Three Years on the Great Mountain

A Memoir of Zen and Fearlessness

By: Cristina Moon

Narrated by: Cristina Moon

At twenty-five, activist Cristina Moon faced an impossible task: preparing for the possibility of arrest and torture inside military-ruled Myanmar. Her response? Learning Buddhist meditation. So began what would become a decades-long spiritual path—eventually leading her to a Zen temple and martial arts dojo in Hawai'i with a timeless method of warrior Zen training.

Offering a bracing account of three years of mind-body-spirit training at Daihonzan Chozen-ji, a Rinzai Zen temple and martial arts dojo, Moon powerfully captures the rigors and realizations that finally shaped her into a Zen priest whose highest directive is to give fearlessness.

Told with immersive detail and an unique Asian American female perspective, Three Years on the Great Mountain chronicles Moon's straight-up-the-mountain training regimen at Chozen-ji, conducted every day and often through the nights. Through the spiritual forging of daily Zen meditation, manual labor, swordsmanship, and Japanese tea ceremony, she discovers a newfound conviction that self mastery and spiritual growth can take fierce form. Embraced by local Hawai'i and Japanese culture, and a community of discipline, respect, and discovery, she discovers a profound sense of home.

©2024 Cristina Moon (P)2024 Tantor

Soft and Strong

A delightful taste of Zen. Her story felt personal, as if it represented parts of me that could identify with her struggles and triumphs.

Thoughtful

It was a very thoughtful book. Cristina’s voice is quite calming. I liked the Hawai‘i parts.

A beautiful story of zen training

I could not stop listening to this! Cristina’s writing is straightforward, honest, and captures the essence of zen training perfectly, with all its beauty and struggles. Her narration was also spot on. Overall an excellent book worth tuning into!