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The Garuda Trap: Why Your Enlightenment Fails the Moment You Leave Retreat | Zen Teisho by Michael Brunner, One River Zen

In this profound Zen Dharma Talk (Teisho), Sensei Michael Brunner, Abbot and founding teacher of One River Zen in Ottawa, Illinois, unpacks the critical challenge all practitioners face: how to sustain the peace and clarity of deep retreat when re-entering daily life.

Sensei Michael uses Case 44 of the Shōyōroku (Book of Equanimity), "Kōyō's Garuda Bird," as a direct mirror for modern psychological and spiritual struggles.

The Dragon and the Garuda: Learn why your deepest, calmest nature (The Dragon in the Ocean) is instantly threatened by karmic momentum (The Garuda/Falcon) the moment you "stick your head out" into conceptual thought.

Karmic Consciousness: Sensei Michael offers a practical, non-judgmental explanation of how old habits, stories, and reactive patterns seize us—and how to stop creating new, unskillful karma through presence.

The Balcony Test: Understand the moment of choice where the two worlds meet and why symbolic humility ("retreat three steps") is useless against the weight of the Blind Turtle pinned under Mount Sumeru analogy.

Skillful Action: Discover the Zen teaching on working skillfully with your energy, rather than fighting it, to embody the "imperial order of presence." This is the key to Zen mastery and awakening in everyday life.

About Sensei Michael Brunner & One River Zen, Ottawa, IL

This talk was given during a retreat at One River Zen, a Soto Zen Buddhist temple and community founded and guided by Sensei Michael Brunner in Ottawa, Illinois. Sensei Michael is a transmitted teacher in the lineage of Dainin Katagiri Roshi, emphasizing the practice of Zen in everyday life and compassionate action. One River Zen offers daily meditation, weekly gatherings, retreats, and community-oriented programs in Ottawa, IL.

Connect with One River Zen

🌐 One River Zen Website: oneriverzen.org 📍 Visit Our Center: 121 E Prospect Ave, Ottawa, IL


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