EPISODE · Jan 4, 2025 · 14 MIN
Timeless Abundance: The Wine of This Moment
from Awakening Streams: The One River Zen Podcast · host Sensei Michael Brunner
In this episode of Awakening Streams, we dive into Mumonkan Case 10: Seizei the Poor, a profound koan that challenges our narratives of scarcity and reveals the abundance already present in our lives.Seizei’s plea to Master Sōzan, "I am solitary and poor. Help me become prosperous," opens a powerful teaching on the nature of time, the stories we tell ourselves, and how stepping beyond dualistic thinking transforms our experience.Key topics explored in this talk:The role of contradiction in shaping ideas and concepts (self/other, up/down, rich/poor).How practice transforms time into something boundless and malleable.Recognizing the “Hakka wine” of life—savoring the richness of this moment.Why saying, "I don’t have time to practice," is no different from saying, "I don’t have time to live."This episode invites you to let go of judgments, conjectures, and refutations and step fully into the gap where life becomes whole, complete, and free.Join Us for PracticeMeditation sessions:Monday-Friday: 6:30 AM CSTSaturday: 9:00 AM CSTVisit oneriverzen.org to learn more about One River Zen and the teachings we offer.Connect & SupportSubscribe to Awakening Streams for more Dharma talks and meditative reflections.Share this episode to bring these teachings to others.#AwakeningStreams #ZenBuddhism #Mumonkan #Meditation 🪷 Awakening Streams: The One River Zen PodcastTeachings and reflections with Sensei Michael Brunner (Sōen) of One River Zen Center, 121 E Prospect St, Ottawa IL 61350.🌐 Learn more & join practice: https://www.oneriverzen.org🎧 Listen to more episodes: Awakening Streams Podcast🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate#SenseiMichaelBrunner #MichaelBrunnerOttawa #OneRiverZen #ZenKoan #ZenPodcast #OttawaIL #SotoZen
What this episode covers
In this episode, we explore Mumonkan Case 10: Seizei the Poor, a koan that invites us to recognize the abundance already present in our lives. Through Seizei’s heartfelt plea to Master Sōzan, "Help me become prosperous," and Sōzan's unexpected response, we uncover the ways our stories of scarcity can blind us to the richness of the present moment. This talk dives deep into the transformative nature of time in practice, the role of contradiction in forming ideas, and the alchemy of stepping into the fullness of life as it is. What happens when we let go of our judgments and grasping? What if we stop saying, "I don’t have time to practice," and realize that practice is life? Tune in to explore the profound teaching that everything you need—your Hakka wine—is already here, waiting to be savored.
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Timeless Abundance: The Wine of This Moment
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