The path of Zen meditation is an unusual journey, both rewarding and challenging, filled with many unexpected highs and sudden lows. This is why the metaphor of a high mountain tour is fitting: one needs strong motivation, then guidance, direction, sustenance, and training. There are group tours, beautiful views along the way, crisis-laden storms, and moving summit experiences. Ultimately, the return to the valley, to everyday life—both personal and that of our confused world—is particularly important in Zen. The author, born in 1937, is a Protestant theologian and has been on the Zen path for over twenty years, guided by two Christian Zen teachers: Father Johannes Kopp and Professor Michael von Brück, who were themselves trained in Japanese Zen monasteries. The book addresses one aspect of a mountain tour in each of its ten chapters and relates the corresponding experiences.