“The famous Zen parable about the master for whom, before his studies, mountains were only mountains, but during his studies mountains were no longer mountains, and afterward mountains were again mountains could be interpreted as an allegory about [the perpetual paradox that when one is closest to a destination one is also the farthest).”

“Before I had studied Chan for thirty years, I saw mountains as mountains, and rivers as rivers. When I arrived at a more intimate knowledge, I came to the point where I saw that mountains are not mountains, and rivers are not rivers. 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 rivers once again as rivers.”

“Before practicing meditation, we see that mountains are mountains.When we start to practice, we see that mountains are no longer mountains.After practicing a while, we see that mountains are again mountains.Now the mountains are very free. Our mind is still with the mountains,but it is no longer bound to anything.”

“Faith moves mountains, if faith were easy there would be no mountains.”

“The mountains were his masters. They rimmed in life. They were the cup of reality, beyond growth, beyond struggle and death. They were his absolute unity in the midst of eternal change.”

“No one looks at the mountains. But they were there, making them all look silly.”