The Mind is Mountains, Rivers, and the Earth

The Mind is Mountains, Rivers, and the Earth

From Zen Mind by Zenki Christian Dillo

April 2, 2026 · 43 min

About this episode

This episode explores the concept of the mind through a classic koan and invites practitioners to investigate their own experience of mind and perception.

This talk was offered on Day 2 of the Spring Sesshin at the Boulder Zen Center. It takes up a classic koan exchange: “What is the wondrous clear mind?” – “Mountains, rivers, and the earth. The sun, the moon, and stars.” The talk invites practitioners to investigate where the mind is located in their own experience, moving through a progression: from the familiar default of a private chamber behind the eyes, to attention merged with breath traveling through the body, to the senses opening outw...

People in this episode

Host: Zenki Christian Dillo

Topics covered

  • koan
  • mindfulness
  • zen practice
  • breath
  • perception
  • spiritual investigation

Keywords

  • koan
  • mind
  • Boulder Zen Center
  • zen
  • spirituality
  • breath
  • perception
  • sesshin

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Boulder Zen Center

Books & works: The Mind is Mountains, Rivers, and the Earth

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