In this episode, Sensei Michael Brunner reflects on Case 22 from the Mumonkan (The Gateless Gate), Kashyapa’s Knock Down the Flagpole. Through the story of Ananda and Mahakashyapa, Sensei explores the essence of awakening and the importance of letting go of our fixed ideas and expectations. Enlightenment isn’t a ceremonial vestment we wear, but an ongoing practice of stepping into the unknown, releasing our attachment to who we think we are, and fully embracing the present moment. As the retreat comes to a close, Sensei reminds us that the work doesn’t end here. We are challenged to carry the lessons of sesshin into our everyday lives by knocking down our inner flagpoles—letting go of ego, ideologies, and attachments—and showing up for life with curiosity, openness, and compassion.
In this teisho, Sensei Michael Brunner draws on Case 22 from the Mumonkan, Kashyapa’s Knock Down the Flagpole, to explore the nature of awakening and the importance of letting go of our deeply held expectations and self-concepts. Through the dialogue between Ananda and Mahakashyapa, we’re invited to reflect on what it means to release the notion of who we think we are, to drop our ego, and to meet life as it truly is.
Sensei shares the deeper meaning behind Mahakashyapa’s instruction to “knock down the flagpole,” explaining that enlightenment isn't something to be achieved or worn like a garment—it’s about stepping into the gap between knowing and unknowing, and allowing ourselves to be fully present, free from the narratives we cling to.
Join Sensei as he reflects on the challenges of facing the unknown, the beauty of practicing from a place of curiosity and openness, and how we can bring the lessons of sesshin into our daily lives.
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