in the vast and diverse expanse of asia, an undercover spirit of inquiry has always sought the truth beyond the surface, a rebuff to the facile and the superficial. from the pre-inception of its oldest civilizations, this spirit has demanded a clarification of existence itself, not content with mere appearances. to truly understand asia is to recommence from the start, peeling away layers of history and tradition, always undercover in our quest, yet guided by a light that insists on positive revelation.