Author Description

American Buddhist monks Heng Sure and Heng Chao undertook the ancient ascetic practice of bowing once every three steps on a two and a half year pilgrimage up the coast of California. They took with them only their faith and a wish for world peace as the inched their way along at about a mile and a half a day. Who gave them food? Where did they sleep? How did they diffuse the anger of drunks and overcome the hostility of law enforcement? What lessons did they learn in compassion and humility? And most important, what can we learn from their journey? Journals and Letters on a Bowing Pilgrimage is an eight volume series of the monks daily activities and reflections. The Hardest Part is Inside is the first volume in the series. It starts as the monks leave Gold Wheel Monastery in Los Angeles in May 1977 and runs through July 1977.