king xuan, liang hong, meng guang, mo mu, ruan family's daughter, ugly women, virtue, wuyan, xu yun, yellow emperor, zhong lichun

Wisdom of the Ancients: ‘Ugly Women’ 

In today’s world of instant beauty fixes, Instagram posts, and social media influencers, it is easy to forget that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While some think that contouring makeup and padded underwear make a woman beautiful by current standards, the ancient Chinese people had other ideas, and “ugly women” were not ...

Helen London

Painting of the imperial court in ancient China.

The Mystical Miracles of the Chinese Monk Xu Yun

Xu Yun (1840-1959) was a well-respected Buddhist master and is regarded as one of the most influential Buddhist teachers of the 19th and 20th centuries. Xun Yun’s first exposure to Buddhism was at his grandmother’s funeral. The ceremony was performed by monks and the serine atmosphere animated him to read Buddhist sutras and to make ...

Hermann Rohr

Monk in red robe with hands folded.