Watching The Tree: A Chinese Daughter Reflects on Happiness, Traditions, and Spiritual Wisdom

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.