The monks, nuns, sages and students of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Ukiah live by a simple ethos: peace begins with a vegetarian diet.

The largest Buddhist community in North America, The City is part of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association (DRBA), an international religious organization that was founded in 1959 by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua.

Hua was a Chinese Chan Buddhist who firmly believed in the connection between food, individual spiritual well-being, and the well-being of humanity. A lifelong vegetarian, his culinary teachings, which blend Confucian philosophy, Mahayana Buddhist principles, and ancient concepts of Chinese medicine, inform the eating and agricultural practices of DRBA members worldwide.

The DRBA’s cookbook, aptly titled Wok Wisely, provides easy-to-make recipes using a variety of vegetarian ingredients and cooking techniques that promote good karma, environmental sustainability, and kindness toward living beings. We’ve reprinted four of them here, along with some nuggets of information and wisdom about the ingredients (also from the book).

Avocado Tofu Salad with Sesame-Seaweed Mix

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Braised Bamboo Shoots with Shitake Mushrooms

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Gluten Rolls

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Rice Balls of Three Colors

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Sesame-Seaweed Mix

Sesame-seaweed mix is a Japanese condiment that can be store bought, but many commercially available varieties include fish, MSG, added sugar and added salt. Vegetarians and those who want to avoid MSG, extra salt and extra sugar can make their own with the recipe here. This also allows you to conserve money and packaging.

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Hot and Sour Chinese Soup

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If these dishes intrigue you and leave you wanting more, you can pick up a copy of Wok Wisely for free at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. In addition to 56 recipes, the book includes a wealth of information about the nutritional content and health benefits of each ingredient, the benefits of a vegetarian diet, and Chinese traditions that support health.

Copies of Wok Wisely, which is published by the Buddhist Text Translation Society, are available for
free at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Ukiah. Visitors should first sign in at the administration
building on Mindfulness Avenue, which is just inside the main gate at the intersection of Talmage Road
and Old River Road. Then ask for directions to the main Buddhal Hall, where the books are displayed. You can find more information at cttbusa.org.

Jyun Kang restaurant, also located inside the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, serves Malaysian-Indo-
Chinese fusion vegan food cooked using the same methods and principles as the cookbook.

^{Recipes and photos are reprinted with the permission of the Buddhist Text Translation Society, The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, 4951 Bodhi Way, Ukiah, CA 95482
buddhisttexts.org, info@buddhisttexts.org
To provide clarity, the editor has added times, temperatures and asterisked notes to some recipes.}