There Is A Mountain

First there is a mountain: I know everything! Then there is no mountain: Holy crap, I don't know anything. Then there is: Of course I don't know anything. That means the whole world is open to me, doesn't it?

The caterpillar turning to a butterfly is a metaphor for enlightenment. This is a deeply spiritual song disguised as a little ditty.

The story j.justice is on about is the koan (Zen riddle) of "Gutei's Finger" - http://www.ibiblio.org/zen/gateless-gate/3.html. For more about koans see http://www.liverpool-zen.org.uk/zazen-koans.html.

Donovan's song is about another Zen image, though - the idea that before enlightenment, mountains and rivers are just mountains and rivers. When you experience kensho, have an enlightenment experience, there are no mountains and rivers any more, or so they say (I wouldn't know!). Finally when you are fully enlightened, mountains and rivers are just mountains and rivers again and you see the world clearly, just as it is - even more clearly than ever before.

As far as the mountain part is concerned, when you're on a journey, you see a mountain from the distance.

"First there is a mountain."

As you climb the mountain, you have no idea that you are on the mountain.

"Then there is no mountain."

When you get to the top, you again realize what the mountain is.

"Then there is."

This is about when you think you have just got yourself sorted out then along comes another problem.

Bugoff has a good start. From a consciousness perspective my experience is: FIRST THERE IS A MOUNTAIN-first there is the usual way of looking at the world, subject/object; THEN THERE IS NO MOUNTAIN-at this level, witness of one's life as subject/object becomes predominant, a lack of body awareness can occur, yet consciousness is present; THEN THERE IS-the totality of the experience becomes present, grace predominates, the groove is on.

The mountain, no mountain, mountain is simply the observation of a moving caterpillar. Are you enlightened yet?

I am inclined to go with xsunsetter. While some of the verse is explained through Zen Buddism. The song in its entirety is not. It is part of the creative process to take a commonly known entity then add to or alter it to recreate to another plane of understanding. I try to be "not graphic", so here goes. Let's begin with the fact that he calls a specific girl's name, "Juanita!" And not just her name, but "Oh Juanita!" In conjunction there is a mountain growing in his pants. For some unknown reason it goes away then returns. Been there, done that. Then then there is a "caterpillar shed his skin to find a butterfly within." This is what it can look like when an uncircumsized mountain grows. Oh yeah, I looking at you my Zen girlfriend!

Juanita is the garden. The key to that garden is in getting her to want him. ergo, snail slick. I like the idea that the lyric repetition denotes a long lasting relationship. Forever works!

i always just though this song was about an acid trip with the mountain appearing,dissapearing and reappearing

It's about zen. There is a flower, there isn't a flower... crap, this is harder than I thought. Does anyone here know the story of the Tibetan monestary... The master asked his students what the meaning of life (or enlightenment, or something) was. Nobody answered. He went down the row, and no one had anything. One kid put up his hand a little as he was thinking, raising a finger. "Correct," said the master. All the other kids were pissed -- saying he just got lucky, raising one finger (as though pointing up, or saying "I am.") The next time they congregated, the master asked the same question, and each person raised their finger. "correct." The next time, the master asked the same question, and as soon as the boy in front of him raised his finger HE SLICED IT OFF. "Now," he repeated the question. The boy raised his bloodied fist. "Correct."

Does that help? It is, and it isn't, and... it's... oh come on, now, we all know donovan loves this jazz.

Well i personally cant really make any sense out of this song, whether it DOES mean anything or not but i dont think there's any question that when they made this song they were completely whacked out on every kind of hallucinagen available