A Gathering of Cranes: Bringing the Tao to the West

Foreword In China, cranes have long been a symbol of wisdom and longevity. Expressions like 'heavenly crane (tian-he) or 'blessed crane' (xian-he) describe the role of the crane as the symbol of wisdom. The death of a Taoist priest is said to be yu-hua or 'turning into a feathered (crane)'.

The animals themselves are prudent and non-aggressive. They are peaceful and quiet in nature and behave firmly and calmly. They always live in harmony. They are brave in the face of danger and never yield to violence.

It is in this spirit that the nine teachers interviewed in this book are presented. Each teacher, in their own unique way, exemplifies these attributes of wisdom, gentleness, and openness. Each one, though originally from the East, has chosen to make their home in and their teachings available to the West. In this way, they are creating a new approach which blends the wisdom and harmony of the East with the forthrightness and open-mindedness of the West.

It is this blending, this sharing from the heart, this new child of Eastern and Western parents, that this book is all about. The wisdom and teachings presented here are often extremely ancient yet completely up-to-date. They are as useful for today's problems as they were for those of ancient China and do not demand any religious conversion to utilize them.

In publishing The Empty Vessel, A Journal of Contemporary Taoism, I have had the good fortune to meet with many teachers, both Chinese and American. The wisdom and joy they have shared with me has given me the inspiration to produce this volume. In this case we are showcasing nine national-level teachers, all originally from China, who have decided to bring the wisdom of the ancient achieved ones to the West.

Join us then for this gathering of cranes, this sharing from the heart of nine teachers, each in their own way an example of what Chuang Tzu meant when he described the sage as "one who has a free mind, a calm manner, and an unfurrowed brow; is as cool as autumn and as mild as spring; is in harmony with all things and has no limitations."