The Wisdom of the Desert

Author: Lu Yun (USA), Yasushi Nomura (Japan) / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Among the many desert stories, Yasushi Nomura has carefully selected some that speak directly to us. These stories have been passed down since their first recording, at least for 15 centuries. They require no elaborate explanation. What they need is a spirit willing to listen, learn, and be transformed. A monk asked his spiritual father how he should live, and received the reply: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances." Another monk posed the same question and heard this answer: "Do not be self-righteous, do not worry about what you have done, and control your tongue and belly." Reading such divergent responses, we smile, but we also realize that they not only reflect the differences between the two monks but also reveal that our hearts have space to hold both responses. Thus, the desert stories become the stories of every sincere seeker of life. During the time Yasushi translated the desert stories from Greek and Latin into English, wrote them in beautiful fonts, and paired them with Japanese ink paintings, he wrote to me: "These stories have a powerful impact, to the point where I could connect the desert context with the situations I encountered. These stories, drawn from real-life experiences, burst with life in their short, direct, straightforward, and simple forms. They are neither legends nor fables but stories brimming with life force. When I lingered between these stories and my friends, their power often surprised me." This observation from Yasushi's personal life may be the best introduction to these stories, because it reflects exactly why we read them: they are stories brimming with life force. – Excerpted from the preface written by Lu Yun for this book
Under the guidance of the spiritual master Lu Yun, the Japanese artist Yasushi Nomura translated the sayings of the desert fathers and mothers from Latin and Greek into English, interpreting the stories with the subtle and concise lines of Eastern ink painting. The Chinese translator skillfully preserved the original's simple yet profound style, allowing readers to be transported out of the hustle and bustle of the urban world, and their weary souls find a rare tranquility. By carefully savoring the essence of the text and the subtleties of the ink paintings, you will be amazed to discover that the ancient and profound wisdom of the desert is, in fact, the nourishment and blessing for the narrow life space of modern people.