Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
46th out of 83 books
—
4 voters
Bones of the Master: A Journey to Secret Mongolia
by
George Crane
In 1959 a young monk named Tsung Tsai (Ancestor Wisdom) escapes the Red Army troops that destroy his monastery, and flees alone three thousand miles across a China swept by chaos and famine. Knowing his fellow monks are dead, himself starving and hunted, he is sustained by his mission: to carry on the teachings of his Buddhist meditation master, who was too old to leave wi...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
May 29th 2001
by Bantam
(first published 2000)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
487)
Some people are attracted to the girl next door, but I'm a sucker for a tale of the sage next door. In an unwise world, it's comforting to believe that the wise exist, and they walk among us. They are not relegated to secluded retreats. In Bones of the Master a quirky Asian man drops in on his neighbor. The neighbor turns out to be the author of this book, poet George Crane. The visitor is Tsung Tsai, a Cha'an monk who trekked from Inner Mongolia to Hong Kong in 1959 in order to ensure the teach...more
Loved it! It's David Caradine (Grasshopper) meets Henry Miller in Woodstock (and China).
2 likes · like · see review
view all 3 comments
I found this book enjoyable but I also found myself wishing the author would shut up about his own thoughts and opinions and focus more on his traveling companion, a monk of some 50+ years, whose journey this was to find his master's grave. The fact that the author was/is pretty much a layabout and, for lack of a better term, loser, who sleepwalks through his life and can't even bring himself to bow to his own teacher because of his own issues, made it a bit less enjoyable. Not a bad person but...more
Author George is a 40-something poet, cynic and would-be drifter. He moves with his wife and baby daughter to woodsy upstate New York where good fortune provides him the neighbor he never knew he needed.
Neighbor Tsung Tsai is a 70'ish Ch'an Buddhist monk with an extraordinary history highlighted by a year-long escape from Inner Mongolia, narrowly escaping starvation, death by train-hitching and, most importantly, Mao's Cultural Revolution.
We learn the details of Tsung Tsai's story, and grippin...more
Neighbor Tsung Tsai is a 70'ish Ch'an Buddhist monk with an extraordinary history highlighted by a year-long escape from Inner Mongolia, narrowly escaping starvation, death by train-hitching and, most importantly, Mao's Cultural Revolution.
We learn the details of Tsung Tsai's story, and grippin...more
Reading this book was a very mixed experience. It's the story of an american poet who is neighbor to a buddhist monk from Mongolia who escaped the ravages of the cultural revolution (in the 60's?). The monk's story of escape is woven in flashbacks through the course of the book. The relationship of the two poets is explored, and then they both go back to Mongolia so the monk can build a shrine to his teacher, so then it becomes travelog. Which I don't know how to spell. The thing is, I found the...more
And so continues my obsession with all things Tibetan, Mongolian and/or Buddhist... I just loved this book! The fact that it was written by a poet was perfect in keeping with the subject matter... the descriptions of wind, land, faces unbelievable. I also like the tie in with my hometown (or near-hometown)... the book so very "woodstock" and one of the main characters so like the adults I knew growing up. Fabulously written, engaging story... loved it!
Beautifully written; sentences of joy and adventure. What I liked most, though, was the story of two very different men learning to trust one another. Maybe's it's "believe in one another". I appreciated, too, the reflection this book inspired on what it means to practice, in a Zen sense. (Spoiler alert) The final showdown between Power-Money-Sex and Pure Zen leaves me thinking that this story is multi-layered and to be continued, but perhaps not in this lifetime.
Immensely enjoyable! A true tale of a poet meeting a Buddhist monk from Mongolia and then traveling back to Mongolia with him in search of the "Bones of the Master". Gives you chills and thrills as well as excellent history lesson on China/Mongolia and what people went through during communism. Also many beautiful, simple poems sprinkled throughout either written by the author and translated by the author and written by the monk. Any spiritual seeker would love this book!
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This is a wonderful read! It not only has a compelling plot to carry you through the book, with wonderful characters; it has wonderful philosophy and extremely memorable quotes throughout. I intend to read it more than once! I ended the book with a smile on my face, wishing there were more - and a deeper understanding of Buddhism and Chinese history and Zen poetry.
An exciting story, a wise monk, and (sort of) the education of the writer/narrator as he accompanies his ch'an teacher on a return to Inner Mongolia decades after he fled Chinese persecution. This is a stirring adventure story heightened by poetry, a tale of personal growth, and Buddhist teaching.
Jul 10, 2012
Deborah Varga
added it
I had this book on my shelves for years before I read it. I was glad I did because I found it to be a tresure. Good, honest writing led me into the quest. I did not want the journey to end with the last page so I ordered "Beyond the House of the False Lama" and just started reading it.
This is a book about adventure, determination and honor shared between unlikely characters, a monk and an author, who journey to inner mongolia in quest of the remains of a Ch'an master. It is full of Chinese wisdom and examples of cultural challenges.
Didn't grasp me. I'll probably try this at another time because as of now I couldn't get past page 50. I was too bored. IMHO, there are better nonfiction/inspirational reads out there and as of right now, this book doesn't fit in that category for me. Bones of the Master started off way too slow for being a nonfiction book. Nothing grab worthy whatsoever. My neighbor insisted I read this book because it was amazing, yadda, yadda, yadda. Not quite sure what she was taking about. If you're looking...more
A young Buddhist monk escapes from Mongolia during the Chinese Great Cultural Revolution, settles in America, then returns as an old man to visit his family, monastery and the cave of his Buddhist teacher.
I didn't finish this one. I started out not liking the author or the monk. They grow on you and by the end I liked the monk a lot. Interesting look at a different culture and two unlikely friends.
Nov 14, 2009
Pete
added it
An alright read, quick. Crane's voice and personality gets annoying fast. And his poetry is rubbish. However, he keeps the book interesting and relevant through the innumerable dialogues which almost perfectly capture the essence of Tsung Tsai.
This was a very good book if you are interested in Buddhism. The story shows the
hardlife that the monks have had, especially in light of the Chinese invasion.
hardlife that the monks have had, especially in light of the Chinese invasion.
At first I thought the author would be annoying but I really got into this book and the amazing adventure thru China. Crane relates his friendship w/TsungTsai with honesty and lovely language.
This is an amazing book, you go through every emotion possible. This book taught me about love, respect, dedication and honor. A MUST, MUST, MUST read.
Wonderfully told account of the spiritual journeys of two quite different men. A book I recommend to all and to date no one has been disappointed.
Good non-fiction story of a man who accompanies a Buddhist monk back to China years after his monastery was destroyed by the Communists.
Contains some interesting material about Tibet and Tibetans. A little too Kung Fu for my taste, but not a bad read.
Fascinating account of a monk's journey-accompanied by and written by his American poet next-door neighbor.
Inspiring.
The book is so engaging I could hardly put it down.
The book is so engaging I could hardly put it down.
Wow almost a Lobsang Ramba stuff but this looks true to the bones.
I picked up this book by chance, needing to spend bookstore credit after returning a duplicate item--and I'm so glad I did! It's non-fiction, the tale of a Woodstock, NY, writer and free spirit who discovers that a Buddhist monk has moved nearby; they become friends and go to Mongolia, from which he fled through China during a harrowing famine, to find the bones of his master (thus the book's title). It's about suffering, as one may expect of a Buddhist story, but also about compassion, survival...more
Great story.
A great story.
Monk Power!
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Writer, journalist, editor and world traveler holds a Bachelors from the University of Illinois in English Literature and Art History and a Masters in Creative writing from San Francisco State University. He has taught at Manhattanville College, University of Indianapolis and has given seminars and readings around the world (New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Athens, Paris, Prague, Buch...more
More about George Crane...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
