Description: Henry continues his discussion of Unmon’s koan on Mt Sumeru. We learn more about Master Unmon, also known as Cloud Gate, founder of one of the five houses of zen. Unmon was famous for teaching with short phrases such as “Mt. Sumeru.” His phrases have the capacity to cut through our familiar thought streams, severing assumptions and conceptualizations while also covering the “whole of heaven and earth.” To illustrate this intriguing koan, Henry correlates the recent documentary film, Meru, with our zen practice and moments of awakening.

Post Image: Shivling and Meru, by Sharada Prasad CS, CC BY 2.0.

Featured Image Credit: Sunrise of Tengger Caldera, by Jean-Marie Hullot (edited), CC BY-SA 2.0.