The translated Chinese sources were also very intriguing, showing how the Chinese "traditions" took the Buddha's message and transformed it to fit in with their way of thinking -- using parables to explain complicated, metaphorical situations regarding the value of life and the importance of worldly goods and pleasures. The mixture of the seemingly Confucian method of story-telling and the Buddhist concepts of suffering and enlightenment are explained very well and provide a good basis for understanding the third reading by Sally Hovey Wriggens, which chronicles a young Chinese monk's journey traveling to India. The first two readings give context to what the monk was experiencing as he visited various sites in the "holy land of Buddhism," and how even though the message had been "distorted" on its journey to China, the Chinese monk still impressed the Indian monks with his deep understanding and his "new depth of feeling."
When learning about Buddhism, introductory religion courses usually restrict themselves to India alone, so it was very useful to get a solid introductory reading explaining the subtle differences between the traditions in each region.
