Buddhism Teacher

Fifty-nine years ago, on the first day of October, 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the foundation of the People’s Republic of China.  Known in China and throughout the world as a great leader and cultural revolutionary, the people of China remember him also as a great lover of poetry and the arts.  No doubt, one of his favorite poets was Han Yu of the Tang Dynasty, because he and Han Yu loved so much the beauty of their beloved country.  

While November is not the best month to travel the northern part of China for those who are not used to or fond of cold weather, and I’m neither used to it or fond of it., here I am in China experiencing much of the beauty Han and Mao loved.  This is my second visit to this remarkable country and when I arrived in Beijing I was amazed at the changes and growth that has taken place since my last visit ten years ago.  On my first visit I toured the usual attractions, such as the Forbidden City and the nearby Great Wall, so this time I wanted to drink in the atmosphere, attend some cultural events, such as the Beijing Opera and the city’s world famous acrobatic troupe, plus experience living at the Beijing International Studies University in an apartment provided me by my American friend, who teaches English and serves on Beijing’s Cultural Board.  Dr. David Tool is known here as Lao Du, which means “respected Mr. Tool”, and has been very influential in the city’s efforts to provide handicap access to local Buddhist temples, museums and other tourist and cultural attractions.  He seems to be quite well-known in the city and was one of the torch bearers during this year’s Olympics.  He ran with the torch for a portion of its journey between Forbidden City and the Bird’s Nest.  I saw an example of his influence when visiting Zhi Hua Buddhist Temple, which now offers handicap rails and a wheelchair elevator at its entryway.  Here is a photo of this distinguished gentleman taken in his apartment: Read the rest of this entry »

One of the main reasons I wanted to go to China this time was to visit a part of the country I missed on my China visit ten years ago.  The guide book says “Say ‘Guilin’ and watch the looks of rapture  (and pride) on the faces of the Chinese people.  Dotted with supernaturally lovely karst topography gracing the Li Jiang River — these bizarre limestone upthrusts shape-shifting in dancing mists and haze — the city’s beauty has been celebrated for generations by painters and poets’.   At home, I’m an avid watcher of CCTV, China’s American television channel, and when you tune in you are bound to see photographs and film clips capturing the strange but beautiful landscapes of Guilin and its neighboring villages, especially the village of Yangshuo and its unforgettable Yulong River. While Guilin and its Li Jiang River are indeed wonderful, Yangshuo’s Yulong River is what usually leaves the biggest impression on most visitors to this part of South China.  And river-rafting Yangshuo style is perhaps the most unforgettable.  So, I did it.

I’ve river-rafted on the Colorado and Sacramento rivers and enjoyed riding the rapids in rubber tubes and on regular rafts, but rafts in this part of the world include what the locals call zhupai, which consists of two chairs atop a series of bamboo poles, four feet wide and 12 feet long, manned by a gondolier, who like those in Venice, used a long maneuvering pole to push against the river bottom, propelling us and the zhupai down the Yulong with accuracy and grace.  A rapid on this river is more like a water step downward as the river snakes its way through what has to be one of the worlds most beautiful scenic sights.

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