Sheng Yen did not have an easy childhood, and yet he was loved and cherished by his hardworking, desperately poor farmer-parents. Times were dire, and, as he was born on the cusp of the Chinese Revolution, Sheng Yen was deeply influenced by the history and times of his birth country. As a very young lad, he was taken by a family acquaintance to Wolf Mountain Monastery to begin training as a Monk. The monastic life had long had appeal to him, and he found the life soothing and enriching. Unfortunately, when he was but a teenager, the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) reared its ugly head, and he joined the military in Taiwan. He thought he had given up the ascetic life forever, and decided to dedicate himself to life as a soldier. However, fate had something more in store for him.

Yen is amazing in his gentleness, and his appreciation for the lessons that life teaches him. Even when his Master (teacher) requires endless and mindless tasks of him, Sheng Yen goes forth with the attitude that in all things there is a possibility of learning and illumination. He states, "religious experience is not enlightenment" so that you know that he understands and values the course of learning to reach an enlightened state by his own efforts, not relying or even requiring religious instruction to find his faith, and his path.

A lot of Chinese history is explored from both Sheng Yen's military and monastery perceptions. Since much of that time (1940's, 50's, 60's) the world was not fully "in the know" about the Cultural Revolution, it is both educational and awe-inspiring to see what Yen suffered, along with the rest of his country, to get through the long and onerous ordeal of such harsh times.

Choosing a direction in life is often difficult, and Sheng Yen does not make light of the struggles he has had to become the man he is today. He had homeless times, when he lived on the streets, depending on the goodwill of fellow Buddhists and followers in China, Taiwan, Canada and the United States to help him. He remained humble, seeking and open to the lessons of existence. He is honest about the negative aspects of his religion—selling religious services for money, and the struggles other monks had / have with alcohol and sexual temptation. He truly wants the reader to see the good and the bad, so that they can reach their own stages of development or enlightenment without being blinded by mistruths. This is the first autobiography or biography of Sheng Yen in English, and while it is often obvious that English is Yen's second language, he has an innate sense of the beauty of language, and the flow that almost hypnotizes the reader.

Sheng Yen is fully aware that there is a basic need in most people to have a faith, a belief system, or a way to look at their place in the world. He is non-judgmental, openhearted and dedicated to Chan Buddhism within those parameters.  It is obvious that he teaches what he believes, and believes what he teaches, to the extent that he is willing to listen, appreciate and honor those of different cultures and faiths. That viewpoint alone is worth the price of the book—and the enrichment the reader gets from reading and appreciating Sheng Yen's noteworthy story makes it well worth sharing with others as well. ENJOY!