They were Midwesterners with Christian upbringing, involved in Buddhism and eastern culture at the tail end of the Beat generation. They had found their guru in San Francisco and were formally ordained as Buddhist monks. From 1977 to 1979 Heng Sure and Heng Chao undertook the ancient ascetic practice of bowing once every three steps on a two and a half year pilgrimage up the coast of California. They took with them only their faith and a wish for world peace as the inched their way along at about a mile and a half a day. Who gave them food? Where did they sleep? How did they diffuse the anger of drunks and overcome the hostility of law enforcement? What lessons did they learn in compassion and humility? And most important, what can we learn from their journey? Now 35th years after of the completion of their pilgrimage, the collection of letters they wrote during this time to their teacher Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua, is republished as Highway Dharma Letters, a fascinating glimpse at their external journey up the coast and their internal journey towards transformation.

Letters from Bhikshus Heng Sure and Heng Chau to Venerable Master Hua written while on their bowing pilgrimage in 1977. During the 2 1/2 years pilgrimage the monks traveled from Los Angeles to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Talmage, bowing once every three steps.

BIBLIOPHILIA: A perfectly acceptable addiction marked by obsessive reading, aggressive book-sniffing and strategic hoarding. For as long as Ferose, a San Francisco-based techie and 'gently mad' bibliophile, has understood books, he has devoured them with the unmitigated enthusiasm of a toddler on a sugar rush. For him, reading has been more than a weekend pursuit or a hobby on steroids. It has been a lifestyle - generously peppered with serendipitous first edition finds and deliberate in-store title hunting - of which he kept meticulous notes. In this intimate and refreshingly honest essay collection - illustrated by artists on the autism spectrum - Ferose professes his undying love for books and elaborates on his relationship with the life-affirming act of reading. Enthusiastically noting titles that carry scribbles in the neglected margins to gushing over one-of-a-kind collectibles, he delves into his varied picks, bringing his most formative bookish adventures to readers. Part memoir and part fascinating study of the quiet, fulfilling act of reading and collecting books, this joyous meld of anecdotes and recollections explores the sweeping genius of books and storytelling, and how they continually refine our collective conscience.

Letters from Bhikshus Heng Sure and Heng Chau to Venerable Master Hua written while on their bowing pilgrimage in 1977. During the 2 1/2 years pilgrimage the monks traveled from Los Angeles to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Talmage, bowing once every three steps.

"Americans have treated the highway as sacred space," says Primeau (English, Central Michigan U.) introducing the rich tradition of prose and non-fiction road narratives that include On the Road, Grapes of Wrath, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, and the Journals of Lewis and Clark. Primeau critically examines these and other works from the position of travel as pilgrimage resulting in identifiable themes of protest, self discovery, picaresque parody, and myth making. Paper edition (unseen), $17.95. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Two epistles, or message letters, one to a king and one to a disciple, awaken the possibility or realization. Includes Tibetan text and Sanskrit transliteration on facing pages, and facsimile of a palmleaf manuscript.

Letter to a Friend by the great master Nagarjuna contains very practical advice and detailed instructions for all generations. It has been kept close to the heart and actualized by many practitioners across the centuries in India and Tibet. The main topic is how to be a good, decent, and responsible person in samsara. These principles are important and valuable for anyone, no matter where they live or what they believe. Dharma is based on cultivating a good character and ethical conduct combined with a deep understanding of interdependence. There is a profound relationship between one's mind, motivation, and how they interact with natural systems and human societies. Nagarjuna is inviting us to take a deeper look at this relationship, and the renowned master Mipham Rinpoche expands these points even further. Nagarjuna wrote this letter directly to his friend, but his advice applies to everyone. It explains how to be strong and conduct ourselves with courage and confidence in the world. It offers clear instructions on how to expand our human kindness and the precious qualities of morality, concentration, wisdom, and an open heart. We can work through difficult experiences and learn to meet all the challenges in samsara without a lot of hardship and struggle. Instead of collapsing and giving up, we can continue moving forward with good energy toward a bright future.