The Moon in the Bucket - Kisei Costenbader, Sensei

In this episode, Kisei Sensei explores Koan 25, Nyozin’s Pale Moon of Dawn, and Koan 33, Bodhidharma’s Flesh, examining how Zen teaching passes through time, poetry, and the body. She reflects on Chyono’s poem about the pale moon and the bucket, showing how our sense of self can be patched together and then fall away in practice. Drawing connections to Bodhidharma’s transmission to his students, she emphasizes how awakening is both a lived, embodied experience and a study of ancestral teachings. Listeners are invited to reflect on the moon, their own practice, and the questions of body, awakening, and interconnection that these koans present.
This talk was given during Kisei's online Tuesday night program.