This book recounts the author's travels and his meetings with monks, remarkable masters, and dozens of other memorable Chinese people -- the funny, the wise, the unscrupulous, the kind and compassionate. Anyone who has wondered about the health of monastic Buddhism in China today will find this a fascinating account. Anyone who longs for the serenity and clarity that the author sought in his journey will benefit from reading this book.
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Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
In spite of the repressive efforts of Chairman Mao and his successors, religion still lives and flourishes in China. The author of numerous literary biographies (Always Merry and Bright: The Life of Henry Miller) and other books, Martin, who teaches government at Claremont McKenna College, takes us with him to the sixth-century monastery of Guo Qing in east central China. He spends more than a month at the monastery, not as a casual visitor but as a monk, following all the monastic rituals and rules although he is not Chinese but American, not a celibate monk but a married layman, and not even Buddhist but Catholic. Monastic life has universal appeal, and Martin's account is full of interesting observations about Chinese people and places while also being attentive to Buddhist monastic spirituality. The book suffers a bit from the author's self-focus, but this is a minor complaint. Well written and intelligent, it will appeal both to casual readers and to specialists. Recommended for both academic and public libraries, especially those with large collections in religion. James F. DeRoche, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
About the Author
Jay Martin holds Ph.D.s in Psychoanalysis and English. He has been a professor of Government, English, a supervisor in Psychiatry and Human Behavior and a psychoanalyst in private practice. He was the 2000-1 Dai Ho Chun Distinguished Visiting Professor at the U. of Hawai'i, and teaches at Claremont McKenna College. His biography of Henry Miller has been translated into many languages; other books include biographies of Nathanael West, Robert Lowell and Conrad Aiken.:
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An insightful, communicative, and broad-minded memoir,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Journey to Heavenly Mountain: An American's Pilgrimage to the Heart of Buddhism in Modern China (Paperback)
Journey To Heavenly Mountain: An American's Pilgrimage To The Heart Of Buddhism In Modern China is the personal story of Jay Martin, an American who personally journeyed through modern-day China in a dedicated search for eternal wisdom and personal enlightenment. Jay's travels took him into the heart of monastic Buddhist territory, where he learned of new ways for seeing with clarity and tranquility. Journey To Heavenly Mountain is highly recommended for Buddhist reference collections and supplemental reading lists as being an insightful, communicative, and broad-minded memoir.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A thoroughly-engrossing read.,
By Ian MacLeary (Tempe, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Journey to Heavenly Mountain: An American's Pilgrimage to the Heart of Buddhism in Modern China (Paperback)
This is one of those books that won't let you put it down until you've finished it. As a piece of travel writing, it's interesting enough; but it is as an account of a spiritual journey that the book especially succeeds. Author Jay Martin's aim was to live in some of the great Buddhist temples in China, and to absorb the wisdom of the spiritual masters who live there. One might expect, in his recounting of his dialogues with these spiritual figures, just more of the rather befuddling Eastern philosophical jargon that many have come to expect. What is refreshing about Martin's account is both the accessibility of the teachings, and the fact that we get to see the teachings APPLIED in the course of Martin's adventures.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buddhism today,
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This review is from: Journey to Heavenly Mountain: An American's Pilgrimage to the Heart of Buddhism in Modern China (Paperback)
This is a wonderful book!! I have read it many times an on each occasion I realize more and more the spirit od the Buddha in the various people Dr,MArtin meets and the stories they tell.
A single reading is not enough !!
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