The more you sense the rareness and value of your own life, the more you realize that how you use it, how you manifest it, is all your responsibility. We face such a big task, so naturally we sit down for a while.
– Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi (1938-2002)
from the Upaya newsletter
Nice article by Genpo Roshi in the current “Peace on the Street” issue of Tricycle. I love the painting by Chris Cosnowski at the beginning of the article, hence the title of this post.
lens culture: Syoin Kajii
NAMI is a series of photos of waves around the shores of Sado Island in Japan. The photographer, a young Buddhist monk named Syoin Kajii, watches the water patiently, waiting for a moment of surprise.We discussed his work via email. Here is an excerpt of our conversation:
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Thanks MC.
The Buddhist Mummies of Japan
Estimates of the number of self-mummified priests in Japan range between sixteen and twenty-four priests. Impressive though this number is, many more have tried to self-mummify themselves; In fact, the practice of self-mummification — which is a form of suicide, after all — had to be outlawed towards the end of the 19th century to prevent Buddhist priests from offing themselves this way… and yet the grand majority of priests who have tried to do this have failed. The reasons will take some explaining — but first, some background on the whole practice and the reasons for it.
Click here for the whole story.
Antaiji: Kodo Sawaki – To you
In a word, Buddhism is non-self. Non-self means that “I†am not a separate subject. When “I†am not a separate subject, then I fill the entire universe. That I fill the entire universe is what’s meant by “all things manifest the truthâ€.
Antaiji: Kodo Sawaki – To you
The question isn’t who’s right. You’re simply seeing things from different points of view.
Stop trying to be something special – and just be what you are. Hold fire. Just sit!
It all begins when we say, “I”. Everything that follows is illusion.
