Product Description

Somewhere it is written that every Chinese wears a Confucian thinking cap, a Taoist robe, and Buddhist sandals. In Watching the Tree, Adeline Yen Mah brings together the many influences on her life as a child of the East and as a student and adult in the West. Taking a step beyond her previous book, Falling Leaves, Adeline explores the centuries-old Chinese traditions and their legacy in modern-day China and the West. With her provocative essays on Buddhism, the I Ching, Tao, Confucius, and their role in shaping Chinese thought, Watching the Tree inspires as it uplifts the soul, giving readers an unusual glimpse inside a culture that remains mysterious and often misunderstood.

In her sharp observations on Chinese food and medicine, yin and yang, Zen, and feng shui, Adeline enlightens readers with the mundane–an approach to healing an illness with items you might find at a Chinese grocery store–to the larger questions in life surrounding true happiness, health, and spirituality. Her stories reveal the strength and peace of mind that come from opening one’s heart and mind to the wisdom and experience of our combined histories.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #876314 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-18
• Released on: 2002-06-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Amazon.com Review
Adeline Yen Mah scored a big hit with her autobiography Falling Leaves. Now she follows up by filling in some of the details of Chinese thought and culture that have been important in her life. Commenting on the language, philosophies, customs, and food of China, Mah fleshes out the Chinese mind. Short essays are arranged around chapter themes and incorporate episodes from Mah's life as well as colorful sayings and historical information. She is at her best when speaking from personal experience and expertise, as in her piece on Chinese food and nutrition. But she can also come off as didactic, and she tends to wander aimlessly from topic to topic. The reader often feels that in order to justify the value of Chinese culture to herself and others she has tried to pack in every interesting thing she knows, or has read, about Chinese civilization, but without a guiding narrative. For these tidbits, the wading is often worth it, though much of her historical information can be found in the same books where she found them. One wishes she had the style of a Jonathan Spence or the humor of a Lin Yutang to make the reading about such a fascinating culture an uncommon pleasure. --Brian Bruya

From Library Journal
This brief but compelling book is basically a primer on Chinese culture. In 11 chapters, Mah (Falling Leaves: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter) furnishes explanations of Confucius and Confucianism, Buddhism, the I Ching, Chinese herbs and medicines, feng shui, yin-yang, and the Chinese language, among other topics. Intertwined with these lessons are her own experiences and reflections. During an unhappy childhood with a cruel stepmother in Shanghai and Tianjin, she learned much from her grandfather and aunt, both of whom sustained her through many trials. Later, as a doctor in England and America, Mah learned more from other doctors, professors, and an encounter with Philip Larkin, the noted British poet. Mah is an articulate and fluent writer, and though she gives the Chinese characters for many of the things she discusses, the material is basic enough that the reader does not need to know the Chinese. Recommended for large public libraries.
-DKitty Chen Dean, Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Author
After the publication of Falling Leaves, I received many letters from readers throughout the country and around the world. Taken together, they were a collective expression of empathy from across the globe intermingled with questions about my personal beliefs. Again and again, I was asked, "Is there a God after all and how do I find him?" At first, I tried to answer individually by long-hand but gradually fell behind. Watching the Tree is my letter of reply to the world.

In this book you will encounter many of the same characters you met initially in my memoir, Falling Leaves. As the youngest step-daughter in a Chinese family of seven children, I knew that I was unwanted and considered the lowest of the low. My misery was real and deep and I could see no way out. When I was ten, my stepmother separated me from my Aunt Baba, whom I dearly loved, and placed me in a succession of boarding schools. During that time, I had nobody but my grandfather, Ye Ye. And because I was allowed to go home on only three separate occasions, I treasured those brief visits. I did not know then how vital these visits were to my emotional and spiritual development.

The Swedish psychologist Eric Ericson wrote of a sense of basic trust which is instilled in a child by "somebody who cares," without which the child cannot live and therefore dies mentally. This basic trust was what my grandfather Ye Ye gave to me at that crucial juncture. Deep inside, I knew that he believed in me.

Watching the Tree is comprised of many stories from my youthful experiences, struggling to come into my own as a child and as an adult, which form the foundation of my own spiritual beliefs. The great German philosopher Martin Heidegger once wrote, "Whatever and however we may try to think, we think within the sphere of tradition." But what if I were to introduce to Western readers a new and entirely different tradition? Will their thoughts, then, become transformed and undergo fresh and radical change?

Everywhere in the world, there is a real hunger to find meaning in our lives and to understand who we are and why we are here. Philosophy begins in wonder and knowledge is power. Aristotle said, "All men by nature desire to know." Indeed, Chinese and Westerners alike are all searching for rational and intelligent answers.

This book is designed to give you an intimate glimpse into a Chinese mind. Divided into twelve short chapters, each is headed by a proverb and starts off with a true story from my past to lead you into the main theme. You will learn the basis of my personal philosophy and the reason why I think the way I do.

Somewhere it is written that every Chinese wears a Confucian thinking-cap, Taoist robe and Buddhist sandals. In Falling Leaves, I tried to paint a truthful portrait of my life and family relationships. In Watching the Tree, I'm attempting to relate what I have learned from my past, as a daughter of China. Both are autobiographical and deeply personal.

Enjoy! I wish you happiness!

ADELINE YEN MAH

Customer Reviews

DESTINED TO BE A CLASSIC
Adeline Yen Mah writes with sometimes painful honesty about her life in general, her personal relationships as well as her family, community and country. I don't recall having read a book that could be so moving and yet so intellectually enriching. Anyone doing business in China, Japan, Korea or Malaysia should read this book and carry it in their briefcase. Beyond the poignant stories of her personal life, the book offers an enormous scope of information and insights. If you have ever wondered about Feng Shui, the I Ching, the Tao, Buddha and Confucius, you will find this book very interesting. If you have some scientific background you will be fascinated by her discussion about Hiesenberg's "Uncertainty Principle", Quantum Physics, String Theory as well as references to Carl Jung, Galileo, Spinoza, the Dalai Lama, the Julian Calendar vs. the Chinese Calendar, Laplace, Leibniz and the list goes on! She is a Physician and writer with a keen sense about philosophy, the history of science and mathematics. There is no word or concept for "human rights" in Chinese and her explanation is a real eye opener. The profound influence of Confucius for over 2500 years and the late adoption of the zero (1247 AD) explain a lot about the history of China. She writes with respect towards the reader and has an obvious reverence for her subject matter. I have only one disappointment. There is no index to help the reader to return to the many points of interest in the book.

A philosopher's guide to the world's oldest civilization
"Watching the Tree" is a meditation on the philosophies that have shaped Chinese thought over the millenia. The West has its Judeo-Christian traditions and Puritan work ethic: China has Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. There's a saying that only the fish doesn't know water: we have to leave our surroundings to understand them. Adeline Yen Mah left French-occupied Shanghai and British-administered Hong Kong to earn a medical degree in England from Oxford University, and then worked in the US as a doctor for thirty years. Now she's on a mission to explain to us what makes the other one fourth of the world's population 'tick'.

This isn't a textbook, and it isn't an autobiography, although the author draws heavily from her experience of living with her adored Buddhist grandfather. It's a meandering walk through Chinese history (all 8,000 or more years of it) and Chinese foods, medicine, language and writing. We learn how Confucius (Kong Fu Zi) strove to rid China of its cruel mandarin ruling class and replace it with an educated meritocracy -- and left a long-term legacy of a stultifying bureaucracy and contempt for feminine intellect. We learn how Taoism was subverted into a set of kitschy superstitions. And how Buddhism merged with Chinese thought to become Zen.

The book is beautifully presented. The paper is fine quality and the text clear and well laid out. Dr Yen often gives the traditional Chinese ideograms for Chinese words and explains their derivation. What we write and what we say is what we think. No wonder the Chinese government has difficulty with the concepts of 'human rights' and 'privacy' when they have no words for them. And we have no words for tao or li or qi. We have a lot to learn.

Must Read for Beginner's and Experts
This book covers the essentials of Chinese culture in a very cohesive, anecdotal way, and its enjoyable to read. The author brings together elements of the written language, history, legend, food, medicine and more in the best example that I've seen of explaining the Chinese culture to the non-chinese.

It's the single best source for understanding the Chinese culture. If you're going to China - whether a novice or china expert - you'll get a lot out of this book.