American Buddhist Net

HIGASHI-CHICHIBU, Saitama -- A Buddhist monk has been arrested for allegedly setting fire to his temple and property after insuring them for about 300 million yen, police said.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

When a baby is stillborn in Japan, it’s supposedly common practice to have a ceremony called “Mizuko kuyo”. The statues in these photographs are representative of the Buddhist diety “Jizo”, often seen as the guardian of children and travelers.

The statues are used by parents of stillborn children and dedicated to the spirit of the child. As a result, most of them are dressed up in some type of children’s clothing, and laden with toys and trinkets.

LINK TO PHOTOS

NARA--Six-meter torches appearing one after another in the Nigatsudo hall of Todaiji temple marked a dramatic start Monday night to Shuni-e, a Buddhist ceremony that celebrates the coming of spring.

The torches used in the Omizutori (water drawing) procession are placed to light the footpath for priests, called Rengyoshu, who are bound for the hall.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

TOKYO — Next time your girlfriend wants to go see a statue of Buddha, be aware that she might have an ideal man on her mind. No, not you. Buddha.

The Japanese media is famous for creating categories to describe people and trends, like “soshoku danshi” (herbivore boys), who are more interested in hobbies than the opposite sex. Now, we have the “bosatsu danshi,” or Buddha boy.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

Japan’s Shinto belief system is not an organized religion, but rather a collection of beliefs and practices centered around the natural world and ancestry. Though it was originally not an image-based religion, the Shinto system appropriated Buddhist imagery when this newer belief system first came to Japan in the sixth century and started to communicate visually to its followers. Over time, Shinto and Buddhist beliefs became intertwined; Shinto deities were believed to be manifestations of Buddhist gods. Most Shinto shrines had a sister Buddhist temple, and though the two religions stayed separate, they started to form a symbiotic relationship.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

TOKYO – As the nation of Japan grays and people gravitate to big cities leaving their hometowns behind, new services that enable people to see live images of the graves of their loved ones online or access photographs of their loved ones via the Net is gaining in popularity.

Several online services are available to subscribers, such as having photos of relatives who have died put online or providing access to live streamed videos of graves.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

A hip-hop monk nicknamed MC Happiness has started rocking audiences in Japan by rapping traditional Buddhist sutras over thugged-out beats.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

NEW YORK, NY.- A descendant of samurai-era Bizen sword makers-turned-Buddhist priests, Miya Ando, a petite half-Japanese American who resides in Brooklyn, is the second coming of Ando steel workers. Miya, who from a young age saw the natural beauty and elegance in steel that her ancestors knew, has used this medium to make a name for herself as a respected post-minimalist contemporary artist. Her work is now on view in private homes and in public spaces across the U.S. and abroad.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

Only a few non-Japanese writers can penetrate into deep Japanese culture as well as Liza Dalby. Her previous works include a first-person account of the lives of geisha, an in-depth historical and symbolic analysis of kimono, and a fictional account of Lady Murasaki, the author of the Japanese eleventh-century novel The Tale of Genji. In her first work of contemporary fiction, she centers the plot of Hidden Buddhas around the little-known religious icons known as hibutsu or "hidden buddhas." Hibutsu are Buddhist statues imbued with power to protect the world from mappo, an era of chaos which increases until the world ends. For the hibutsu to retain their power, they must remain hidden, except for the rare public viewing. In Dalby's novel, the hibutsu are going dark, in other words, losing their protective power.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

A group of Monks in Japan are using Hip-Hop music to attract new followers to the Buddhist religion.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

Kazuo Inamori, the founder of electronics maker Kyocera Corp, agreed on Tuesday to become the new chief executive of Japan Airlines, as the carrier's shares plunged ahead of its expected bankruptcy.

...Inamori, the 77-year-old honorary chairman of Kyocera and an ordained Buddhist priest, will replace Haruka Nishimatsu, who has indicated he would resign as part of the restructuring overseen by a government-backed fund.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

NARA--"The Great Buddha should not be admired only for its giant size. I hope visitors to the temple will understand why the Great Buddha was constructed and imagine the livelihoods of the people and the belief that happiness could come through harmony with nature," said Kansho Tsutsui, the administration chief of Todaiji temple in Nara.

In the Nara period (710-784), which began with the relocation of the capital to Heijo-kyo, in present day Nara, Buddhist culture flowered, reaching a peak with the eye-popping consecration ceremony for the Great Buddha in April 752.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

LINK TO PHOTOS

KYOTO--A man who allegedly intended to steal money from a Kyoto store but abandoned his attempt because he thought the owner resembled his late father was arrested Thursday on suspicion of intent to commit a robbery, according to police.

The police suspect unemployed Hideo Nakamura, 60, of Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, entered the store selling Buddhist altars and related fittings in the city's Shimogyo Ward on Dec. 1, carrying a paper bag containing a box disguised as a wired explosive device and two plastic bottles filled with gasoline and other liquids.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

...A major aspect of Japan's modern religious structure is something that has been mentioned throughout the preceding series of articles, but not yet explained: those new faiths—"New Religions" or shinsh?ky?—that have been appearing in droves in modern Japan, namely during periods of social unrest and crisis (e.g., Depression of the 1920s, end of World War II).

LINK TO ORIGINAL

TOKYO — It was announced Sunday that Buddhist memorial services commemorating the 13th anniversary of the death of hide, the legendary X-Japan guitarist who died in 1998, will be held at Tsukiji Hongan-ji on May 2 of next year. This will be the first memorial service for the musician. Fellow X-Japan member Yoshiki will reportedly participate.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

The Great Buddha from Kamakura (Daibutsu) represents the Amida Buddha (in Japanese Amida Nyorai), the Buddha of the Infinite Light, the main Deity of the Buddhist Sect Jodo (Pure Land).

LINK TO ORIGINAL

Link has some good photos. ABN

They rap sutras, use manga characters and serve beers -- some of Japan's Buddhist monks are turning to decidedly unorthodox means to boost the appeal of their ancient faith.

The new breed of holy men worry that Buddhism is slowly losing its shine as a generation raised in a consumer society turns its back on prayer and seeks solace in material rather than spiritual remedies.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

Living the life of a Buddhist monk against the backdrop of centuries old monasteries in Japan’s world heritage listed ‘temple city’ of Koyasan is the latest experiential tour on offer from Travel Japan by H.I.S.

The two-day programs are based on an overnight stay in traditional lodging houses.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

The Supreme Court, ruling in a case that has raised questions about freedom of expression in Japan, on Monday rejected an appeal by a Buddhist monk found guilty of trespassing to distribute political leaflets.

The court's Second Petty Bench upheld a verdict by the Tokyo High Court that found Yosei Arakawa, 62, guilty of entering an apartment building in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward in December 2004 to distribute leaflets for the Japanese Communist Party.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

TOKYO — The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed an appeal by a Buddhist monk found guilty by the Tokyo High Court of trespassing at a Tokyo condominium to distribute Japanese Communist Party leaflets. The top court’s decision will stir controversy if it is seen as in conflict with the constitutionally guaranteed freedom to express political beliefs.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

Ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary-General Ichiro Ozawa's recent remarks that "Christianity is cliquish and dogmatic" have stirred criticism from the Christian Liaison Committee in Japan, who has described them as "one-sided" and raised doubts about his common sense.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

HACHIOJI, Japan — Girls clad in maids' outfits are not traditionally associated with Buddhism, but that has not stopped monks at a centuries-old temple using Japanese pop culture to woo visitors.

The Ryohoji temple, built in the late 16th century in a Tokyo suburb, erected a colourful manga-inspired sign at its entrance in June and has since seen visitor numbers perk up -- especially young men.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

A spectacular specimen of traditional Japanese yokai (mythic "monster") art has popped up on eBay. Wow, talk about where the wild things are! From what I can tell, this scroll may be a vintage copy of a centuries-old original, and really ought to be in a museum.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

This monastery offers ample opportunity to learn to live in joy and compassion.

Sogenji is a Rinzai Zen monastery in Okayama, Japan, in the midst of ancient hills and gentle forests of pine, chestnut and bamboo trees. This monastery is over 300 years old.

The big wooden central hall called Hondo is in line with the central path and with the smaller structure where the old golden statues of Bodhisattvas are seated. On to the left is the Zendo where the monks gather at four in the morning and again at six in the evening to practice their Zazen, a Buddhist meditation that involves just sitting with the awareness on breath.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

"The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman" by Takuan Soho. Kodansha International. Translated by William Scott Wilson.

William Scott Wilson has made a name for himself translating the martial-philosophy classics of 16th-century Japan. He is best known for his version of Hagakure, also available in this Kodansha series, which reached new heights for product placement in Jim Jarmusch’s film Ghost Dog

LINK TO ORIGINAL

...“People are very concerned about the money,” Kotani said. “They don’t want the family to spend hundreds of thousands of yen to pay a priest to chant Buddhist scriptures they don’t believe in.”

LINK TO ORIGINAL

KYOTO -- A 34-year-old Buddhist monk here held a prayer ceremony at the Kyoto Imperial Palace on Monday, following the completion of a mountain pilgrimage known as one of the most arduous religious practices in the world.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

It is a problem faced by everyone in the end or by their relatives left behind - finding a place to spend eternity.

And in Japan, a crowded mountainous country with a fast-ageing society, there is a shortage of final resting places, especially in the big cities.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

Who could have thought that these pop culture staples would come to be associated with a religion known for its centuries-old traditions advocating a strict life of self-denial? Yet Buddhist priests in Japan are riding on life’s fleeting pleasures to bring believers back and even attract young people into the fold.

Today, this religion is fading away, said Buddhist priests who spoke with IPS, and many of the country’s approximately 75,000 temples are facing the biggest crisis in their history, because hardly anyone ever goes to them these days.

LINK TO ORIGINAL