Monthly Archives: September 2009

A Review of Bijin Tokei

On the lighter side of things, I saw this article on Asahi Shinbun and thought the idea was amusing. The website they’re talking about, Bijin Tokei (美人時計). The word “bijin” means “beautiful person”, but has the nuance of women. Sometimes, … Continue reading

Posted in Japan, Japanese | 6 Comments

Moving back to old schedule

Hi guys, Just a quick announcement. I wanted to try out a more frequent schedule recently, but since moving back to the US, I’ve been swamped with work and resettling back in the US, and can’t devote much time to … Continue reading

Posted in General, JLPT | 2 Comments

Basho Haiku in Japanese

It’s amazing what you learn from children’s TV shows sometimes, especially in a foreign language. Recently, while watching TV with my little one, we watched one of her favorite shows, nihongo de asobo, which has a brief skit periodically that … Continue reading

Posted in Buddhism, Japanese, Poetry, Zen | 7 Comments

On Anger

This recent comic from Sinfest says it all: Anger is considered one of the Three Poisons in Buddhism, along with Greed and Delusion that are at the root of the mind. Anger arises from the ego and its expectations. When … Continue reading

Posted in Buddhism, Hosso | 7 Comments

Talking past one another

In an excellent online treatise by the venerable monk Ajahn Sujato he writes: I am reminded of a memorable sequence in the documentary ‘The Fog of War’. Robert McNamara, the US Secretary for Defence during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, … Continue reading

Posted in Buddhism | 4 Comments

On Guilt

Something I read in Roger Zelazny’s short-story, Home is the Hangman that really caught my attention, especially in light of recent events, as well as the fall Ohigan Buddhist holiday that started a few days ago: Look to instinct for … Continue reading

Posted in Buddhism, Literature, Zelazny | 2 Comments

Congratulations Rev. Endo!

Saw this article in the Asahi Shinbun this weekend and felt like posting here: Endo Mitsunaga, a priest at Enryakuji temple in Otsu, blesses followers Friday after finishing a grueling 1,000-day Buddhist training session earlier in the day. The 34-year-old … Continue reading

Posted in Buddhism, Tendai | 2 Comments

Measure twice, cut once

For today’s post I just wanted to share this quotation I saw online by Dōgen, the founder of the Soto Zen sect in Japan: Students, when you want to say something, think about it three times before you say it. … Continue reading

Posted in Buddhism, Zen | 2 Comments

Fall Ohigan 2009

Each of these bodhisattvas, following the virtues of the Mahasattva Samantabhadra, is endowed with the immeasurable practices and vows of the Bodhisattva Path, and firmly dwells in all the meritorious deeds. He freely travels in all the ten quarters and … Continue reading

Posted in Buddhism, Hosso | Leave a comment

Akira and Yojijukugo

Recently, I finished reading the entire Akira series of comics from beginning to end after purchasing the reprints by Dark Horse.1 The author, Otomo, I noticed likes to hide lots of little Japanese witticisms in his artwork in the form … Continue reading

Posted in Japanese | 2 Comments