Questions of Heaven: The Chinese Journeys of an American Buddhist (Concord Library)
As a practicing Buddhist, Gretel Ehrlich set out to climb Emie Shan, a sacred  Buddhist mountain in China, to complete a personal spiritual quest. What she came away  with was an understanding of the brutal effects of Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution on  China's Buddhist population, and the politics and bitter realities of the collision between  modernity and monastic life. Written in a lively and thoughtful style with plenty of  exciting passages,Questions of Heavenchronicles Ehrlich's journey through  China and its recent turbulent history in such a personal way that it draws the reader  closer to the subject. From her conversations with monks and a heartbreaking visit to a  panda refuge, Ehrlich discovers that the ancient Buddhist tradition lives on, though not in  the manner she anticipated. Silencing both Buddhism and Taoism changed the  complexion of China in unexpected ways, and this journal exposes the subtleties of this  shift from the perspective of one who is able to bridge the cultural and political  differences with her spiritual attachment.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.