Mayoku Thumps His Staff — Right and Wrong in Zen | Book of Equanimity Case 16 | Sensei Michael Brunner
In this Zen teaching on Mayoku Thumps His Staff (Book of Equanimity Case 16), Sensei Michael Brunner explores how Zen challenges the mind’s need to label experience as right or wrong. The koan points to a deeper insight: wisdom appears when we stop interpreting life and meet it directly.
APPRECIATE THE LIFE THAT IS PRESENTING ITSELF RIGHT NOW
You keep waiting for life to calm down.
But what if this is the life you’re meant to appreciate?
SIT WITH WONDER AT YOUR OWN “SCAREDNESS”
What if fear isn’t something to push away…
…but something to examine closely?
YOU CAN PUT ALL THAT DOWN
You keep telling yourself:
“I’ll be okay when…”
But you’re already standing exactly where you need to be!
THAT OTHER LIFETIME IS RIGHT NOW
You’re waiting for the conditions to be right.
But what if this is the moment you’ve been waiting for?
STOP WAITING FOR THE APPLAUSE
Throughout your day, as you’re engaged in activity, there will be an occasional pause — an attempt to collect yourself and wait for the applause to come. Notice this is where your practice gets stuck.
BEFORE YOU FIX IT, LOOK AT WHAT’S NOT BROKEN
You’re about to spend the day fixing things.
But what if you’re not seeing the whole picture?
Full reflection inside.
SPEND ALL OF YOUR JOY TODAY
You think if you give too much away, you’ll have nothing left. What if that math is wrong?
Book of Equanimity Case 21 — Ungan Sweeps the Ground | Zen Teishō by Sensei Michael Brunner
In this teishō on Book of Equanimity Case 21, “Ungan Sweeps the Ground,” Sensei Sōen Michael Brunner examines how our mental commentary replaces direct experience.