Only a Great Rain: A Guide to Chinese Buddhist Meditation [Paperback]

Master Hsing Yun (Author), Tom Graham (Translator), John McRae (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999

Very little has been published to date on China's rich traditions of Buddhist meditation. Inspired by the need to increase meaningful interaction between China and the West on spiritual issues, modern meditation master Hsing Yun here brings this vast legacy to life in straightforward and engaging language. These instructions are placed in wider context by Professor McRae's introduction to the world of Chinese Buddhism.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Wisdom, in addition to its backlist of ancient spiritual classics from the East, has recently begun to amplify its list with newly written titles on spiritual guidance: Be an Island and Only a Great Rain are among the most worthy of these. Khema's work is the last offering of an American-born Buddhist nun who died in 1997; her calm, soberly written treatise reviews the path to enlightenment as a form of the search for personal and inner peace. Yun provides valuable insight into the distinct practices and traditions of Chinese Buddhism, still little known in the West. Both of these publications are recommended for libraries where interest in Eastern spirituality is strong.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"'Only a Great Rain' describes Buddhist meditation...through the eyes of one Chinese Buddhism's greatest living representatives... presented with anecdotes and examples that are especially pertinent to our lives in these last days of the twentieth century." -- from the Introduction by John McRae, Professor of East Asian Buddhism, Indiana University

"...pleasant to read...clear and simple...nothing like this from a Chinese perspective [available in English]." -- John McRae, Professor of East Asian Buddhism, Indiana University

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0861711483
• ISBN-13: 978-0861711482
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #221,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Venerable Master Hsing Yun is a Chinese Buddhist monk, author, philanthropist, and founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order, which has branches throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Ordained at the age of twelve in Jiangsu Province, China, Master Hsing Yun has spent his over seventy years as a Buddhist monk building what he calls Humanistic Buddhism: Buddhism that meets the needs of people and is integrated into all aspects of life.

In 1949, Master Hsing Yun came to Taiwan and began to nurture the new burgeoning Buddhist culture in Taiwan. He served as an editor and contributor to many Buddhist magazines and periodicals, authoring the daily columns "Between Ignorance and Enlightenment," "Dharma Words," and "Hsing Yun's Chan Talk," as well as starting his own Buddhist magazine, "Awakening the World," in 1957, and the first daily Buddhist newspaper, the "Merit Times," in 2000. Master Hsing Yun authored many important works including the "Song of Silence," the "Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha," and "National Master Yulin." Master Hsing Yun also edited and sponsored the Fo Guang Encyclopedia, the most authoritative Buddhist reference work in the Chinese language. His contributions have reached as far as sponsoring Buddhist music and art, to creating Buddhist programming for television, radio, and the stage.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a 'how to' guide for buddhist meditation, September 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Only a Great Rain: A Guide to Chinese Buddhist Meditation (Paperback)

This book is a very good and comprehensive book about the techniques and reasons behind buddhist meditation. Technical details about advanced meditation and the relation that meditation has to other aspects of Buddhism may be advanced for early practicioners, but there is plenty of good advice for beginners as well. I would imagine that this book is ideal for Buddhists of any type that are looking for specific instructions on how to meditate.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful instruction for the novice, January 29, 2002

By 

Richard Harrold (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Only a Great Rain: A Guide to Chinese Buddhist Meditation (Paperback)

As a novice, I found this book very helpful. It provides very concrete guidance in meditation. And it also provides useful information on other aspects of Buddhism presented in a very easy to read and understandable manner. I highly recommend this book for meditation novices.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of the meditation in Buddhism, April 27, 2008

By 

C. Sienkiewicz "PolishBodhi" (Bloomsburg, PA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Only a Great Rain: A Guide to Chinese Buddhist Meditation (Paperback)

I really liked this book, but I don't know if it is for beginners just learning about Buddhism. It is done in a very scholarly way and gives points and details from scripture. So I would recommend that you get more familiar with Buddhism before this book so then you can appreciate to the fullest. Overall though this book is a great way to get your teeth into the sutras look on meditation and begin perhaps studing the older texts.