Huineng's "Refuge Rock"

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on August 15, 2016.)

Marks in the niche in "Refuge Rock" said to be made by Huineng's robe

Including some areas to its north and south, Shaoguan in Guangdong is "Huineng Country." The Sixth Patriarch was born and died south of Zhaoqing, and was ordained at the Fifth Patriarch's temple in Huangmei County, Hubei. Shaoguan lies between the two.

Maba Man and Zhaoyin Temple

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on August 22, 2016.)

The interior of Maba Cave contains statues of a supposed Maba-era community.

In 1958, local farmers in the area of Maba--near Shaoguan in northern Guangdong--entered one of the many karst caves around, this one located directly underneath the local landmark shaped like a lion's head and thus called "Lion Rock."

Master Xuyun

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on June 12, 2017.)

Statue of Xuyun at Yunmen Temple, Guangdong

Perhaps the greatest Buddhist Master of the 19th and 20th centuries was the monk called Xuyun ("Empty Cloud"). From Quanzhou to Kunming, and especially around northern Guangdong, it is hard to find a major temple untouched by his efforts.