How the Legendary Beatles Introduced Buddhism to Me and the Western World

Much of the world today is focused upon director Peter Jackson’s Disney+ documentary The Beatles: Get Back, including John Lennon’s metaphysical composure Across the Universe, but it was when I was in college in the 1980s, already a diehard Beatles fan, when I first listened to a Beatles album that was even better than Let ...

David Clapp

The Beatles' Revolver album.

Actress Develops a Belief in Buddhism After Playing Bodhisattva Guanyin

Published in the 16th century, the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West may well be the most popular book in all of East Asia. Based on historical events and influenced by Chinese mythology and folktales, it has won the hearts of those who know the story that features Bodhisattva Guanyin. The book’s 100 chapters ...

Jessica Kneipp

The Monkey King.

The 4 Holy Mountains of Chinese Buddhism

Since ancient times, Buddhism has been a huge part of China, both culturally and spiritually. Four of the country’s mountains have actually been sacred grounds for the religion. These include Mount Wutai, Putuo, Emei, and Jiuhua. Here is a brief introduction of these famous holy mountains of Chinese Buddhism for your knowledge. Holy mountains of ...

Emma Lu

Emei Shan Sacred Mountain, Sichuan, China.

The Legend of the Wooden Fish in Buddhism

When did the wooden fish start being used in Chinese Buddhism? Why was it made into the shape of a fish, and what is the meaning of it? Although there are a number of legends about the wooden fish, this legend of the wooden fish from Chinese Buddhism relates one of the answers. One legend ...

Yao

A fish carved out of wood.

Sun Simiao Waited 50 Years for Li Shimin

In traditional Chinese culture, Buddhism emphasizes predestined relationships among people: between husbands and wives, relatives and friends, and rulers and ministers. The encounter between Sun Simiao and Emperor Taizong of Tang, born Li Shimin, was also predestined. Sun Simiao was a Chinese physician and writer of the Sui and Tang dynasties. He was titled China’s “King of Medicine” for ...

Nspirement Staff

Emperor Taizong.

Understanding Ancient Wisdom: Predetermined Wealth in Your Destiny

Ancient wisdom states: “What is destined to come will come, and what is not cannot be forced.” The amount of wealth a person is destined to have is predetermined. Only through earnest effort and the accumulation of virtue can one’s destined wealth increase. Accumulating goodness for wealth Often, personal calculations are insignificant in the face ...

Mikel Davis

Stacks of coins getting progressively higher are lined up with an old-fashioned key.

Xianxia Fever: The Rise of Chinese Fantasy TV Shows

In recent years, there has been a remarkable surge in the popularity of xianxia, a captivating genre within Chinese TV fantasy dramas, novels, and animation. This rise has not only captivated audiences in China, but has also resonated with viewers around the globe.  Many drama watchers are discovering this genre, and if you’re one of ...

Viena Abdon

Xianxia dramas.

Unraveling the Dual Facets of Xi Jinping: A Journey of Faith, Destiny, and Prophecy

On the morning of September 22, 2023, Syrian President Assad, invited to the Asian Games opening ceremony in Hangzhou, toured the famous Buddhist Lingyin Temple with his wife and children. The temple unusually rolled out the red carpet and opened its main doors, sparking public discussion. Later that afternoon, Xi Jinping met with Assad at ...

Max Lu

Lingyin Temple.

The Secret to Longevity: A Look Into the Oldest Company in the World (Part 2)

The journey of the Kongō Gumi, a company with over a millennium of history, has been anything but smooth. In 1868, during the first year of the Meiji era, Emperor Meiji implemented the “Shinto and Buddhism Separation Order,” leading to the destruction of many Buddhist temples. This policy stripped the Four Heavenly Kings of their ...

Max Lu

A black and white photo of Kongō Gumi employees from 1930.