In this powerful and honest reflection, Genpō shares how meditation became more than a practice—it became a path through trauma, anxiety, and the quiet weight of daily life. From his early struggles with identity to his years as a first responder, this talk traces a journey back to presence, wonder, and clarity.

“Sometimes healing doesn’t come from figuring things out—
It comes from finally seeing that they were just stories all along.”

What happens when we stop chasing realization and simply stand where we are? In this talk, Sensei Michael takes us deep into the mountains with Hofuku and Chōkei, where a single gesture reveals everything—and nothing.

This is not a story about arriving. It’s a call to intention. A reminder that true practice isn’t hidden in mystery—it’s alive in every step, if only we show up!

Your mind jumps from thought to thought like a restless monkey—but who are you when the monkey is silent? In this kōan, Chuyu offers a striking image: a monkey at the center of a room with six windows, responding to every call. Sensei Michael Brunner unpacks how we get caught in our own narratives—and how to step beyond them.

A monk asks for directions. An old woman gives him a simple answer. But as he walks away, she remarks, “This good honest priest goes off that way too.”

What did he miss? What did she see? And why does Jōshū say, “I’ve seen through the old woman for you”?

When we seek too hard, we often overlook what’s right in front of us.

Go straight on.

Before a pilot takes off, they check the wind, the visibility, the conditions as they are—not as they wish them to be. Yet in life, we often rush forward without this same awareness. What happens when we stop resisting and start working with reality as it unfolds? The key to soaring isn’t perfect conditions—it’s skillful navigation.

What happens when we stop grasping for meaning? What remains when we let go of the stories we attach to our suffering? The answers are not found in ideas—but in direct experience. In this new Dharma talk, Sensei Michael Brunner explores Hekiganroku Case 20: Ryūge Asks Suibi and Rinzai.

From the moment we are born, we begin constructing a self—layer by layer, shaped by experiences, fears, and societal expectations. But what happens when we start to see through this illusion?

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.