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PODCAST

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast

Sensei Michael Brunner, One River Zen

"Welcome to "Awakening Streams," the One River Zen Podcast, nestled in the serene beauty of Ottawa, IL, near the iconic Starved Rock State Park and just an hour"s drive from Chicago. Here, we invite you to embark on a journey of mindfulness, self-discovery, and spiritual awakening. Join us as we share insightful talks delivered at the One River Zen, where the tranquil ambiance of our region serves as the perfect backdrop for meditation, contemplation, and the exploration of timeless Zen and Dharma

religion & spirituality buddhism

All Episodes

00:12:21

Zen Kōan on Ego and Original Nature — Mountains,...

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/11/02

Zen 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

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00:16:34

Hōgen's Hair's-Breadth: Shōyōroku Case 17

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/10/22

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

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00:20:11

Song of the Grass Roof Hermitage | Part Four

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/10/09

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

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00:17:32

Song of the Grass Roof Hermitage | Part Three

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/10/08

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

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00:19:31

Song of the Grass Roof Hermitage | Part Two

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/10/08

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

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00:18:20

Song of the Grass Roof Hermitage | Part One

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/10/08

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

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00:19:24

Hyakujo's Fox | Mumonkan Case 2

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/10/06

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

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00:14:58

Where'd You Get this Dust?

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/08/04

🔔 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

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00:10:18

Let the Dust Settle | Shōyōroku Case 33

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/07/19

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

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00:18:36

The Radiant Thread of Being | Shōyōroku Case 67

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/07/15

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 knowingThe vision of radical interdependence found in Indra’s NetKarmic momentum and how it conditions our

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00:12:33

The Taste of the Ordinary: Beyond Buddhas and...

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/06/26

Title: 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

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00:11:27

Stop Trying to Understand, and See | Shōyōroku Case...

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/06/12

🎧 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

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00:13:38

Walking in Daylight | Hekiganroku Case 41

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/05/19

In 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

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00:15:13

Right Here. Now What? | Sensei Sōen Michael Brunner |...

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/03/29

🧘 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

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00:19:54

Taming the Monkey Mind: Shōyōroku Case 72 – Chuyu’s...

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/03/17

In 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

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00:15:56

Go Straight On: Seeing Through Illusion | Mumonkan...

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/03/04

In 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

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00:15:48

Seeking Meaning and the Empty Search | Blue Cliff...

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/02/16

We 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

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00:20:21

The True Person of No Rank: Breaking Free from the...

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/02/15

In 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

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00:17:07

Chanting the Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo: A Path to...

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/02/08

In 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

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00:14:01

Seeing Through the Eyes of the Universe | Mumonkan...

Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast ·

2025/02/02

In 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

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