Daily Zen #essentialsofrecovery.com #meditation #recovery #Zen #Buddhism #Spiritual

Mountains are Mountains

The famous saying of Ch'ing-yüan Wei-hsin (Seigen Ishin):


Before I had studied Zen for thirty years, I saw mountains as mountains, and waters as waters. When I arrived at a more intimate knowledge, I came to the point where I saw that mountains are not mountains, and waters are not waters. But now that I have got its very substance I am at rest. For it's just that I see mountains once again as mountains, and waters once again as waters.

Ch'uan Teng Lu, 22.


"Before a man studies Zen, to him mountains are mountains and waters are waters; after he gets an insight into the truth of Zen through the instruction of a good master, mountains to him are not mountains and waters are not waters; but after this when he really attains to the abode of rest, mountains are once more mountains and waters are waters."

(Essays in Zen Buddhism – First Series 24)