American Buddhist Net

Friday, July 25th, 2008

Meaning literally “a sensitivity to things,” mono no aware is a concept coined by Japanese literary and linguistic scholar Motoori Norinaga in the eighteenth century to describe the essence of Japanese culture, and it remains the central artistic imperative in Japan to this day. The phrase is derived from the word aware, which in Heian Japan meant sensitivity or sadness, and the word mono, meaning things, and describes beauty as an awareness of the transience of all things, and a gentle sadness at their passing. It can also be translated as the “ah-ness” of things, life and love.

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Mon Aug 11, 2008

TOKYO (Reuters Life!) - In one of the world's fastest ageing societies, Japanese seniors are worrying about a life-and-death issue: finding an "after-life" home in an island short of land. For some, going high-tech is the solution.

In accordance with Buddhist tradition, most of the dead in Japan are cremated, and the urns carrying their ashes buried in traditional cemeteries with a gravestone marker.

But with a plot of land for a grave in Tokyo costing 2 to 3 million yen ($18,000-$27,000) at least, a high-tech, multi-storey vault -- costing a third of that -- is becoming the resting place of choice for many.

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Fri, 08/08/2008

Buddhist monks clean the dust from the 15-meter-high Great Buddha at the Todaiji Temple on August 7 in Nara, Japan. The Great Buddha, which was completed in AD 752, is being prepared for the Buddhist festive period called Bon.

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The "humanistic Buddhism" (renjian fojiao) of Masters Taixu and Xingyun in China and the "engaged Buddhism" of Thich Nhat Hanh were founded, in part, to move those Buddhists traditions out of the temple and out of the funeral business and into the world that most people actually live in. The key to a vibrant Buddhism will always be education of devotees in the teachings of the Buddha, something long lost in Japan. The difficulty with this approach is that it takes at least a few years for someone to attain a good grasp of the Dharma. While it is sad to see this happening in Japan, it was all but inevitable as the hereditary priest-son private structure of most Japanese temples tended to emphasize money-making over education. I am fairly confident that there will be a revival of Buddhism in Japan, probably modeled on the humanistic Buddhist traditions of China. Another problem with the Japanese tradition is the ancient sutras are written in Chinese and are thus very difficult for ordinary Japanese to understand. In contrast, an ordinary Chinese can learn directly from the sutras without too much difficulty. American Buddhists today are very fortunate as most Buddhist literature has been translated into English and there are good number of Buddhist groups actively engaged in teaching the Dharma. It's good to read books about Buddhism and to think about the teachings, but it is also very important to join a Buddhist group, if possible, and attend classes and sutra study groups for at least a year, if not longer. Once there is good grounding in the core concepts, the tradition offers immense freedom of practice and behavior. ABN
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By NORIMITSU ONISHI
Published: July 14, 2008

OGA, Japan — The Japanese have long taken an easygoing, buffetlike approach to religion, ringing out the old year at Buddhist temples and welcoming the new year, several hours later, at Shinto shrines. Weddings hew to Shinto rituals or, just as easily, to Christian ones.

When it comes to funerals, though, the Japanese have traditionally been inflexibly Buddhist — so much so that Buddhism in Japan is often called “funeral Buddhism,” a reference to the religion’s former near-monopoly on the elaborate, and lucrative, ceremonies surrounding deaths and memorial services.

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You don’t need to be a monk to enjoy a uniquely Japanese experience

Rory Moulton
Vail CO, Colorado

JAPAN —Startled awake by lurking footsteps delicately approaching my room, I sprang upright in the plush down bedding.

Amazingly, the translucently tan, paper walls (shoji ) had kept my room warm throughout the freezing mountain night. Unfortunately, the paper walls were paper thin, so I heard every snore, sniffle and footstep that reverberated down the pine-floored hallway of the 30-room Muryoko Inn, a shukubo Buddhist temple in Koyasan, Japan.

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Haruka Takahashi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

With full Buddhist funeral services at temples typically costing a small fortune, families of the recently deceased now have a cheaper option--pick up the phone and dial a monk to give their beloved the spiritual send-off they deserve.

A company specializing in dispatching Buddhist monks to funeral services was established in Inagi on the outskirts of Tokyo in 2004.

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OSAKA -- A man accused of vandalizing a Buddhist statue at a temple here has been arrested on suspicion of destruction of property.

Arrested was Hideo Okada, 64, a resident of Osaka's Nishinari-ku. He has reportedly admitted to the allegations against him, but has not discussed his motives.

Okada is accused of pushing over and breaking the Seitakadoji statue, which stood on the right side of another popular statue called Mizukake Fudoson at Hozenji Temple in Chuo-ku, Osaka, between about 12:50 a.m. and 1:20 a.m. on June 3. He also allegedly stole the bulbs of two lanterns nearby.

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Tuesday, June 3, 2008
By TAI KAWABATA

Sokichi Sugimura, 72, feels elements of Japanese society have lost their moral compass to the point of being downright rude and he and his associates want to put them back on course, and in the process embrace samurai values.

..."These days, on trains for example, we often see people who have little sense of public morality," Sugimura complained.

"Young people sit in priority seats designated for the elderly, infirm and pregnant, and will not give them up. Middle-aged people throng to occupy seats, young women put on their makeup, and other young people stand in the way of train doors, blocking others," he lamented, adding he and his cohorts feel like taking action, specifically dressing the ill-mannered down.

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Friday, April 25, 2008

BONN.-For the first time in Germany, this forthcoming exhibition presents the magnificent treasures of the fabled Daigo-ji temple, one of Japan's most ancient monasteries. The exhibition comprises some 240 outstanding works, among them monumental sculptures, important paintings and scrolls, exquisite lacquer objects, superb calligraphy as well as priceless sutras, the sacred scriptures of Buddhism.

...While there are numerous exhibitions dealing with cultural history, shows on large Japanese collections are exceedingly rare, for the simple reason that Japanese works of art tend to be extremely fragile creations made of paper or wood that are too fragile to withstand long-distance transport.

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By Patrice Novotny, AFP Published:Apr 22, 2008

TOKYO - Japan will allow pro-Tibet protests when the Olympic torch arrives this weekend, marking a change from recent legs of the relay, but will limit the rallies’ size, officials and activists said today.

Demonstrators plan a ceremony at a famed Buddhist temple, which backed out of plans to be the starting point for Saturday’s relay, to mourn victims of China’s recent crackdown in Tibet.

"Protesting doesn’t pose any particular problem," Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told reporters.

...The Japan Buddhist Federation, the nation’s largest Buddhist body, gave a letter to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Tuesday calling for a swift resolution to problems in Tibet, which last month saw the biggest protests in nearly two decades against China’s controversial rule.

Buddhist monks said yesterday that they would hold a ceremony of mourning for Tibetans on Saturday at the seventh-century Zenkoji temple, which backed out of being the starting point for the relay.

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The Yomiuri Shimbun
04/21/08

NAGANO--Graffiti were found on the main building of Zenkoji temple in Nagano on Sunday morning, two days after the temple decided not to serve as the starting point of the Beijing Olympic torch relay, which starts Saturday.

The police, who suspect somebody targeted Zenkoji due to the temple's recent high profile as a result of the torch relay issue, are investigating the case on suspicion of damaging buildings and a violation of the Cultural Properties Protection Law.

A temple official found the graffiti on pillars and doors of the main building, which is a designated national treasure, at about 5:40 a.m., and reported the incident to police.

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April 20, 2008
Shane McLeod

The Zenkoji Buddhist Temple in the city of Nagano was to have been the starting point for the Olympic torch relay in Japan next Saturday.

But last week monks withdrew permission for the staging of the relay at the heritage listed site in support of Tibetan Buddhists and because of security concerns.

Overnight the temple has been struck by vandals who used white spray paint to mark patterns on doors and pillars at the 1,400-year-old temple.

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April 18, 2008
By CHISAKI WATANABE

TOKYO (AP) — A major Japanese Buddhist temple withdrew Friday from a plan to host the Beijing Olympics torch relay, citing safety concerns and sympathy among its monks and worshippers for Tibetan protesters facing a Chinese crackdown.

Zenkoji Temple has refused to serve as the starting point for the April 26 relay, said Kunihiko Shinohara, secretary-general of the Nagano city organizing committee for the event. The relay has drawn protests around the world against China's crackdown on Tibetan demonstrators.

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Video has English subtitles. Be sure to view this. About three minutes. ABN
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English translation of the Statement

Monday, April 14 2008 @ 12:03 pm BST

We, Japanese Buddhist monks are now put to the test. We cannot help expressing our deep sadness and protest against China’s military actions in Tibet that deprive Tibetans from religious freedom. As religionists and Buddhist, we cannot overlook Tibetan monks and people’s suffer any more. The most important thing is that Tibetans preserve their religious tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, by Tibetan people’s free intention.

Monday, April 14, 2008

NAGANO (Kyodo) A local citizens group lit candles Sunday evening at Nagano's Zenkoji Buddhist temple, the starting point for an Olympic torch relay set for April 26, to pray for the victims of the violence in Tibet, while about 300 people held a candlelight march in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward.

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Andrea Bennett, Staff Writer
Article Created: 04/04/2008 10:53:43 PM PDT

(...) After his talk, Joshu Roshi answered some questions.

Question: How did you celebrate your 101st birthday?

Answer: Every day I do the same thing. ... For me, every day is like a birthday. For example, today my helper did my laundry and put me in fresh clothes, and I feel very lively because with fresh clothes, my new self is born.

Q: What is the meaning of life?

A: The meaning of life is zero. Also, life is love and the activity of love. For example, if one always manifests activity of love, world becomes peaceful. However, man and woman, they are different. ...

Q: Any last words of wisdom for the lost or searching souls in the world?

A: True wisdom is not an activity of mind. When we manifest true wisdom, we have peaceful mind. All of us reach a point where we don't have to have the activity of mind. Husband and wife will have that moment. ...

We will reach the state where you don't have to claim selfish `I am self,' and that state is true democracy.

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2008-03-18
By ULA ILNYTZKY

A newly discovered wooden sculpture of a Buddha that had religious objects sealed in its torso for 800 years sold for $14.3 million, setting a world record for any Japanese work of art, Christie's auction house said.

The seated figure of Dainichi Nyorai, or the supreme Buddha, is attributed to Unkei, considered one of the two best sculptors of the early Kamakura period in the 1190s, when the most highly regarded Buddhist art was produced.

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The Bon Dance is a Japanese folk art associated with the annual summer Festival of Bon, during which relatives gather together to honor the spirits of their ancestors. According to Wikipedia: The custom originates from the story of Mokuren, a disciple of the Buddha, who saw a vision of his deceased mother in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts where she was indulging in her own selfishness. Greatly disturbed, he went to the Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this realm. Buddha instructed him to make offerings to the Sangha on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. The disciple did this and, thus, saw his mother's release. He also began to see the true nature of her past unselfishness and the many sacrifices that she had made for him. The disciple, happy because of his mother's release and grateful for his mother's kindness, danced with joy. From this dance of joy comes Bon Odori or "Bon Dance", a time in which ancestors and their sacrifices are remembered and appreciated. Robyn
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March 11, 2008
by Dennis Fujimoto

KAPAIA — These might be the last ones being done on Kaua‘i.

Faced with an aging membership and the lack of younger members coming out, the silk screening of bon dance towels is just another of the traditional practices that are victims of change.

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Friday, March 7, 2008
By Perrin Lindelauf

The ghosts of Oku-no-in, cemetery and spiritual heart of Mount Koya, have a long time to wait: 5,670,000 years, give or take. According to the scriptures of Japan's Shingon sect of Buddhism, that's when the faithful expect the "Buddha of the Future" to arrive in this vibrant mountaintop monastic community. In the meantime, Mount Koya, headquarters of the sect, attracts thousands of adherents and tourists each year.

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Visitors to Chelsea’s Milk Gallery were greeted by dramatic taiko drumming and encountered a serene atmosphere in the gallery’s new exhibition, “The Vision and Art of Shinjo Ito.” The exhibit shows the artwork of Shinjo Ito (1903-1989), a Japanese Buddhist master who founded the Buddhist organization Shinnyo-en, which translates as “Borderless Garden of Truth.”

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NEW YORK.- This Spring 2008, the life’s work of Buddhist Great Master Shinjo Ito will be honored with the US debut of Centennial Exhibition: The Vision and Art of Shinjo Ito at Milk Gallery in New York City from February 21 to March 30, 2008. The exhibition, which is part of a world tour that celebrates the 100th anniversary of Shinjo’s birth, will showcase over one hundred pieces of his work and will be marked by an exclusive preview on February 20, 2008.

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By LILY KOPPEL
Published: February 19, 2008

The stars of the show arrived in wooden crates at Kennedy Airport on New Year? Eve. They had already enjoyed a hugely popular run in Japan and were now embarking on a world tour.

All the attention is for 100 sculptures and engravings by Shinjo Ito, a renowned Buddhist artist and the founder of the Shinnyo-en order of Buddhism.

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Yuko Iida / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

A ferry sails across the quiet Seto Inland Sea in the evening and stops for a moment before the Otorii (grand gate) of Itsukushima Shrine, which stands in the waters off Miyajima island in Hiroshima Prefecture. The ferry then slowly passes through the vermillion gate.

A closer look at the gate's two 16-meter-tall main pillars reveals that the columns retain the natural, strong features of the giant camphor tree.

...Daishoin was in charge of all rituals here as administrator of Itsukushima Shrine prior to the Meiji Restoration (1868). The temple is home to the Gohyaku Rakan, 500 statues of Buddha's disciples. Along countless additional stone statues, including that of Jizo, the guardian deity of children, they ensure that visitors never feel bored.

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Monday, January 28, 2008

NEW YORK.- This Spring 2008, the life’s work of Buddhist Great Master Shinjo Ito will be honored with the US debut of Centennial Exhibition: The Vision and Art of Shinjo Ito at Milk Gallery in New York City from February 21 to March 30, 2008. The exhibition, which is part of a world tour that celebrates the 100th anniversary of Shinjo’s birth, will showcase over one hundred pieces of his work and will be marked by an exclusive preview on February 20, 2008.

The Centennial Exhibition was first unveiled in Shinjo’s home of Japan, and visited five cities throughout 2006 and 2007, receiving over 300,000 visitors during its brief 54 day run. Throughout 2008, the exhibition will continue to the United States, traveling to New York City, Chicago (April 8 - May 1) and Los Angeles (May 9 – June 29). The collection will be brought to the US by an esteemed international committee that includes Shinjo’s daughter Shinso Ito, Donald Keene and Robert Thurman of Columbia University, Yasuaki Nara of Komazawa University, Margaret R. Miles of The Graduate Theological Union, Masahiro Shimoda of Tokyo University, and Hiroko Sakomura, Executive Producer of the exhibition.

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One of the world's earliest novels still enchants

Sianturi Dinah Roma
Published 2008-01-24 03:28 (KST)

This year's 1,000th anniversary celebration of "The Tale of Genji" -- widely known as the world's first modern novel -- is an important occasion to ponder Japan's contribution to world literature.

Completed in 1010 by the aristocratic Lady Murasaki Shikibu, "The Tale of Genji" has enthralled readers from all over the world with its romantic and elegant world. The novel offers vital insights into Japanese classical aesthetics and the sociopolitical conditions of the Heian period (794-1185), considered as Japan's cultural peak. Although there are some speculations as to the accuracy of the year, it is commonly believed that "The Tale of Genji" was already in existence by 1008.

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