Tag - buddhism

 
 

BUDDHISM

Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 15, 2020
'Introduction to Zen Training': Sogen Omori's road map to enlightenment
An introduction to Zen practice, by one of Japan's leading practitioners.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Jan 18, 2020
Kukai: Sowing the seeds of Shingon Buddhism
'Some say that though Kobo Daishi (Kukai) left this life he did not die, that he lies uncorrupted in (his tomb on Mount Koya) under these ancient trees, awaiting the coming of the future Buddha who will signal the salvation of the world' — Oliver Statler, 'Japanese Pilgrimage' (1983)
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 2, 2020
Tolerant shrine-temple-church trio's rare red stamps draw collectors to UNESCO site
Goshuin stamps made by three different places of worship — a shrine, a temple and a church — at an obscure fishing community within a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kumamoto Prefecture is generating a buzz with tourists.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Dec 14, 2019
'Zen in Japanese Culture': An astute explainer of Japan's spiritual aesthetics
With 'Zen in Japanese Culture,' Gavin Blair deftly sidesteps superficial how-tos and Orientalism to deliver a in-depth explainer that leaves readers wanting to dig even deeper.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 28, 2019
Tibetans say the Dalai Lama should choose his successor
Senior religious figures representing four schools of Tibetan Buddhism on Wednesday unanimously endorsed the Dalai Lama's sole authority to choose his successor, guaranteeing legitimacy that a possible Chinese appointee would lack.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Aug 16, 2019
Myanmar and Bangladesh agree to restart Rohingya repatriation effort next week, but activist says refugees weren't consulted
Myanmar and Bangladesh will start a fresh attempt next week to repatriate thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state, officials said on Thursday, nearly a year after a major attempt failed.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Apr 17, 2019
Amil Khanzada brings meditation and tech together at one of Japan's Zen landmarks
Japan's rural towns have mainly been facing the same big challenge for the past decade: A migration to urban centers for work has left them with declining populations, which leads to a further decrease in job opportunities that makes them less attractive places to live if you're young and starting a family.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 13, 2019
'Zen: The Art of Simple Living': Habits, ideas and hints for living a happy life
'Zen: The Art of Simple Living' is a profoundly beautiful work, easy to read, encouraging deep thought and reflection, but most importantly, acting as a practical guide to Zen action.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 23, 2019
Kannon Bodhisattva robot unveiled at Kyoto temple to share Buddha's religious teachings
A robot modeled after Kannon Bodhisattva and designed to explain the teachings of Buddha in plain terms was unveiled to the media at Kodaiji Temple in the city of Kyoto on Saturday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Chugoku
Feb 12, 2019
Japan's temples turn to social media, video streaming and apps to lure visitors
Temples across the country, including in the Chugoku region, are increasingly turning to mobile apps, videos and social media to entice visitors.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Feb 4, 2019
Zen Buddhist priest touched by kindness in Nepal offers shelter to those seeking refuge in Japan
One day in January, in a quiet Zen temple on a hill in Nagoya's Tenpaku Ward, a priest offered a Nigerian visitor okaki (rice crackers).
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2018
The swastika of good fortune? New York-based Japanese monk works to educate Westerners about symbol
When the Rev. Kenjitsu Nakagaki was honoring the Buddha's birthday with a sacred flower ceremony at a Seattle shrine in 1986, the Buddhist monk was met with sharp criticism for the chrysanthemums he arranged in the shape of a counterclockwise swastika.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 2, 2018
A master of Zen wisdom and dad jokes
If you are an older chubby man with a receding hairline and facing nothing but a decline into old age and death, there's always the work of Zen monk Sengai Gibon (1750-1837) to fall back on.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 29, 2018
Dirt and difficulty: Life as the wife of a Buddhist monk
Tracy Franz's poignant memoir, 'My Year of Dirt and Water,' is full of carefully observed details. Organised by the season and dated like a diary, Franz delves into the solitary year she spent in Japan while her husband was cloistered in a Zen monastery.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 5, 2018
Pure Land Buddhism and the art of photography
Follow the Sumida River southwest from Asakusa and you'll soon reach Kuramae, an old working-class neighborhood filled with small factories, wholesale shops and temples. The area is changing, though, with single origin coffee roasters and stores selling imported pottery sprouting up next to mom-and-pop stores selling tofu and sake.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
May 23, 2018
Zen and the art of Premier League dominance: Buddhist philosophy links Manchester United, Arsenal and Japan
Can the success of Alex Ferguson's 'kids' and Arsene Wenger's 'Invincibles' be linked to Buddhist philosophy? It's worth a try.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 5, 2018
Why cleaning is good for you, according to Buddhist monk Shoukei Matsumoto
Turn cleaning from the ultimate chore to a restorative feature of your life.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 23, 2018
No right way to complete Shikoku's 88-temple pilgrimage
"Get in the car." An old woman in thick glasses and a knitted hat gestures from her seat behind the wheel.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 9, 2018
Two millennia of heritage along Wakayama's Kumano Kodo trail
The Kii Peninsula is a land of ancient spiritual paths and holy mountains. Part of Wakayama Prefecture, the area is famous for onsen, temperate rainforests, mountains and a beautiful coastline. The prefecture is known as a place of rich cultural heritage, in part because of its connection to the Kii Province and the Kumano Kodo trail.
Japan Times
JAPAN / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 7, 2018
Shrine murder highlights huge amount of cash — most of it off-book — raked in by Japan's religious sites
In December, the former gūji (head priest) of Tokyo's famous Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine allegedly murdered his sister before committing suicide. Later, it was reported by various media that the suspect, Shigenaga Tomioka, had taken over the position from his father in 1995, but apparently the father disapproved of his son's spendthrift habits and, after temporarily reassuming the head priest position, willed it to his daughter, Nagako, who took over in 2010. She asked that the Association of Shinto Shrines, which oversees all of Japan's shrines, approve her ascension, and when they failed to respond, Nagako withdrew Tomioka Hachimangu from the group.

Longform

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree