"If you seek it, you
cannot find it."
-- Zen Proverb
The snow was falling lightly against
the windshield of my mom's Toyota Land Cruiser as we made our way
through the
Adirondacks on a crisp, cold Sunday morning in late December. My
parents were totally into New Age and alternative
lifestyles, and for the past several years during Christmas vacation,
unlike most kids who spent their time unwrapping presents, singing
Christmas carols, and sipping on hot chocolate, I was on my way to a
seven day sesshin, or Zen
Buddhist meditation retreat, at a secluded monastery in upstate New
York.