My first guiding light.

Seascape at Brighton

As a child my family lived in many parts of the world including Hong Kong and as travellers we brought back momentos of our experiences. So I had lived surrounded by chinese calligraphy on the wall, chinese dishes for my cornflakes and a chinese whicker dolls pram. But it wasn't until I was in my early teens and my brother gave me The Story of the Stone by Cao Xueqin that Oriental culture came into view and particularly Zen Buddhism.
I had been brought up in the Church of England faith and been confirmed and had even dabbled in the Baptist church but what really appealed to me about Buddism as a teenager is that no one was in control apart from you. There were no rules and regulations just a different way of thinking and I have persevered with that independent thought through out my spiritual journey.
Another big influence at that time was a book The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu. Only two inches thick but a great read.
I also enjoyed reading and writing poetry at this time (where has that interest gone?) and my most favorite poem and often quoted before going to sleep is the following by Ryokan (1757-1831) from the Penguin book of Zen Poetry.

Without a jot of ambition left
I let my nature flow where it will.
There is ten days of rice in my bag
And, by the hearth, a bundle of firewood.
Who prattles of illusion or nirvana?
Forgetting the equal dusts of name and fortune,
Listening to the night rain on the roof of my hut,
I sit at ease, both legs stretched out.