Since my mother in law passed away recently, and my wife is back in the US, I’ve had a crash-course on memorial practices in Japanese culture, and wanted to share in case others run into this too. Much of these practices are rooted in a fascinating combination of native Japanese religion, blended with Indian-Buddhist practicesContinue reading “Funerary and Memorial Practices in Japan”
Category Archives: Japan
Happy Thanksgiving !!
Dear readers, Wherever you are, I hope you have a terrific Thanksgiving day! As for me, I am thankful to have a freezer full of nattō right now. 😎 Best wishes to you all!
Lonely At The Top: Minamoto no Sanetomo
I’m still keeping up with the Japanese historical drama the Thirteen Lords of Kamakura, discussed here, which is based primarily on the Azuma Kagami (吾妻鏡) a historical text about the period, and a fascinating look at how the Shogunate, or samurai military government, of the Kamakura Period rose and fell. The rise of the KamakuraContinue reading “Lonely At The Top: Minamoto no Sanetomo”
Black Gives Way to Blue
Hello dear readers, it’s been a little while. It’s taken me a bit of time to get back on the ol’ keyboard. You see, we lost someone important in our family recently. Late in October, my wife got a phone call from Japan, and she learned that her mother had died of heart problems plusContinue reading “Black Gives Way to Blue”
Kannon: the Genderfluid Bodhisattva
Kannon Bodhisattva (観音菩薩), also known by such names as Guan-Yin, Chenrezig, Avalokiteshvara, and so on, is one of the most popular bodhisattvas in all of Buddhism, and whose devotion cuts across many sectarian lines, but Kannon is also one of the most difficult figures in Buddhism to explain to someone who is not a Buddhist.Continue reading “Kannon: the Genderfluid Bodhisattva”
What is an Obutsudan?
Recently I had an interesting encounter with someone who had a Japanese o-butsudan displayed behind them on a Zoom meeting. An o-butsudan (お仏壇) is a kind of Buddhist altar in Japanese culture, usually a tall cabinet with doors. They can be small cabinets that fit in one’s home, or much larger, ornate ones found inContinue reading “What is an Obutsudan?”
Samadhi, Schamadhi
My family knows I love to eat rice and natto, or fermented soy beans, in the morning. Often with Korean kimchi. It’s a breakfast habit I started about 10-15 years ago, and never looked back. Thanks to the crunch of the pandemic, and inflation, shipments from Japan have become a trickle, and so our localContinue reading “Samadhi, Schamadhi”
The Real Treasure Was Inside Us All Along
Recently, I have been reading up on the Obaku sect (Ōbaku-shū, 黄檗宗) of Japanese Zen Buddhism: the same sect that Tetsugen was a disciple of. Obaku Zen is the third and last Zen sect to come to Japan to China, centuries after Rinzai and Soto were imported. Rinzai and Soto were both imported from ChinaContinue reading “The Real Treasure Was Inside Us All Along”
What Separates Humans from Animals
Time and again, I keep thinking back to that famous scene from the original Dune novel by Frank Herbert and the gom jabbar test. “A duke’s son must know all about poisons,” she said, “…Here’s a new one for you: the gom jabbar. It kills only animals.” Pride overcame Paul’s fear. “You dare suggest thatContinue reading “What Separates Humans from Animals”
Don’t Play To Win
For those of you who are competing somewhere, consider the following the advice from Kenko in the 13th century Japanese text, the Essays in Idleness: I once asked someone skilled at the board game of sugoroku for hints on how to play. “Don’t play to win,” he said. “Play not to lose. Consider what movesContinue reading “Don’t Play To Win”
Gleanings in Buddha-Fields 