How Can I Know If This Is Really Zen Mountain?

Imagine standing at the base of a towering peak. Someone tells you, That’s Zen Mountain. But how can you be sure? Not every so-called Zen path is truly Zen. So, how do we verify where we are?

To find out, we must take a detour—because answering precisely requires more than a simple definition. Just like identifying a mountain means understanding geography, identifying Zen means first understanding its foundations: activity, spirituality, and Buddhism.

And so, before we claim to be on Zen Mountain, we need to ask: What do these ideas really mean?

That’s the question we’ll tackle next.