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.
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.