I asked the boy beneath the pines Who said,

"The master has gone herb-picking Somewhere on the mountain,

Deep in the clouds, whereabouts unknown."

-Buddhist poet Jia Dao (779-843 A.D.)  

Jia Dao composed the above poem 1200 years ago. He was a monk who was searching for the enlightened hermit “somewhere on the mountain, deep in the clouds, whereabouts unknown”. Whether or not Jia Dao would finally locate the master was as significant as the journey to find him itself. The quest would take Jia Dao through breathtaking and marvellous mountain landscapes.

In the poem, the hermit personifies Enlightenment, the clouds personify delusions, the mountain is the material world, and the boy is the guide towards Enlightenment.

Two centuries ago, the Western world embarked upon a spiritual odyssey in search of Buddhism. Since then, it has probably experienced many of the same ordeals Jia Dao has encountered in his search.

Our enlightened hermit remains hidden by the clouds as he does for Jia Dao, and we are still trekking across the mountain, seeking. But where Jia Dao’s boy could only shrug when asked of the hermit’s whereabouts, we have guides who point out the way.

Who are these guides? They are the compassionate pioneer philosopher-scholars who spent much of their lives bringing Buddhism to the West. Scholars such as Max Muller, Rhys Davids, Edwin Arnold, Oldenberg Hermann, Burnouf Eugene, and Samuel Beal were the first to translate Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, and Chinese Buddhist texts in the 1800s. Their work provided Western culture’s first glimpse into this religion called Buddhism. In the 20th century, Zen emerged as a dominant force, particularly in North America. Scholars such as D.T. Suzuki, Christmas Humphrey, and Alan Watt emphasized the practice of meditation, leading our spiritual adventure beyond the horizons of mere religion and philosophy.

Now, in the early days of the 21st century, we at the International Buddhist Society are joining those pioneers, in continuing the spiritual odyssey started two centuries ago. This website is our earnest contribution to you. Like Jia Dao’s young guide, however, we can only direct you towards the general whereabouts of the enlightened hermit deep in the clouds. You, dear reader, must traverse the mountains yourself, to find your own Enlightenment.

The journey will be as challenging and rewarding as the destination.