Road to Heaven

Encounters with Chinese Hermits

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Eastern Religions, Zen Buddhism
Cover of the book Road to Heaven by Red Pine, Counterpoint
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Author: Red Pine ISBN: 9781582439426
Publisher: Counterpoint Publication: August 10, 2009
Imprint: Counterpoint Language: English
Author: Red Pine
ISBN: 9781582439426
Publisher: Counterpoint
Publication: August 10, 2009
Imprint: Counterpoint
Language: English

In 1989, Bill Porter, having spent much of his life studying and translating Chinese religious and philosophical texts, began to wonder if the Buddhist hermit tradition still existed in China. At the time, it was believed that the Cultural Revolution had dealt a lethal blow to all religions in China, destroying countless temples and shrines, and forcibly returning thousands of monks and nuns to a lay life.

But when Porter travels to the Chungnan mountains - the historical refuge of ancient hermits - he discovers that the hermit tradition is very much alive, as dozens of monks and nuns continue to lead solitary lives in quiet contemplation of their faith deep in the mountains.

Part travelogue, part history, part sociology, and part religious study, this record of extraordinary journeys to an unknown China sheds light on a phenomenon unparalleled in the West. Porter’s discovery is more than a revelation, and uncovers the glimmer of hope for the future of religion in China.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In 1989, Bill Porter, having spent much of his life studying and translating Chinese religious and philosophical texts, began to wonder if the Buddhist hermit tradition still existed in China. At the time, it was believed that the Cultural Revolution had dealt a lethal blow to all religions in China, destroying countless temples and shrines, and forcibly returning thousands of monks and nuns to a lay life.

But when Porter travels to the Chungnan mountains - the historical refuge of ancient hermits - he discovers that the hermit tradition is very much alive, as dozens of monks and nuns continue to lead solitary lives in quiet contemplation of their faith deep in the mountains.

Part travelogue, part history, part sociology, and part religious study, this record of extraordinary journeys to an unknown China sheds light on a phenomenon unparalleled in the West. Porter’s discovery is more than a revelation, and uncovers the glimmer of hope for the future of religion in China.

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