When Mountains are Not Mountains

It can be said, in fact, that the Mountains and Rivers Sutra is not about mountains and rivers at all, but that the mountains and rivers themselves are the sutra, the true buddhadharma.

These clouds appeared this morning looking for all the world like mountains rising from behind our plain old Northumberland moorland. They spoke of illusion, how easily we can become fooled by what we see, hear, smell, touch, taste. How we can be fooled by our own minds. To believe something is true simply because we want it to be true. I call that delusion coming to the aid of desire.

If you want poetry, take a look at the Mountains and Rivers Sutra by Zen Master Dogen. However to fully appreciate what is spoken there one has forget everything one thinks one knows. Not easy. Not a bad plan, sometimes one sees mountains and sometimes clouds. And sometimes one just sees. End of.

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