Comments on: Debunking the Samurai/Zen myth http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/01/debunking-the-samuraizen-myth/ My life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Sat, 11 Jun 2011 01:53:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: vincent http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/01/debunking-the-samuraizen-myth/#comment-81 vincent Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:07:06 +0000 http://level8.wordpress.com/?p=34#comment-81 yes it's a photo of professional photographer : awesome! i don't know if you have seen this(i let you 2 week ago))>>> http://www.kosanryumonji.org/ it's the soto zen temple in east of grance where i practiced sesshin almost each month, very pleasant! and today... i try to stop cigarette but...it's hard! yes it’s a photo of professional photographer : awesome!
i don’t know if you have seen this(i let you 2 week ago))>>>
http://www.kosanryumonji.org/

it’s the soto zen temple in east of grance where i practiced sesshin almost each month, very pleasant!

and today… i try to stop cigarette but…it’s hard!

]]> By: Gerald Ford http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/01/debunking-the-samuraizen-myth/#comment-80 Gerald Ford Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:12:50 +0000 http://level8.wordpress.com/?p=34#comment-80 Hi Rob, That is too funny. The advice about drinking a concoction of horse feces to cure injuries from falling off a horse was just golden! :D Hi Rob,

That is too funny. The advice about drinking a concoction of horse feces to cure injuries from falling off a horse was just golden! :D

]]> By: Rob http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/01/debunking-the-samuraizen-myth/#comment-79 Rob Mon, 03 Mar 2008 05:16:59 +0000 http://level8.wordpress.com/?p=34#comment-79 Interesting that you should post this today- there was a metafilter post this evg on the Hagakure: http://www.metafilter.com/69553/Having-only-wisdom-and-talent-is-the-lowest-tier-of-usefulness I was going to post it myself, but it fits better here. :-) Interesting that you should post this today- there was a metafilter post this evg on the Hagakure:
http://www.metafilter.com/69553/Having-only-wisdom-and-talent-is-the-lowest-tier-of-usefulness

I was going to post it myself, but it fits better here. :-)

]]> By: Gerald Ford http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/01/debunking-the-samuraizen-myth/#comment-78 Gerald Ford Mon, 03 Mar 2008 03:37:49 +0000 http://level8.wordpress.com/?p=34#comment-78 Hi Vincent, I am glad you found the new blog. I was worried since I had deleted the old one (and everyone's email addresses with it). :) I am glad you and Thrig like the picture. Honestly, my wife might have taken it; she's usually more successful with the camera. Chion-in is a temple not well known in the West, but really is a high-light of Kyoto among many, many wonderful temples there. Hi Vincent, I am glad you found the new blog. I was worried since I had deleted the old one (and everyone’s email addresses with it). :)

I am glad you and Thrig like the picture. Honestly, my wife might have taken it; she’s usually more successful with the camera. Chion-in is a temple not well known in the West, but really is a high-light of Kyoto among many, many wonderful temples there.

]]> By: vincent http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/01/debunking-the-samuraizen-myth/#comment-77 vincent Mon, 03 Mar 2008 03:29:14 +0000 http://level8.wordpress.com/?p=34#comment-77 this photo is splendid !!! really ! this photo is splendid !!!
really !

]]> By: Gerald Ford http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/01/debunking-the-samuraizen-myth/#comment-76 Gerald Ford Mon, 03 Mar 2008 01:48:46 +0000 http://level8.wordpress.com/?p=34#comment-76 Thrig: 'Tis fixed. Thank! :D Thrig: ‘Tis fixed. Thank! :D

]]> By: thrig http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/01/debunking-the-samuraizen-myth/#comment-75 thrig Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:08:00 +0000 http://level8.wordpress.com/?p=34#comment-75 Nice photo! I would, however, consider cropping out the dark angle on the left, and maybe or maybe not the branches in the upper right. Snow can be difficult to photograph, especially without <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging" rel="nofollow">HDR tricks</a> available to bring out both the bright snow and dark roof tiles. Nice photo! I would, however, consider cropping out the dark angle on the left, and maybe or maybe not the branches in the upper right. Snow can be difficult to photograph, especially without HDR tricks available to bring out both the bright snow and dark roof tiles.

]]> By: Kyōshin http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/01/debunking-the-samuraizen-myth/#comment-74 Kyōshin Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:51:30 +0000 http://level8.wordpress.com/?p=34#comment-74 Ok - thanks ... :-) Ok – thanks … :-)

]]> By: Gerald Ford http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/01/debunking-the-samuraizen-myth/#comment-73 Gerald Ford Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:36:04 +0000 http://level8.wordpress.com/?p=34#comment-73 That was only in the Tokugawa Period (16th thorugh 19th centuries), and mostly was used as a census to keep track of people. The actual policy, if I rightly recall, was that all families in Japan had to register with a temple, though it didn't matter which one. There was no policy as far as I recall that samurai had to be Zen, peasants Shinshu and such. The religious affiliation is more based on geography than class. Some areas are very Shinshu heavy, while some (like around Kyoto) followed Tendai/Shingon a lot. That was only in the Tokugawa Period (16th thorugh 19th centuries), and mostly was used as a census to keep track of people. The actual policy, if I rightly recall, was that all families in Japan had to register with a temple, though it didn’t matter which one. There was no policy as far as I recall that samurai had to be Zen, peasants Shinshu and such.

The religious affiliation is more based on geography than class. Some areas are very Shinshu heavy, while some (like around Kyoto) followed Tendai/Shingon a lot.

]]> By: Kyōshin http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/01/debunking-the-samuraizen-myth/#comment-72 Kyōshin Sat, 01 Mar 2008 09:19:36 +0000 http://level8.wordpress.com/?p=34#comment-72 Nice post! My only point of query is: didn't the Japanese state later set people's religious affiliation in order as a means of social control and they did so according to the formula: "the imperial family is in Tendai, the peerage is in Shingon, the nobility is in Jōdo (Honen's followers), the Samurai is in Zen, the beggar is in Nichiren, and Shin Buddhists (Shinran's followers) are at the bottom" - as such the impression that the samuai were all Zen followers may not have entirely arisen from Western misconceptions? Nice post! My only point of query is: didn’t the Japanese state later set people’s religious affiliation in order as a means of social control and they did so according to the formula: “the imperial family is in Tendai, the peerage is in Shingon, the nobility is in Jōdo (Honen’s followers), the Samurai is in Zen, the beggar is in Nichiren, and Shin Buddhists (Shinran’s followers) are at the bottom” – as such the impression that the samuai were all Zen followers may not have entirely arisen from Western misconceptions?

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