7 Days in April - The Ventana Zen Wilderness

A hike to the Tassajara Zen Center reveals the heart of dharma; and a side trip to the ancient Esselen “Hands” caves made famous by Robinson Jeffers’ poem

I have just hiked 14 miles of dirt road. They’ve led me up and over a 5,000-foot ridge in the Ventana Wilderness. Now I rest beside a green post that marks Mile 0.0 — the end of the road. Zenzen, nada, nothing, zero. I am “here.”

This sounds like the beginning of a profound Zen koan. It’s not. I know almost nothing about Zen. I was advised, “Don’t know a…