On our way to the famous Lingyin Temple in the beautiful city of Hangzhou, China, we passed by a hill with many Buddhist statues. With a twinkle in her eyes, my guide, Shau Jung, asked if the hill looked familiar. Confused, I shook my head. She laughed and said, “It should look familiar to you. After all, it is called Fei Lai Feng, The Hill That Flew From Afar. A legend says it flew from India.” I looked at the hill and saw the inscription Om Mani Padma Hum and realized that the legend was true. The inscription was made during the lifetime of a renowned Indian Buddhist monk who lived in the Lingyin Temple about 1,200 years ago.

Dhruv Joshi teaches chemistry at Chabot College, in Hayward, California. Teaching, meditation, and writing are his main interests. He can be reached at djoshi@comcast.net.

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