“Looking back, I had many preconceptions and even misconceptions about Zen—dreams of mystical experiences on mountaintops and such. At least in part, I was motivated by a youthful desire to escape the seemingly boring familiarity of my native culture and to seek adventure in an exotic land. In effect, I was fleeing rather than finding myself, insofar as I was yearning for the exciting and extraordinary rather than awakening to the here and now of what in Zen is called "the ordinary mind" or "the everyday even mind” ZenOrdinary Mind Book:Zen Pathways: An Introduction to the Philosophy and Practice of Zen Buddhism Source: Zen Pathways: An Introduction to the Philosophy and Practice of Zen Buddhism