Right and Wrong — The Zen Koan of Mayoku Thumping His Staff (Book of Equanimity Case 16)

About this episode

Sensei Michael Brunner explores the Zen koan 'Mayoku Thumps His Staff' and its implications on our judgments of right and wrong.

In this episode of Awakening Streams, Sensei Michael Brunner explores the Zen koan “Mayoku Thumps His Staff” (Book of Equanimity Case 16) — a teaching that exposes our deep attachment to judging life as right or wrong. Mayoku performs the exact same gesture before two masters. One says “right.” The other says “wrong.” What changed? Through this classic koan from the Shōyōroku (Book of Equanimity), Sensei Brunner examines how easily we replace direct experience with mental shorthand — good and bad, success and failure, approval and rejection. Zen practice invites us to release those inherited narratives and respond to the living moment itself. Recorded at One River Zen in Ottawa, Illinois, this talk shows how ancient Zen teachings illuminate modern life and how wisdom arises when we stop clinging to our judgments. Listeners who feel called to deeper practice are welcome to connect with One River Zen for meditation guidance, dokusan (private interview), and ongoing Zen training.

People in this episode

Host: Sensei Michael Brunner

Topics covered

• Zen koan
• judgment
• attachment
• direct experience
• Zen practice
• modern life

Keywords

• Zen
• koan
• judgment
• attachment
• meditation
• equanimity
• practice

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Mayoku Thumps His Staff, Book of Equanimity, Shōyōroku

Places: One River Zen, Ottawa, Illinois

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• You Don’t Become Free — You Stop Pretending | A Zen Teaching from Shōyōroku 97 · December 16, 2025 · 14 min