Archive for the ‘Buddhism’ Category
Where Buddhism and Shintoism meet
Posted: January 23, 2015 at 12:51 am
Works from the Tendai Buddhist Gakuenji temple in Shimane Prefecture form the feature exhibition of Kyoto National Museums New Years show. Tradition tells that the priest Chishun established Gakuenji around the time of the Empress Suiko (554-628) though centuries passed before it was first alluded to in literary records. Arguably a famous sacred temple among Kyotos cultural elite and itinerant mountain priests in earlier days, the first official nominal reference to its existence appeared in the 1213 Mandate to Gakuenji from the Administrative Office of Mudo-ji on Mt. Hiei.
With literary authentication centuries later, the sculptural record fills in the vacuum, providing opportunity to review some of the early history of Japans sculptural development, which was based on imported models.
As an exhibition this show is small scale, and the works themselves never reach beyond hip height. The significance, however, is the emphasis on the syncretic relation between the import of Buddhism and the native Shinto in what is generally considered to be a distinctive area of Shinto religion surrounding the Izumo Grand Shrine.
Standing Buddha (seventh century, Asuka Period) is intimate in scale, not a foot tall, showing the influences of contemporary Chinese Buddhist sculpture or perhaps that of the Three Kingdoms Period (57 B.C.-A.D. 668) of Korean sculpture. These were common prototypes emulated in Japan at the time, and the way the robes gather around the shoulders of the figure about halfway down the upper arm, and the lack of an obi belt, indicate foreign influences.
Later Heian Period (794-1185) comparisons can be more indicative of local and foreign rapprochements. Standing Acala Vidyaraja (Fudo Myo-o) (11th century,) has an overall smooth appearance and a general lack of detail in the modeling of the surface features such as the hair with its lotus flower or the draping that encases the carved wooden body. The iconographical features of the Wisdom King are all there, however, including the upright sword in the right hand, the lasso (kensaku) in the left, and the two fangs that protrude from the mouth one up, one down.
A 13th-century example of the same deity is invested with much greater realism in the treatment of the hair, fierce facial features and flowing garments. Now aged and black, originally the body was painted blue and the garment covered in gold foil applied using a technique called kirikane. The rippling appearance of the fabric beneath the obi was inspired by Song Dynasty (960-1279) Chinese sculpture.
Two final pieces emphasize syncretism. The bronze Standing Uho Doji (13th century), a Buddhist manifestation of the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami, measures less than 2 cm tall. It was found inside a ritual Buddhist bell, the provenance of which dates to the 18th or 19th century.
An Ancient Temple of the Sanin Region: The Treasures of Gakuen-ji Temple in Shimane at Kyoto National Museum runs till Feb. 15; 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. 560. Closed Mon. http://www.kyohaku. go.jp/eng/ index.html
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Where Buddhism and Shintoism meet
What Happens After Death, Buddhism Reincarnation, Our True Nature & Enlightenment (No Self Part 2) – Video
Posted: January 22, 2015 at 5:48 am
What Happens After Death, Buddhism Reincarnation, Our True Nature Enlightenment (No Self Part 2)
The Buddha talked about a continuum of consciousness, so was he talking about souls? It #39;s a common misconception that Buddhism teaches about reincarnation, w...
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Mindah-Lee KumarFunny Meditation for Buddhism with Rice Bowl – Video
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Funny Meditation for Buddhism with Rice Bowl
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Funny Meditation for Buddhism with Rice Bowl - Video
Questions about Cause and Effect in Theravada Buddhism – Video
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Questions about Cause and Effect in Theravada Buddhism
Welcome! This video was recorded at Westminster Abbey, Mission, British Columbia, Canada. This is Brian Ruhe #39;s talk on Jan. 17, 2015 during a Vipassana Meditation Silent Retreat he led therewith...
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Myanmar monks UN whore rant could hurt Buddhism
Posted: at 5:48 am
BANGKOK: A Myanmar Buddhist monk who called a UN human rights envoy a whore has violated his monastic code and could damage his religion, another prominent monk said on Tuesday, but he is unlikely to face censure.
Wirathu denounced Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, in a speech in Yangon on Friday, after she questioned draft laws that critics say discriminate against women and non-Buddhists.
Just because you hold a position in the United Nations doesnt make you an honorable woman. In our country, you are just a whore, Wirathu told a cheering crowd of several hundred people in Yangon on Friday.
The monk also accused Lee of bias towards Rohingya Muslims, a stateless minority in the western Myanmar state of Rakhine.
You can offer your arse to the kalars if you so wish but you are not selling off our Rakhine State, he said. Kalars is a derogatory word for people of South Asian descent.
His speech was condemned by Thawbita, a leading member of the progressive Saffron Revolution Buddhist Monks Network in Mandalay, where Wirathu is also based.
The words used that day are very sad and disappointing. It is an act that could hurt Buddhism very badly, Thawbita told Reuters.
The network was formed by monks who helped lead the 2007 Saffron Revolution, a nationwide democracy uprising brutally crushed by the military. It is influential among educated Buddhists, but has little power.
A senior official at the Ministry of Religious Affairs told Reuters there were no plans to act against Wirathu.
Of course, he has the right to express his opinion but he shouldnt have used these terms, said the official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. It can tarnish the image of our religion among those who dont really understand its essence.
Burma monk who called UN official ‘whore’ could hurt Buddhism, warns fellow monk
Posted: at 5:48 am
His speech was condemned by Thawbita, a leading member of the progressive Saffron Revolution Buddhist Monks Network in Mandalay, where Wirathu is also based.
"The words used that day are very sad and disappointing. It is an act that could hurt Buddhism very badly," Thawbita told Reuters.
The network was formed by monks who helped lead the 2007 Saffron Revolution, a nationwide democracy uprising brutally crushed by the military. It is influential among educated Buddhists, but has little power.
A senior official at the Ministry of Religious Affairs told Reuters there were no plans to act against Wirathu.
"Of course, he has the right to express his opinion but he shouldn't have used these terms," said the official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. "It can tarnish the image of our religion among those who don't really understand its essence."
Famed for his fiery speeches, Wirathu belongs to a radical anti-Islamic group whose monks preach that Muslims will one day overrun Burma. Buddhism is the country's predominant religion and its monks are revered.
A quasi-civilian government now runs Burma after nearly half a century of hardline military rule. But its reforms have been marred by deadly religious clashes, with rights activists warning that hate speech could foment further violence.
Ms Lee responded indirectly to Wirathu's remarks in a statement released by her office on Monday.
"During my visit I was personally subjected to the kind of sexist intimidation that female human rights defenders experience when advocating on controversial issues," she said.
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Burma monk who called UN official 'whore' could hurt Buddhism, warns fellow monk
Pema Khandro Buddhism and Reincarnation – Video
Posted: January 21, 2015 at 12:52 am
Pema Khandro Buddhism and Reincarnation
Pema Khandro discusses the notion of Reincarnation in Buddhism and how this idea is connected with the Buddhist worldview of interdependence, cause and effec...
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Pema Khandro – Buddhism: Religion or Spirituality? – Video
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Pema Khandro - Buddhism: Religion or Spirituality?
Pema Khandro discusses whether Tibetan Buddhism is a religion or spirituality, philosophy or religion?
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Pema Khandro Buddhism on Self & Non Self – Video
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Pema Khandro Buddhism on Self Non Self
How do ideas of true-self, finding one-self and being the authentic self relate to the Buddhist idea of an-atma, non-self. Pema Khandro discusses Buddhism #39;s ...
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Buddhism and Vegetarianism (L) Mandarin – (R) Vietnamese Ting Vit – Video
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Buddhism and Vegetarianism (L) Mandarin - (R) Vietnamese Ting Vit
Original without translation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u_7iNiCC4Q.
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Buddhism and Vegetarianism (L) Mandarin - (R) Vietnamese Ting Vit - Video