The book by the Dutchman Janwillem Wetering is one of the most realistic descriptions of the everyday life of a Zen monastery in Kyoto to date, replete with a lot of interesting details and details. Trying to achieve enlightenment is far from an easy task, but the author approached it very seriously... In Japan, everything has been preserved for centuries. Look into the houses of the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun. Everywhere you will find many carved boxes. In each of them lies another, tied with ropes that must be untangled, and wrapped in silks that must be unfolded to reveal what is hidden inside. Weathering, having embarked on a journey for Buddhist enlightenment, understands that man plays many roles. And none of them are fully confirmed. Through meditation and struggle with himself, he peels away layer after layer, as if peeling off an onion peel, until what he seeks remains. However, the author is not a stern pilgrim at all, but a person with a fair sense of humor and European skepticism. Once upon a time, he was prompted to set out on a journey by one judgment that he could not reconcile with: if you reach the edge of the universe, you will see that everything there is covered with newspapers. Looking at the edge, he made sure: nothing at the end is not enough. A smart, fascinating and ironic story about riding into the unknown: from oneself to oneself.