What is common with the consciousness-only school and vegetarian food? Well, both have become the subject of a new book just produced by the International Buddhist Temple.
Verses Delineating the Eight Consciousnesses: A Primer
This new book deals with the consciousness-only theory, or yogacara, a branch of profound psychology within Buddhism. Composed by Xuanzang of Tang dynasty, Verses Delineating the Eight Consciousnesses sums up the essence of the theory in only forty-eight verses each made up of seven words, and as such has been hard to comprehend. To help contemporary followers of Buddhism study the classic and appreciate the tenets of the consciousness-only school, Venerable Guan Cheng, abbot of the International Buddhist Temple, has just published a 285-page Verses Delineating the Eight Consciousnesses: A Primer.
The word “consciousness” is a Buddhist term for the human mind. As is often said in Buddhism, focus your mind in one place and there is nothing you cannot do. And only through the mind can one learn about all things in the universe. Therefore, how one understands, purifies and focuses their mind and cultivates it by the Dharma is the very first and most basic step for a Buddhist follower. Simply said, without comprehending the mind, one would not be able to follow the Dharma.
With ample pictures and diagrams, this new book uses modern Chinese to comment on and explain the text of the Verses Delineating the Eight Consciousnesses. It expounds how the human experience constructs the world through the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, as well as through thinking, deluded awareness and store-house consciousness, and how they lead to virtues, evils, joys and sufferings in the world.
The book can be purchased for $20 CAD at the International Buddhist Temple or $138 HKD from Hong Kong’s Vinaya, Samadhi & Prajna Lecture Hall. All proceeds from the sale benefit charity.
Venerable Guan Cheng’s new book, Verses Delineating the Eight Consciousnesses: A Primer, is an indispensable aid to all who read Chinese and practice the Dharma on their journey towards ultimate enlightenment.
The Joy of Vegetarian Cooking
Eating vegetarian has become part of a healthy and environmentally conscious way of life. While its benefits are known to all, however, many still find cooking vegetarian food a challenge. To help, Venerable Shan Ci of the International Buddhist Temple has compiled a how-to book of vegetarian cuisine that is both fun to make and nutritious. The Joy of Vegetarian Cooking is available for $10 CAD from the International Buddhist Temple or $68 HKD at the Vinaya, Samadhi & Prajna Lecture Hall in Hong Kong, with all proceeds going to charity.
It is hoped that this 138-page Chinese-and-English bilingual cookbook, which comes with a delightful photo illustrating each of the recipes, will help more among you find joy in a vegetarian diet and fun in rolling up your sleeves and putting on a chef’s apron!
