What is "First there is a mountain" by Donovan about?

My friend and I actually, one afternoon oh so long ago, tried smoking banana peels. No, of course it didn't "work."
 

hollydolly said:
The song’s lyrics refer to a Buddhist text originally formulated by the 9th century Zen Buddhist teacher Qingyuan Weixin, later translated by D.T. Suzuki in his ‘Essays in Zen Buddhism’, one of the first books to popularize Buddhism in Europe and the US. Qingyuan wrote:




In 1965, Donovan was introduced to the Qingyuan Zen text by the US banjo player Derroll Adams, a popular figure on the British 60’s folk scene. Donovan took the text and adapted it to create lyrics that would become the song, ‘There is a Mountain’.


…First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.
First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.

The caterpillar sheds his skin to find a butterfly within.
Caterpillar sheds his skin to find a butterfly within.

First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.
First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is….

At the heart of Buddhist teachings we are told that all things are impermanent and subject to change and flux. Simply stated, nothing in the world around us or our self is fixed or solid.

There are no things, just process and flux. There is no fixed unchanging centre in any object in our experience. Unfortunately, we suffer and experience difficulties in life because we perceive the world around us as solid, looking for stability where there is none.

Incidentally....Donovan and his wife Linda used to be my neighbours..
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Wow, this is amazing! Even more amazing is the fact that they used to be your neighbours!
 
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