Monthly Archives: April 2008

Stick with the winning team

Posted on April 30, 2008 by

I had lunch with a good friend of mine I haven’t seen in a year earlier today. He has had a lot of challenges over the last few years, but since I last saw him, he described his life as … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu, Religion, Theravada | 1 Comment

Between reality and fantasy

Posted on April 29, 2008 by

Nick swore he’d die with his boots on, on some exotic safari, but he found his Kilimanjaro in a hospital on Earth where they’d cured everything that was bothering him, except for the galloping pneumonia he’d picked up in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu, Literature, Philosophy, Religion, Zelazny | Leave a comment

Esoteric Shin Buddhism?

Posted on April 28, 2008 by

I was fortunate enough to meet* a fellow Buddhist blogger of mine over the weekend: Kyoushin from “Echoes of the Name“. He came in this week to visit Seattle, and wanted to see our Jodo Shinshu temple. Service went well** … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu, Religion, Shingon, Tendai | 16 Comments

The Early Days of Civilization

Posted on April 28, 2008 by

Having spent some time pondering the Iliad this evening, I started thinking about ancient civilizations and such. I used to be deeply fascinated in my younger days with really, really ancient civilizations, the stuff that represents the very earliest of … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Philosophy | 3 Comments

Pondering the Iliad

Posted on April 28, 2008 by

While listening to Stone Temple Pilots’ first album, Core, tonight, I started thinking about the Iliad. You see, I have a habit of listening to certain music that fits a mood when reading a specific book I like. To me … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | Leave a comment

Buddhism in Ireland

Posted on April 25, 2008 by

Well, as I am moving to Ireland in about 4-5 weeks (still finishing some immigration/moving details), I took a look at Buddhism in Ireland, just to see what’s there. The results were not too surprising. According to the 2006 Census, … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhism, Ireland, Religion, Tibetan, Travel | 15 Comments

Getting to know IRC

Posted on April 25, 2008 by

Despite having worked in IT more or less for 10 years, I have never really had a chance to get to know IRC very well. At work, we use plenty of chat and instant-message programs, and they work pretty well … Continue reading →

Posted in Linux, Technology | Leave a comment

Mythology, Pictures from Kaizozan-Hasedera

Posted on April 25, 2008 by

(Reposting from old blog, dated Nov. 2007) While Baby is feeling much better now, I have become sick myself. I should’ve expected that, but I am thick-headed at times. So, right now, I am enjoying the side effects of NyQuil, … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhism, Religion, Tendai | 5 Comments

Awesome!

Posted on April 24, 2008 by

Japanese Buddhism gets a lot of criticism for having degenerated into what some people call a “funeral business”, but I saw this story on Tricycle Editor’s blog, and thought it was great story: http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=753769 This article involves a certain famous … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu, Politics, Religion, Tendai | 3 Comments

Mantras explained

Posted on April 23, 2008 by

I found this website on Tendai Buddhism in California (kindly posted on e-sangha by another member), that had a nice summary explanation* of why mantras feature so prominently in Buddhism. I particularly thought this was helpful: And the recitation of … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu, Religion, Tendai | 3 Comments