Dharma Wheel

Thank you for sharing this, FiveSkandhas. I have been struggling with the Tiantai/Tendai view of evil for a while now after reading the Mappo Tomyo Ki (http://web.mit.edu/stclair/www/mappo.html), which makes the point that in the age of mappo we have to see monks who don't keep the precepts as natio...

This is the article FiveSkandhas is referring to

It is almost unbearable to read his blog entries filled with hateful speech. This is the most recent one: https://amida-ji-retreat-temple-romania.blogspot.com/2020/10/a-response-to-fake-buddhist-followers.html Whatever he might have to say about Jodo Shinshu, this guy definitely belongs in the categ...

Thank you for sharing this!

I agree, that in Pure Land Buddhism, Amida Buddha was always seen as an actual Buddha and that the interpretation of him as a symbol is flawed. I have no idea why this interpretation is currently being debated in Western Pure Land Buddhism and if there is really a majority supporting this idea. Howe...

On the blog of Amidaji in Calopăr, Romania, I found that the resident priest Rev. Josho Adrian Cirlea recently declared to establish his own "Amidaji" branch of Jodo Shinshu (http://amida-ji-retreat-temple-romania.blogspot.com/2020/09/on-amidaji-branch-of-jodo-shinshu-and.html). What will happen now...

Did anyone get a copy of this new translation? It's not easy to find photos of the artwork online so I also wonder how the illustrations turned out. I saw the book last year at a conference book stand. The illustrations are fine. If my memory serves me correctly, except for a few scenes, the sūtra ...

Did anyone get a copy of this new translation? It's not easy to find photos of the artwork online so I also wonder how the illustrations turned out.

The origin region of a religion doesn't matter much if the religion has been part of the mainstream culture for well over 1000 years. There is no "pure" Japanese culture completely without Buddhism anymore and Japanese Buddhism is not at all foreign to Japan. Someone who claims there is a pure natio...

The creation myths are not about control. They are about the creation of the islands and their population. When we look at Shinto practice, its all about supplication and seeking to please the kami so that they will be inclined to favor the people with prosperity. I'm not sure where you are getting...

The Japanese response might be, well, those prayers for control are foreign influences. :smile: (...) Protection, Nichiren argued, naturally comes when we honor the Saddharma. You cannot simply say that the last 1400 years of Buddhist practice in Japan are foreign influence Buddhism came from India...

The Japanese response might be, well, those prayers for control are foreign influences. :smile: (...) Protection, Nichiren argued, naturally comes when we honor the Saddharma. You cannot simply say that the last 1400 years of Buddhist practice in Japan are foreign influence and that before the intr...

Its part of why they have a rich spiritual tradition that does not involve praying for control - because you can't control it. You just roll. There is a long tradition of praying for control in Mikkyo. And not only esoteric schools are involved in these prayers but every temple selling omamori is a...

I didn't know how close it is to Fujisan. Isn't it risky to store the Daigohonzon close to an active volcano?

Thank you for your detailed reply, jmlee369! I'll try to find out more about this genre of Buddhist writings and about this Seon master. That quote is really clear on Avalokitesvara's identity as a Buddha. Amazing I didn't come across this before. Thank you!

Thank you for sharing your pdf. The pictures and editing make it so much better!

I just found this recent translation of an interview with Kaihogyo monk Mitsunaga Kakudo. It could be of interest in here LIVING IN THE PRACTICE: AN INTERVIEW WITH MARATHON MONK MITSUNAGA DAI-AJARI Mitsunaga Kakudo Dai-Ajari (光永覚道) was born in Yamagata in 1954. After ordaining at Enryaku-ji temple h...

Great! Thank you LastLegend! I didn't know that. Maybe it's not emphasized in the schools I practiced.

Hello everyone Many traditions have recorded the enlightenment experiences of accomplished masters - Nichiren's experience at Tatsunokuchi, Honen's reading of Shandao's commentary on the Meditation Sutra, Dogen listening to Tiantong Rujing admonishing another monk etc. What are the enlightenment exp...

Thank you for your replies. Maybe the sutra and exegetical traditions do understand the promises to be literal. In this case there should be hagiographic accounts confirming the validity of these promises and encouraging practitioners to "think on the power of Kanzeon" in times of need. If anyone kn...