ONLINE STUDY @ ONE RIVER ZEN

Zen practice does not require geography. It requires commitment.

One River Zen offers structured online training for practitioners who are not local to Ottawa, Illinois but who are ready for sustained, serious Zen practice under direct guidance. This is not casual spiritual conversation. It is actual training.

Online students meet with Sensei Sōen Michael Brunner through scheduled video meetings for meditation refinement, ongoing dokusan (private interview), koan study where appropriate, and integration of practice into daily life. The form is traditional. The medium is modern. The relationship is real.

For those called to deeper commitment, One River Zen provides a clear path of long-term formation that may include teacher training, priestly ordination, and chaplaincy development within the Soto Zen tradition. These paths may be undertaken primarily online through sustained study, supervised practice, liturgical training, and ongoing guidance, with periodic in-person visits required for intensive practice, ceremony, and formal milestones. Geography need not prevent serious formation.

This training is for those who are already sitting consistently and who are ready to move beyond inspiration into discipline. It is for those seeking an authentic teacher-student relationship grounded in lineage. It is not for intermittent curiosity or philosophical debate.

Commitment does not mean perfection. It means sitting regularly, showing up consistently, and remaining in practice even when it becomes uncomfortable. Awakening is not an experience to chase. It is a way of functioning in ordinary life — and, for some, a life of service and responsibility.

Sensei Sōen Michael Brunner is a transmitted Soto Zen priest in the lineage of Dainin Katagiri Roshi. One River Zen emphasizes direct experience, practice-enlightenment, koan study, ethical formation, and the cultivation of mature spiritual leadership. The work is quiet, steady, and demanding in the best sense.

If you are ready to practice seriously — whether as a committed lay student or someone discerning a path toward teaching, priesthood, or chaplaincy — schedule an introductory meeting now:

Schedule an introductory meeting here.

This initial meeting is a direct conversation about your practice, your intention, and your readiness. If the fit is right, we establish a structure and begin.

Zen training is relational. If you are looking for content, there is plenty available. If you are looking for a teacher, book a time and we will speak directly.