Mountain Metaphor

Sometimes Poul Anderson refers to Buddhist practice and experience, particularly in connection with his characters, Adzel and Trygve Yamamura. In the spirit of these references and having just returned from Lancaster Serene Reflection Meditation Group, I offer the following metaphor -

sea level: unconsciousness;
foothills: animal consciousness;
higher slopes: separative human consciousness;
cloud-hidden summit: unitive consciousness.

Sometimes, the summit becomes visible from the higher slopes through gaps in the clouds.
Sometimes, in meditation, we rise above the clouds.
(I have experienced this once since starting zazen in 1985.)

Christian mystical literature includes The Cloud Of Unknowing.

This evening at the group, a taped talk offered the opposite image of rivers flowing to the sea. Images are not the reality.

Poul Anderson's works address mysticism, philosophy, cosmology, politics, economics, history etc. Readers who dislike one aspect will appreciate others. Some of us like it all.