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.