Stop Trying to Fix Yourself | A Zen Teaching on Not Knowing | Book of Equanimity 45

In this episode of Awakening Streams, Sensei Michael Brunner explores Case 45 of the Book of Equanimity, “The Sutra of Complete Awakening,” and the Zen practice of meeting life without demanding certainty.

We often assume practice should help us eliminate difficult thoughts, overcome uncertainty, and finally understand what is happening. But this koan points in another direction: do not suppress what arises, do not add another layer of explanation, and do not turn reality itself into something to grasp. Through teachings on Great Doubt, the ancient story of Chaos, and the image of an axman cutting mud from a man’s nose, Michael asks what becomes possible when we stop trying to fix ourselves, put down the ax, and maintain wonder.