We don’t chant to summon something outside of us—we chant to awaken what has always been here. The Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo is more than words; it is an invitation to step beyond hesitation and allow compassion to move through us.

To live by vow is to place our attention with intention, to meet suffering directly, and to transform it. But before we can do this, we must recognize what pulls us away.

We often cling to the illusion that we are nothing more than this physical body, bound by time and form. But next time you pass a cemetery, stop for a moment. Look—not because it is bad news, but because it is good news.

The Three Pure Precepts—Cease from Evil, Practice Good, and Practice Good for Others—are not rigid rules but a way of meeting life fully. Our judgments don’t just color reality—they become reality, shaping how we engage with the world.

Mumonkan Case 36 asks: If you meet a woman who has accomplished the Way, how will you greet her? The answer isn’t found in words or silence but in direct experience. When we truly meet what is before us, without hesitation, the gap between self and other disappears.

In Zen practice, compassion is not something we do—it is what we are. When Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, saw the suffering of the world, her head shattered under its weight. In response, she was reborn with a thousand arms, each bearing an eye in its palm. Eyes to see. Hands to act.

How often do we find ourselves wearing different masks—one for work, another for home, yet another for the sangha? These personas may seem harmless, but what happens when we hide parts of ourselves even from our own awareness? In this reflection, we explore the importance of aligning our inner and outer selves, bringing hidden aspects into the light of conscious awareness, and living with authenticity.

In this reflection, Sensei Michael Brunner shares how facing resistance—whether it’s the pull of the covers or the deeper habits of aversion—becomes the gateway to transformation. Learn how stepping into discomfort, both on and off the cushion, reveals the resources already within us to meet life with courage and clarity.

What is “Mu,” and why does it matter? In this reflection, we explore Joshu’s famous koan from the Mumonkan: “Does a dog have the Buddha nature?” Joshu’s simple response—“Mu”—is more than a word; it’s an invitation to go beyond our habitual thoughts and labels. How do we free ourselves from the fences we build with judgments and fears? How do we rediscover the vast openness of life?

“What about when sweeping out the dust, you see the Buddha?” Sensei Michael Brunner explores this timeless question from the 68th case of the Book of Serenity. Is the Buddha a concept to hold onto, or something far beyond? Through the interplay of Kasan and Sekisō’s responses, we explore the balance between practice and realization, relative and absolute, and the meeting point where life truly manifests.

When life feels like an endless cycle of appearances and disappearances, how do we find stability? In this teisho, we explore the subtle shift from concepts to direct experience, uncovering the boundless clarity that lies beyond the small self.