadiness, it can’t be surpassed.

A shining window below the green pines—
Jade palaces or vermilion towers can’t compare.

Just sitting with head covered, all things are at rest.
Thus, this mountain monk doesn’t understand at all.

Living here, he no longer works to get free.
Who would proudly arrange seats, trying to entice guests?

Turn around the light to shine within,
Then just return.

The vast inconceivable source can’t be faced or turned away from.
Meet the ancestral teachers; be familiar with their instructions.
Bind grasses to build a hut and don’t give up.

Let go of hundreds of years and relax completely.
Open your hands and walk, innocent.

Thousands of words, myriad interpretations,
Are only to free you from obstructions.

If you want to know the undying person in the hut,
Don’t separate from this skin bag here and now.

🪷 Learn more: https://oneriverzen.org
🎧 Awakening Streams: Teachings from One River Zen

#Zen #DharmaTalk #SekitoKisen #SongOfTheGrassRoofHermitage #MichaelBrunner #OneRiverZen #SotoZen #Zazen #AwakeningStreams #Stillness #NotKnowing #Fushiryo #Sesshin #GrassRoofHut #Embodiment #Dogen #Awakening

Learn more, study with us, and meditate online at oneriverzen.org.

In 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 space.

In this episode:
– The hut as a metaphor for boundless mind
– Dwelling in vastness while living simply
– The difference between worldly love and awakened love
– Letting the weeds grow as a form of practice
– Living in freedom where nothing is outside the Way

Recorded live during sesshin at One River Zen, this talk invites listeners to recognize that the true hermitage is not built apart from the world, but realized through it — in every sound, every breath, every fleeting moment of life.

I’ve built a grass hut where there’s nothing of value.
After eating, I relax and enjoy a nap.

When it was completed, fresh weeds appeared.
Now it’s been lived in—and it’s covered with weeds.

The person in the hut lives here calmly,
Not stuck to inside, outside, or in between.

Places worldly people live, he doesn’t live.
Realms worldly people love, he doesn’t love.

Though the hut is small, it includes the entire world.
In ten square feet, an old man illumines forms and their nature.

A great vehicle Bodhisattva trusts without doubt.
The middling or lowly can’t help wondering;
Will this hut perish or not?

Perishable or not, the original master is present,
Not dwelling south or north, east or west.
Firmly based on steadiness, it can’t be surpassed.

A shining window below the green pines—
Jade palaces or vermilion towers can’t compare.

Just sitting with head covered, all things are at rest.
Thus, this mountain monk doesn’t understand at all.

Living here, he no longer works to get free.
Who would proudly arrange seats, trying to entice guests?

Turn around the light to shine within,
Then just return.

The vast inconceivable source can’t be faced or turned away from.
Meet the ancestral teachers; be familiar with their instructions.
Bind grasses to build a hut and don’t give up.

Let go of hundreds of years and relax completely.
Open your hands and walk, innocent.

Thousands of words, myriad interpretations,
Are only to free you from obstructions.

If you want to know the undying person in the hut,
Don’t separate from this skin bag here and now.

🪷 Learn more: https://oneriverzen.org
 

#Zen #DharmaTalk #SekitoKisen #SongOfTheGrassRoofHermitage #MichaelBrunner #OneRiverZen #SotoZen #Zazen #AwakeningStreams #Compassion #NonDuality #GrassRoofHut #Stillness #Sesshin #Awakening

Learn more, study with us, and meditate online at oneriverzen.org.

In 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 around permanence and worth
– Living where there’s nothing to defend

Recorded live during sesshin at One River Zen, this talk begins the journey through Sekitō’s poem — a path from building, to dwelling, to awakening in the very heart of impermanence.

I’ve built a grass hut where there’s nothing of value.
After eating, I relax and enjoy a nap.

When it was completed, fresh weeds appeared.
Now it’s been lived in—and it’s covered with weeds.

The person in the hut lives here calmly,
Not stuck to inside, outside, or in between.

Places worldly people live, he doesn’t live.
Realms worldly people love, he doesn’t love.

Though the hut is small, it includes the entire world.
In ten square feet, an old man illumines forms and their nature.

A great vehicle Bodhisattva trusts without doubt.
The middling or lowly can’t help wondering;
Will this hut perish or not?

Perishable or not, the original master is present,
Not dwelling south or north, east or west.
Firmly based on steadiness, it can’t be surpassed.

A shining window below the green pines—
Jade palaces or vermilion towers can’t compare.

Just sitting with head covered, all things are at rest.
Thus, this mountain monk doesn’t understand at all.

Living here, he no longer works to get free.
Who would proudly arrange seats, trying to entice guests?

Turn around the light to shine within,
Then just return.

The vast inconceivable source can’t be faced or turned away from.
Meet the ancestral teachers; be familiar with their instructions.
Bind grasses to build a hut and don’t give up.

Let go of hundreds of years and relax completely.
Open your hands and walk, innocent.

Thousands of words, myriad interpretations,
Are only to free you from obstructions.

If you want to know the undying person in the hut,
Don’t separate from this skin bag here and now.

🪷 Learn more: https://oneriverzen.org
🎧 Awakening Streams: Teachings from One River Zen

#Zen #DharmaTalk #SekitoKisen #SongOfTheGrassRoofHermitage #MichaelBrunner #OneRiverZen #SotoZen #Zazen #AwakeningStreams #Simplicity #Impermanence #GrassRoofHut #Dharma

Learn more, study with us, and meditate online at oneriverzen.org.

In 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, and to discover that cause and effect are not chains, but the living fabric of awakening itself.

🪶 Themes explored:

Karma and the creative law of cause and effect

The illusion of spiritual escape

Meeting life directly as the field of practice

Freedom within ordinary circumstances

Listen, reflect, and join us in practice at OneRiverZen.org

Learn more, study with us, and meditate online at oneriverzen.org.

In 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?”

The story of Daikan Enō and the Sixth Ancestor transmission

Jinshū’s verse and the trap of self-perfection

Why true Zen practice dissolves form, hierarchy, and ambition

The nature of awakening as already complete

Practice as everyday life: pounding rice, catching bats, being present

Join our meditation community:
🕣 Monday–Friday at 6:30 AM CT
🌙 Wednesday Evening at 6:00 PM CT
🌅 Saturday Morning at 9:00 AM CT
💻 https://oneriverzen.org

Everyone is welcome—no experience needed.

If you find these talks meaningful, consider sharing with a friend or leaving a review to help others discover One River Zen.

🌐 Website: https://oneriverzen.org
📷 Instagram: @oneriverzen
 

Learn more, study with us, and meditate online at oneriverzen.org.

In 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, then I’ll tell you.”

What follows is not a philosophical debate, but a complete refusal to participate in spiritual theatrics. Seppō doesn’t reward the display. He doesn’t try to win. He just returns to what’s real: the responsibilities and humility of the present moment.

🪶 The Dust of Words
We often speak not to connect, but to perform, to be right, or to relieve internal pressure. But unless someone truly wants to hear—and unless we genuinely want to communicate—our words are just dust, stirring up confusion.

🎭 The Trap of Performance
Sanshō isn’t asking a real question—he’s performing realization. “What will you feed a golden carp like me?” Seppō sees this and refuses to feed the ego, even a “spiritual” one. Realization that demands applause is still caught.

🪓 The Compassionate Cut
Seppō’s response—“For this old monk, affairs do multiply”—isn’t a dodge. It’s a clear sword stroke that ends the game. He refuses to escalate, refuses to shame. He just stays rooted in his responsibility. That’s letting the dust settle.

🌊 What Is the Net?
Even when we think we’ve broken through—gotten free—the hook might still be in our mouth. The net we must slip is the one made of pride, identity, and the need to be affirmed.

🙏 Real Practice Begins Without Applause
When there’s nothing left to prove, no recognition coming, and no place to rest—can you still practice? That’s the entry point into real awakening.

“When there’s already heat and tension and pride that’s been bruised, trying to communicate from a platform of spiritual certainty is worse than useless.”

“You think you're free? You’re tangled up in yourself. I’m not going to feed this.”

“Seppō doesn’t reward the performance. He just keeps to the real: ‘I have things to do.’”

“There’s no food for the ego in true realization.”

“If there’s no safe place to rest, no recognition coming—can you still practice?”

This week, reflect on these questions:

When you speak, are you trying to connect—or to be right?

Where do you still crave recognition for your insight or experience?

Can you let the dust settle—internally and relationally—before speaking or acting?

Sit with this kōan. Watch your words. Notice the net.

The Book of Serenity (Shōyōroku), Case 33 – Sanshō’s Golden Carp

One River Zen – www.oneriverzen.org

Learn more about retreats, classes, and our upcoming Ango practice period.

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🌐 Website: www.oneriverzen.org
📸 Instagram: @oneriverzen
📍 Visit us in Ottawa, IL – or join us online.

Learn more, study with us, and meditate online at oneriverzen.org.

In 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 knowing

The vision of radical interdependence found in Indra’s Net

Karmic momentum and how it conditions our experience

Dōgen’s teaching on traceless enlightenment

The parable of the hidden jewel from the Lotus Sutra

How even confusion, pain, and delusion can be gateways to awakening

The importance of practice-enlightenment in everyday life

“Your life, just as it is, is that jewel sewn into your robe.”

Let go. Sit down. Realize what has always been yours.

–––

🪷 Learn more: https://oneriverzen.org
🧘‍♀️ Join us for morning meditation: 6:30am CST M–F, online and in-person

Learn more, study with us, and meditate online at oneriverzen.org.