I feel a lot of Spirit in the air here in the corner of Switzerland I call my new home. I feel something familiar, something like the Spirit of Zen. It is a good feeling and I will try to describe it.

What do I mean by Zen? A metaphoric comparison of Zen and Jodo Shinshu Buddhism is helpful. Jodo Shinshu attracts a much larger portion of devotees in Japan than Zen does. In Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, one should repeat the name of an important deity three time each day. If you manage that, when your body goes, you enter the Western Paradise. You are in; just say those words and have faith.

Zen takes another approach to reach spiritual heights. It also requires daily dedication, but the center of devotion is mindful living. And to induce mindfulness, the Zen training lifestyle is in many ways strenuous. It is like climbing the steep mountain, accepting the scratches, bruises, and blood, until you have a momentary view at the top that you have worked hard for, exhausted yourself for, sacrificed for. You breathe a deep breath and may even feel like you have become the mountain.

And then, the sound of a motor interrupts your haiku moment. A large bus appears. There is a paved road up the mountain, and a shuttle bus glides up to meet you at the peak. The vehicle is full of happy Jodo Shinshu people. They are waving out the window. When they exit the bus, they seem delighted to be up there. We share the view, the air, the mountain.

I don’t know what a Jodo Shinshu devotee knows, but the Zen practitioner full of mountain energy feels into the body and breath of Nature and senses a vital connection to life. You want to use the life-energy you feel to serve living beings. It feels like the only thing to do.

I studied religions and philosophies in college and went to Asia looking for spiritual understanding in 1985 with a desire to help make myself and the world better. That was forty years ago.

I found a powerful Zen Master in Okayama, Japan and stayed with him for a long time. I loved my life with Shodo Harada Roshi. Zen culture as embodied in the master has something that is hard to look away from, a vigilance that is subtle and quiet and at times harsh and dominant. It is like that strong mountain, a sight we are excited and even awe-struck to witness as it appears on the horizon. As we get closer, it calms and even straightens our minds. But, its authority demands our attention, almost against our will.

That is how it starts to feel here in Waldstatt. My wife and I moved here at the beginning of 2024, and the closer I get to the formidable Säntis Mountain, and the longer I stay, the more intensity I feel. Our surroundings are beautiful. The Apenzeller countryside is so picturesque one often thinks one lives inside a painting. Could this really be a possible longer landing spot for the next chapter of my life?

When I started my journey in 1985 on a one-way ticket to Japan, I had no idea what awaited me. I certainly never expected to live in a beautiful 300-year-old temple and become a Zen Buddhist monk. I shaved my head and wore robes. We worked hard and didn’t sleep much. When I ordained, I thought I had found my calling. My teacher named me DoYu, the one on the path of helping. I never imagined that I would leave temple life behind me.

I left for a pilgrimage to India with my robes in 2003 to ask questions. I had no ticket back to Japan. I ended up in a 300 year-old mill in the Bavarian countryside that became a support center for children and families. I tried to help everyone there too. I carried the robes, but never wore them. I slowly adapted to hair and lay outfits. Money and relationships were tremendous challenges.

I have come to Switzerland with my wife and I doubt we will leave soon. The energy of the Säntis mountain is so strong that it is impossible for me to sleep with my head facing it. The stick is used in a Zen temple to keep monks awake, and the mountain here seems to insist that I don't let my mind become vague.

Yes, our house is about 300 years old. Yes, I will look for ways to help people here, but don’t know what form my work will take. But I will start this period in Switzerland with a trust that has become stronger over the different chapters of my life. The Säntis mountain communicates to me like a formidable Zen Master. Its deep voice says, “Serve your wife and the people around you. Be awake, be intense, be yourself. I am here, and so are you. Come closer. Do you finally see that you and I are not different?”