Zen practice isn’t a shield to protect us from life’s challenges—it’s an invitation to meet them fully. In this talk, we explore the timeless question, “Why am I here?” through the lens of Joshu’s koan, “The oak tree in the garden.”

Discover how letting go of the “why” and immersing yourself in what’s right in front of you can transform life’s struggles into nourishment—not just for yourself, but for everyone around you.

What do a Zen master and a philosopher of language have in common? Joshu’s razor-sharp koans and Wittgenstein’s probing questions both point us beyond the limits of knowing. In this post, explore how their insights invite us to step out of conceptual thinking and into the boundless freedom of direct experience. Can we throw away our need to know and truly join the dance of life?

Discover the magic wand you already possess—the power of awareness. Learn how to transform suffering, bring comfort, and manifest wisdom in this inspiring reflection on mindful living!

Discover how examining the stories we retreat into can transform our practice into a seamless harmony of realization and everyday life. Explore the path to balance, courage, and equanimity in this inspiring reflection.

Sensei Michael Brunner reminds us that life demands action—whether it’s the work of bearing witness or the discipline of training. Standing still is not an option. Dive into this Early Morning Light reflection and discover the call to saddle up and ride!

When we’re stuck in a mindset of scarcity, life moves too fast. There’s never enough time, and we feel like we’re drowning in the current. But when we step into the gap, time transforms. It slows down, opens up, and reveals its true nature. Suddenly, we have all the time we need—not to accomplish everything on some endless list, but to be fully present with what’s here.

Our mistakes are not deviations from the path; they are the path. In reflecting on his own misstep—an affair that caused immense pain—Sensei Michael shares how the process of facing it openly, guided by deep practice and the support of his teacher Roshi Diane Martin, brought profound transformation. Mistakes, when worked with instead of avoided, become Dharma gates, leading to growth and awakening.

To live this way, we have to do something that might seem counterintuitive: walk toward the things that challenge us. Look for those moments when you want to recoil, to retreat and regather your forces. Instead of retreating, step forward. Meet the challenge. Absorb it. Let it teach you. When you stop seeing it as outside, you’ll realize that you have all the resources of the vast universe at your disposal to transform that challenge into wisdom.

In this talk, Sensei Michael explores how clinging to the small self—its judgments, labels, and stories—keeps us trapped in cycles of attachment and delusion. Drawing from Dōgen's teaching, “To study the self is to forget the self,” this reflection offers a path to clarity and freedom.

Take a moment to consider how we approach projects. We say, “I’m starting this project,” and, “At some point, I’ll finish it.” These statements operate within a framework built around goals — a beginning, an end, and the satisfaction of completion. But in this way, we are never truly here. Goals lock us into a future-oriented mindset.

In this Early Morning Light talk, Sensei Michael reflects on a childhood road trip that took an unexpected turn when a traffic jam brought strangers together in an extraordinary moment of connection.

In this episode of Awakening Streams, we explore how missteps, mistakes, and perceived failures are not obstacles but integral parts of the path. Drawing on Zen teachings and real-life examples, Sensei Michael reflects on the importance of embracing our imperfections with clarity and compassion.

In today’s teisho, we explored the practice of letting go of what we carry—our judgments, stories, and attachments—and how they shape our experiences. Reflecting on the Zen case Muddy Road from the Shasekishu, we saw how Tanzan’s compassionate action and Ekido’s clinging judgment illustrate the difference between a rigid, external morality and a responsive, living compassion. This practice invites us to see the baggage we hold onto and to release it, so we can show up fully, with clarity and compassion, for what each moment requires.

In the wake of the election, today’s talk invites us to root ourselves in compassion, setting aside divisive narratives and opening our hearts to connect and heal. Sensei Michael encourages us to embrace each moment with clarity, grounding our responses in presence and peace. Join us as we reflect on embodying compassion in our lives and communities.

During our Zen of Recovery Retreat, we explored how the labels and judgments we apply to our lives can end up controlling us, keeping us from fully engaging with the vast and boundless present moment. In this teisho, we reflect on how responding to life with clarity, intention, and discipline brings true freedom.

In this teisho, we explore the transformative power of retreat, where we strip away distractions and meet our true nature. Through the story of Zen master Gudo, we uncover how honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness can help us break free from the small self and awaken the vast, compassionate master within. This is your path—awakening starts with you!

No matter how deeply we dig or how high we build, the waves of time carry everything away. Our practice calls us not to cling to what’s temporary but to ride the waves, bearing witness to life’s beauty and challenges without attachment. By doing so, we find ourselves exactly where we need to be, open and ready to meet suffering with compassion.

In this teisho, Sensei Michael delves into the teachings of Shōyōroku Case 91, “Nansen’s Peony,” where Nansen reminds us that we often see life "as if in a dream." Through the example of the peony, he points us beyond our habitual divisions—real and unreal, self and other, joy and sorrow. We explore how, by letting go of labels and fixed ideas, we can experience life’s seamless, boundless essence.

In our quest for truth, we often get caught up in opinions and expectations. But the truth isn’t something we find through comparison or judgment. It's revealed when we set aside our ideas of how things should be and open ourselves to how they truly are. If we can release our attachment to our opinions, even just for a moment, we can see the world clearly as it unfolds before us.

In those moments when we struggle to know how to engage with suffering, it helps to return to a simple, timeless practice: Metta. By consistently reminding ourselves and others, "May you be happy, may you be well, may you be peaceful and at ease," we can soften even the hardest situations. Join us in cultivating loving-kindness and discovering the path that leads us back to our true nature.

In this Early Morning Light talk, Sensei Michael Brunner reminds us of the importance of living with awareness, both in our actions and thoughts. By cultivating compassion and understanding that we are always seen, we can live more freely and fully.

Join us in this reflection on how to live with integrity, even when it feels like no one is watching!

Sensei Michael Brunner guides us through aligning our intention, presence, and thoughts—encouraging us to bring our full attention to the present moment. When these elements are in harmony, the path opens joyfully before us.