In Bells, Gongs, and Wooden Fish, Venerable Master Hsing Yun grants voices to the objects of daily monastic life to tell their stories in this collection of first-person narratives. From monastic shoes to robes and alms bowls, these everyday objects tell the story of their lives and the life of Buddhism from their own perspective. Originally published in 1953, the collected sketches are both lyrical and satiric. The collection of inanimate speakers describe and criticize the state of Chinese Buddhism in the early twentieth century in which educating the laity is an afterthought and the day-to-day activities of monastics are dominated by funerary rites. Bells, Gongs, and Wooden Fish showcases the beginnings of Master Hsing Yun's work as a Buddhist reformer, and describes a path to revolutionize, modernize, and humanize Buddhism that resonates to this day.

The Dance of Rituals - Buddhism and the Connection with the Divine Buddhist Rituals is a mysterious invitation to explore the secrets of the spirit. It is not merely about repeated gestures or ancient traditions, but about secret doors that, once opened, reveal a dimension where the sacred and the everyday dance in eternal communion. Each ritual described is not just an act, but a path to awakening what is most authentic and dormant in the human soul. As you delve into the practices unveiled here, you are not just reading about Buddhism; you are called to feel the echo of ancient chants, to visualize offerings dissipating as symbols of detachment, and to touch the invisible that inhabits each breath. The descriptions evoke rituals where the toll of a bell can resonate through time and the aroma of incense not only perfumes the air but transforms the surrounding energy, dissolving the veil between the material and the immaterial. The Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana traditions emerge from the pages like trails winding up the mountain of the spirit, each offering unique ways to reach the essential and the eternal. The practice is presented not as an end in itself, but as a map of forgotten paths, leading the practitioner to break free from illusions and glimpse the essence of all things. In this work, rituals are instruments to transcend the ordinary, capable of awakening an ancient echo in the reader's heart, reminding them that the search for meaning is not distant but latent in the present moment. Buddhist Rituals is not just a book; it is a key for those who dare to explore the unknown and align themselves with the mysteries that permeate life.

Like so many of her young compatriots, Lili Lin lives on the margins of society–she has been jailed for “having a corrupt lifestyle and hooliganism,” and at 24 she is unemployable because she doesn’t have connections and unmarriageable because she isn’t a virgin. Estranged from her parents, restless and cynical, she drifts from day to day. Then she meets an American journalist infatuated with China, who gradually opens her eyes to what is happening. Together they embark on a journey that will profoundly change Lili’s view of her country and of herself.

Robert Buswell, a Buddhist scholar who spent five years as a Zen monk in Korea, draws on personal experience in this insightful account of day-to-day Zen monastic practice. In discussing the activities of the postulants, the meditation monks, the teachers and administrators, and the support monks of the monastery of Songgwang-sa, Buswell reveals a religious tradition that differs radically from the stereotype prevalent in the West. The author's treatment lucidly relates contemporary Zen practice to the historical development of the tradition and to Korean history more generally, and his portrayal of the life of modern Zen monks in Korea provides an innovative and provocative look at Zen from the inside.

Translations, descriptions, and photographs of percussion instruments from around the world. Includes foreign terms in 26 languages.

This book is one of the first few books written in English on Chaozhou culture and history. It compiles information from Chinese and English sources including archive material, newspapers, academic works and publications. It presents a panorama view of the Teochews in Singapore. The book is divided into three sections. The first section covers the history of Chaozhou, the Chaozhou culture, the Teochew ethnicity and the migration of the Teochew people to Southeast Asia. The second section covers the history, activities and contributions of the Teochews in Singapore from the 19th century. The third section covers core elements of the Chaozhou culture, including customs and practices, cuisine and tea culture, performing arts and craftworks. With carefully selected photos, pictures and comprehensive accounts, this book takes the general readers on a fascinating journey of the Teochew heritage. For those who wish to continue learning more about Chaozhou culture and history, a selected bibliography is provided at the end of the book.