Shōyōroku Case 19 | Ummon’s Mount Sumeru — A Zen Koan on Meeting the Obstacles of Mind

In this episode, Sensei Michael Brunner of One River Zen Center in Ottawa, Illinois explores Shōyōroku Case 19 — Ummon’s Mount Sumeru, a profound Zen koan on how we meet the obstacles of the mind.

When a monk asks, “When not producing a single thought, is there any fault or not?” Ummon replies, “Mount Sumeru.”What does it mean to encounter life’s difficulties as the mountain itself rather than something to climb over or escape?

Sensei Michael unpacks this question through the lens of the Three Transformative Touchstones — maintaining wonder, including everything, and transforming suffering. Each offers a way of seeing how awakening arises through, not apart from, the very conditions of our lives.

🪷 Taught by: Sensei Michael Brunner 🏯 From: One River Zen Center | 121 E Prospect St, Ottawa IL 61350🌐 Learn more: https://www.oneriverzen.org🙏 Support the Sangha: https://www.oneriverzen.org/donate

Keywords / Tags:Sensei Michael Brunner Ottawa | One River Zen | Ummon Mount Sumeru | Shōyōroku 19 | Zen koan | Zen Buddhism | Sōtō Zen | Dharma Talk | Zen Teaching | Sōen Michael Brunner | Ottawa IL

🪷 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

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