We all seek meaning. When life feels uncertain, when suffering arises, we grasp for something to explain it—to fit our struggles into a larger story, to make sense of the chaos. But Zen does not offer tidy answers. Instead, it strips away the need for meaning itself. In this episode, Sensei Michael Brunner explores Hekiganroku Case 20: Ryūge Asks Suibi and Rinzai, a koan where a monk asks about the meaning of Bodhidharma’s journey, only to be struck instead of answered. Why? Because truth is not something we find outside of ourselves—it is what remains when we stop searching. What happens when we drop the second arrow of suffering—the stories we attach to our pain? What is left when we no longer chase explanations? This talk is an invitation to step beyond intellectual grasping and into the immediacy of life itself. 🔹 In this episode, we explore: Why our search for meaning is just another form of attachment How Suibi and Rinzai’s blows cut through conceptual grasping The two arrows teaching and how it reveals the nature of suffering Why true freedom is not found in explanations, but in direct experience We don’t chant, sit, or practice to discover meaning—we practice to let go of the need for meaning altogether. The Dharma is not something to grasp—it is something to embody. 🔔 Subscribe for more Dharma talks & Zen teachings! 📖 Join our upcoming classes & retreats: oneriverzen.org #Zen #DharmaTalk #Buddhism #KoanStudy #Rinzai #Shoyoroku #Hekiganroku #ZenPractice #Meditation #Mindfulness #LettingGo #SpiritualFreedom
We spend so much of our lives searching for meaning—trying to fit our struggles into a grand narrative, hoping for an explanation that will make sense of it all. But what if the search itself is what keeps us trapped?
In this episode, Sensei Michael Brunner explores Hekiganroku Case 20: Ryūge Asks Suibi and Rinzai, where a monk asks the age-old question, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from the West?" Instead of receiving an answer, he is struck. Why? Because Zen does not deal in intellectual understanding—it points directly to what is.
We chase meaning, we grasp for certainty, we wrap our suffering in stories. But when we stop clinging, when we drop the second arrow of suffering, we discover something beyond all explanations—the immediacy of life itself.
We do not practice Zen to uncover meaning—we practice to let go of the need for meaning altogether. The Dharma is not something to hold onto. It is not a theory. It is alive, immediate, and always present.
🌀 Let go of the search, and the path will rise to meet you.
🔔 Subscribe for more Dharma talks & Zen teachings!
📖 Join our upcoming classes & retreats: oneriverzen.org
💬 What resonated with you most? Share your reflections in the comments!
#Zen #DharmaTalk #Buddhism #KoanStudy #Rinzai #Shoyoroku #Hekiganroku #ZenPractice #Meditation #Mindfulness #LettingGo #SpiritualFreedom