When I arrived on top of Giant Ledge late this afternoon I found three people enjoying the view. Their conversation had some strange inner weight to it which I could not quite fathom, but I could tell that there was some real experience behind it, despite their obvious youth. It turns out all three were residents at Zen Mountain Monastery, in the heart of the Catskills. They were three young (early twenties), energetic, lovely people, not strange or bound as often we see in today’s Christian monks. A visit to Zen Mountain’s website similarly seemed to radiate some kind of healthy approach to the spiritual life. And how is it that the beautiful Catskills – I mean the mountains, the real mountains – have no Christian monasteries but two Buddhist monasteries? The Buddhists clearly know what they’re doing. I’m going to have to visit Zen Mountain sometime soon.
And what a name! “Zen Mountain.” Simple, profound, descriptive; in a word: Zen.
3 Comments
This place looks great. Let me know how the visit goes.
You might be interested in an conversation about Buddhism and Christianity between the late Japanese Catholic writer, Shusaku Endo, and Jesuit theologian William Johnston, who translated Shusaku’s most famous work, Silence:
http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-EPT/william1.htm
Hey John, I love thinking of you on top of Giant Ledge!