Standing at The Monastery Gate

Photo Caption

Fifty years ago, when I read The Empty Mirror by Janwillem van de Wetering, the story of a twenty-six year old spiritual explorer from the Netherlands, he described himself as a pilgrim standing all alone - and determined - at the gate of a Zen monastery in Kyoto. He was holding a job application in which he was asking to be admitted either as a monk or a lay brother.

His endeavor intrigued me, pushed me further to pursue my own dream of spiritual exploration.

By the second page, I had completely stepped into the story, forgetting it was about a young man. Instead, I saw myself, a twenty-six year old young woman, a naive and adventurous pilgrim, standing outside that monastery gate, asking to be admitted. I was very determined.