News From True Cultivators: Letters to the Venerable Abbot Hua

The preface introduces the central practice of the pilgrimage: after every three steps, the monks bowed fully to the ground. They carried no money, slept in an old station wagon, ate one vegetarian meal a day, avoided newspapers and radio, maintained meditation and recitation schedules, and reported their experiences to Master Hua through letters. The book also includes a brief portrait of Master Hsuan Hua, emphasizing his role in transmitting Chinese Buddhist monastic discipline, scripture translation, moral education, and interfaith respect to the West. The main body consists of dated letters and reflections from the road. The chapters describe encounters with hostile strangers, curious children, lay supporters, police, thieves, gangs, urban neighborhoods, coastal roads, fatigue, pain, false thinking, vows, repentance, and moments of spiritual insight. Topics include “Mindfulness of a cultivator,” “Broken precepts begin with false thinking,” “Buddhism in America,” “The Bodhisattva Path is home,” “Everything’s a test,” “Don’t kill,” “Following the rules,” and “Bowing is to get rid of selfishness.” The volume functions both as a pilgrimage diary and as a practical record of Mahāyāna cultivation in contemporary America.