Features

Kindling Hope is a go-to book when you need a moment to recenter, or simply to unplug and take a breather when things feel a little full.

Bite-sized daily reflections bringing insights within minutes

Rooted in lived experience, not just theory

Designed to fit into morning or evening routines

Help swap screen time for more "soul" time

Enriched by Spanish artist Clara Encinas's eye-soothing graphite illustrations

kindling hope

Inspirations that Ease Us Through the Day

Each page offers a little support for the kinds of moments we journey through each day.

Reviews from notable readers

“Whether read daily or thematically, let these words wash over you and renew your spirit.”

Sister Susan Kidd

CND, B.A., B.Ed, Masters of Divinity, UPEI Campus Minister & Chair of the Canadian Catholic Campus Minister’s Board of Governors

“Zhen-Ru’s translated poems are vital guides for our divided era, blending Buddhist-inspired imagery with urgent calls for solidarity. Her verses—carrying motifs of rivers reshaping landscapes and shared flames—map struggle into collective hope, and offer an antidote to polarization. This collection transcends cultural preservation, igniting dialogue on interdependence and inner resilience.

Amid escalating global tensions, her vision proves transformative. By framing personal cultivation as the root of societal healing, these works remind us that even fleeting kindness can bridge divides, merging lyrical wisdom with actionable truths for navigating crises.”

Darshan Mehta

MD, MPH, Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, Medical Director for the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine & Associate Professor at Harvard School of Medicine

Excerpts

Selected lines from the daily passages — a glimpse of the book's tone and feel.

Effervescing with Joy

Searching for things
that inspire elation allows us
to effervesce with great joy
each day.
Searching for things that inspire elation
allows us to effervesce with great joy each day.

Looking Within for a Way Out

When we look for the causes of suffering within
we give ourselves a way out.

Rewriting Memories

Can memories be rewritten?

Home to All

Our compassion can become
a source of refuge in others’ lives.

Cascade

In darkness
a tiny flicker of light still burns—
no matter how small, a good deed is a light in our lives.

Rising Above

The bottom is our vantage point
—our new horizon—
from which
both darkness and light emerge.
The sun sets below the horizon,
the sun rises above the horizon.
The bottom is our vantage point—our new horizon—
from which both darkness and light emerge. The sun
sets below the horizon, the sun rises above the horizon.

About the author

Born in Heilongjiang, China, Zhen-Ru felt deep sorrow over the cycle of life and death from an early age, constantly asking, “Why?” Her search for meaning led her to scholars, doctors, and books, but true understanding awaited her in Buddhism.

Determined to learn more, she journeyed across mountains and became a disciple of Tibetan Buddhist masters. Along the way, she met the late Master Jih-Chang, a renowned Taiwanese monk dedicated to teaching the Tibetan Buddhist path to ultimate happiness. Under his guidance, she became his foremost disciple, and he entrusted her with leading his followers.

Zhen-Ru’s words flow like a gentle stream, inspiring gratitude, love, and compassion. Though honored as a teacher, she remains a lifelong student, ever seeking truth.

In a world ripe with fear and uncertainty, she hopes peace and kindness will prevail.

“My dear, let us not despair.” – Zhen-Ru

Read Zhen-Ru’s full biography →


About Amrita Translation Foundation

Based on Prince Edward Island, Amrita Translation Foundation is a group of monastic translators committed to creating a happier, more peaceful world. It aims to preserve Buddhist scriptures and make them accessible to a wider audience. To ensure the highest level of accuracy, this team of monastic translators has dedicated their lives to the study and practice of Buddhist teachings. They are educated and trained in the Five Great Treatises curriculum, a rigorous Buddhist curriculum with roots tracing to the Tibetan and ancient Indian Nalanda traditions.


About Kacy Lin

Kacy Lin is a translator who specializes in the translation of Buddhist works from Mandarin to English. She holds a master’s degree in psycho-spiritual studies from the University of Toronto, as well as a bachelor’s in English literature (with minors in Buddhism and visual arts). She has dedicated many years to the translation and practice of Buddhist teachings.

Bring home a copy and begin your journey inward

Kindling Hope
Buy the book
Africa
South Africa
Asia
Brunei
Malaysia
Singapore
Hongkong
Macao
India
Japan
Korea
Philippines
Taiwan
UAE
Europe
Belgium
France
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
Poland
Sweden

Explore Other Works by Zhen-Ru