Stepping from the One-Hundred Foot Pole
From Earth Dreams: Zen Buddhism and the Soul of the World by Amy Kisei
January 11, 2026 · 32 min
About this episode
In this episode, Amy Kisei reflects on grounding oneself through the bodhisattva vow and shares insights from a koan about stepping from a metaphorical one-hundred foot pole.
New Years Blessings! And wow, it feels like its off to a chaotic start. In times like these, I find it vital to ground myself in this bodhisattva vow. To remember what is always reliable, no matter what circumstance or situation I find myself in. I would like to share a koan that has been close to my heart as we began 2026. Mumonkan Case 46: Stepping from the Top of the Pole Sekiso asked: How do you step from atop a 100-ft pole? Another eminent master from former times said: You who sit on the top of the 100-ft pole, Although you have entered the Way, it is not yet genuine. Take a step from on top of the pole And worlds of the ten directions are your total body. So many koans use images from our everyday lives. Images we are familiar with. These images can become mindfulness bells. Sensory reminders that speak the language of awakening. Here we have a tall pole. A one hundred foot pole. These are the poles of large flags, like the one in the Perkins parking lot I remember growing up. Any large pole will do though. I have been noticing power line poles. Actually just today the power company came and ascended the thirty foot power pole right across from my office window. So, let me…
People in this episode
Host: Amy Kisei
Topics covered
- Buddhism
- koans
- mindfulness
- spiritual grounding
- New Year reflections
Keywords
- Buddhism
- koan
- mindfulness
- spirituality
- New Year
- chaos
- grounding
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Mumonkan Case 46: Stepping from the Top of the Pole
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