I have found it quite easy to adjust to the lifestyle here

Cui Yong, 77, a resident at the Lingyanshan Buddhist Nursing Home

My wife and I came here four months ago to visit my son. He used to work at a college and his son was a first grader when he became a monk seven years ago. I didn't really support his decision nor oppose it; it's his life. Later he came to study at the Lingyanshan Temple branch of the Buddhist Academy of China.

Last year, my wife began getting pains in her legs, but the hospital doctors were unable to reach a specific diagnosis. Her condition was becoming increasingly worse and she felt weaker every day. To be honest, we thought her situation was unpredictable and she wanted to see our son again.

We are from Fushun, Liaoning province, in the northeast, which is far away. We flew to Shanghai. It was the first time we'd taken a plane. We traveled from Shanghai to Suzhou and arrived at the mountain at about midnight. It takes a healthy person at least 20 minutes to climb to the temple and I didn't think my wife would manage it, but she did!

After living here for a month, she felt much better, and I also lost some weight and became fitter, so we decided to stay.

I've been exposed to Buddhism since my early years, because my mother was Buddhist. However, I never really studied or practiced it until recent years, under my son's influence. I was not a strict vegan before and I didn't follow a regular schedule of Buddhist study.

I have found it quite easy to adjust to the lifestyle here. I still see my wife every day, but we don't talk too much. We spend a lot of time studying and we enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.

Cui Yong spoke with Tang Yue

(China Daily 08/15/2016 page12)