Since the end of World War II, there has been a flowering of Eastern thought in the Western world--a spreading of Buddhism and other philosophies that has inspired multiple generations of new practitioners and scholars. One such figure is Andy Ferguson, an American Buddhist and scholar who follows in the footsteps of a venerated, near-mythic patriarch of Chinese Buddhism in Tracking Bodhidharma.
Bodhidharma arrived from Southern India in 500 C.E., bringing with him a no-nonsense version of Buddhism that emphasized sitting and observing one's own mind, the core teachings that would underpin Ch'an or Zen Buddhism. Bodhidharma's life is so enshrouded in myth that some scholars consider him more of a legendary figure, and one of Ferguson's primary concerns as he undertakes his journey is to make the historical Bodhidharma real so that he can assume his proper place of veneration among Buddhist practitioners and lovers of Chinese culture.
Ferguson packs Tracking Bodhidharma densely with all sorts of tidbits, never ceasing to amaze with the breadth of his knowledge. While there is certainly an aspect of the "fish out of water" tale to his romp through China, Ferguson often knows more about his subject than the native Chinese he encounters. Yet he is never less than respectful toward his host country, and his observations about modern China and its place in the 21st century are every bit as judicious and level-headed as his historical insights. --Donald Powell, freelance writer