Which Way Is Up?: Finding Heart in the Hardest of Times by Susan Gillis Chapman, 2024
A heartfelt guide for meeting difficult times with mindfulness, compassion, and courage—from a psychotherapist and Buddhist practitioner who learned from her own crisis.
Kajū-ji or Kanshū-ji (勸修寺) is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Kyōto founded in 900 by Emperor Daigo. It is near Daigo-ji and was built where the Emperor's wife lived as a tribute to her. The Imperial family traditionally provided the head priests.
I go there mainly for the garden and pond, which are also historic. Wisteria blossoms are over, and now there are yellow, purple, and white irises in the pond along with pink and white water lilies. I've also noticed big herons nesting in the treetops, but they are too far for a mobile phone to capture a clear picture. By the pond I did startle a young egret, to my regret 😅 .
“…thanks to Alexander the Great, Hellenistic and Buddhist cultures came into contact in the 4th century BCE, creating a cultural synthesis known as Greco-Buddhism.”
Sumadera (須磨寺) is a unique #temple full of iconographic #arts, at the western end of Kōbe (神戸). Perhaps because it's not in Kyōto or Nara, there is little information available online about Sumadera, even in #Japanese. It was founded in 886 and has its own branch of Kūkai's #Shingon#Buddhism: Sumadera-ha (真言宗須磨寺派). It is internationally active, and a place for #religious practices rather than an outdoor museum. By the same token, it's free to enter.
Suma appears in ancient waka poetry (和歌) of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables, and is associated with the Heike Monogatari (平家物語). I was determined to go, despite the rain, because I'd read an article clarifying wabi and sabi with a #waka coincidentally about Suma. The first photos show Sumadera's exchanges with #Nepal resulting in a display of Tibetan #Buddhist and #Hindu#iconography. Although there was light rain on the beach at first, later up at Sumadera the day turned bright.
For hours I hiked around Kurodani (黒谷) in Kyōto, literally "Black Valley," which is actually a large hill. From Japanese sources I found that the Pure Land (浄土宗) Buddhist saint Hōnen (法然上人) came down from Kurodani on Mt. Hiei in 1175 to build a hut on the hill, which became the major temple Konkaikōmyōji (金戒光明寺). The other temple I visited was Shinshōgokuraku-ji (真正極楽寺) or Shinnyo-dō (真如堂) nearby. Both worship Amitābha (阿弥陀} Buddha, although Shinnyo-dō belongs to the Tendai sect and was founded in 984 during the Heian Period. After the recent rain there was bright green early spring foliage and various flowers to enjoy along with interesting Buddhist statues and architecture.
Documented 100th different #presentation topic, this time the format and content completely unlike anything before, drawing from my familiarity with Kyōto #Buddhist temples (first photo), Shintō shrines, and festivals reenacting the Heian Period of over a thousand years ago. The slideshow is at at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379221428
The pechakucha (third photo) rapid-fire presentations were also a social event in Nishinomiya, between Ōsaka and Kōbe, involving Kōnan University students, teachers, and other English users. The editor of our book A Passion for Japan gave me a cameo in his presentation by discussing my chapter (last photo).
The temple Manpukuji (黄檗山万福寺) near Uji south of Kyōto City was recommended by a friend from Vienna, which was perfect because I like to be surprised instead of investigating a place in advance. I kept thinking it was like the Chinese Buddhist temples I've only seen in places like Chinatowns in Yokohama and Kōbe as well as Hawaii, Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong before the reversion. Also, photos were allowed anywhere, so I guessed that it was a Zen temple. At the end of exploring the large temple precincts, I saw a sign that explained that indeed it was based on a Chan Buddhist temple in Fuzhou, and has many designated cultural properties, having remained intact since 1661.
The large temple complex Ninna-ji (仁和寺) in Kyōto was founded by Emperor Uda in 888 in the early Heian Period, and for most of its history its head priest was an Imperial family member. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It has its own school of Shingon Buddhism and brand of sakura cherry trees (see photos). The stone Buddhas are off by the east entrance and missed by most visitors. The violet azaleas go well with the white cherry blossoms.
The Buddha's Footprint: An Environmental History of Asia by Johan Elverskog
Buddhism is often understood to be a religion intrinsically concerned with the environment The Dharma, the name given to Buddhist teachings by Buddhists, states that all things are interconnected Therefore, Buddhists are perceived as extending compassion beyond people and animals to include plants and the earth itself out of a concern for the total living environment
Words as "mere expressions." In this passage of the #PaliCanon of #Buddhism (Samyutta Nikaya 1.25), the question is: Does the "Arahant" (who has attained the goal) use the word "I"? The answer is yes, but only conventionally:
An anti-linguistic thread, in which words are described as "mere expressions," as "servants," and as "makeshift description" in three different areas of #philosophy: #Taoism#Buddhism and #Greek philosophy @philosophy
(Yes, I know the Lau translation of the #Tao is a bit unlike other translations of this passage)
Why Buddhism Is True
The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Englightenment
From one of America's greatest minds, a journey through psychology, philosophy, and lots of meditation to show how Buddhism holds the key to moral clarity and enduring happiness.
This book offers a clear, concise account of the Eightfold Path prescribed to uproot and eliminate the deep underlying cause of suffering—ignorance. Each step of the path is believed to cultivate wisdom through mental training, and includes an enlightened and peaceful middle path that avoids extremes.
In The Art of Living, Thich Nhat Hanh explores two essential questions: What happens when we are still alive? What happens when we die? As he ultimately shows, if you can answer the first question, the answer to the second comes easily....
The latest edition of The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Buddhism provides extensive information on both understanding the teachings and schools of Buddhism and incorporating the tenets of Buddhism into everyday life. It also includes additional information on Buddhism's effect on popular arts and sciences, the continuing relevance of the Dalai Lama, and an annotated bibliography.
No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners
Clear Answers to Burning Questions About Core Buddhist Teachings
Presented in a practical Q &A format, No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners is the most clear-cut introductory guide to understanding the essential concepts of Buddhism and how they relate to your daily life.
No Mud, No Lotus
The Art of Transforming Suffering
The secret to happiness is to acknowledge and transform suffering, not to run away from it. Here, Thich Nhat Hanh offers practices and inspiration transforming suffering and finding true joy.
A long train ride to Nara and hiking many kilometers around Asuka Village, the cradle of Japanese civilization. The Asuka period ca. 592-710 marked the introduction of Buddhism, Mainland-inspired reforms, and a change of the country name from Wa (倭) to Nippon (日本).
I went to three early 7th Century sites. Okadera was one of the earliest temples, later Kūkai's Shingon, with a large statue of him as a pilgrim.
Ishibutai Kofun means stone stage, the largest megalith in Japan, probably the tumulus of Soga no Umako, a promoter of Buddhism and a reformer with Prince Shōtoku. Dolmen - rock slabs over graves - were common around the ancient world, but the ones at Ishibutai must weigh tons.
Tachibanadera commemorates the birthplace of Prince Shōtoku. It is rich in historical artifacts and beautiful with a field of cosmos blooming now. There is a formation in the temple 二面石 meaning two-faced rock. I'm tempted to use it like an emoji 👺 .
Alright. I just finished the Dīgha Nikāya, the first volume of the Sutta Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon of #Buddhism.
Next up is the Majjhima Nikāya which will probably take me a lot longer since it's more than twice as long at 1424 pages in 5.75 x 9.00 inches while the Dīgha Nikāya is only 684 pages in 5.75 x 8.75 inches.
“Loving friendliness motivates you to behave kindly to all beings at all times and to speak gently in their presence and their absence”
― Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, Loving-Kindness in Plain English: The Practice of Metta
Is there any good soul here who has access to this #book and could lend me a hand with a quote from it?
Ernst Steinkellner (ed.). 2016. Dharmakīrti's Hetubindu: Critically edited by Ernst Steinkellner on the basis of preparatory work by Helmut Krasser with a translation of the Gilgit fragment by Klaus Wille. (STTAR 19.) Beijing, Vienna: China Tibetology Publishing House and Austrian Academy of Sciences Press
@obu - AMAZING comprehensive FREE online courses on a variety of topics. I'm doing one on the words of the #Buddha and I am loving it. #Education#OnlineLearning
In #Tibetan#Buddhism, special attention has been given to reviving female monasteries, and female monastics in exile have been receiving Geshe status (like a super PhD indicating the highest level of learning) the first time in millennia. This is a project very close to the the Dalai Lama's vision for the future of Tibetan Buddhism.
If I'm understanding Practical Buddhism correctly. Essentially greed is bad, and try to do good instead of just what feels good?
Either way 4/5 stars 😇