Monthly Archives: June 2010

A Glance at the world of Yakuza and Sumo Wrestling

Recently, the sports world of Sumo has been hit by some big scandals involving certain wrestlers and the Yakuza over gambling, free premier tickets1 and so on, but as this article by the Asahi Shinbun shows, the history between the … Continue reading

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Zen focus, or lack thereof

Given the hectic month I’ve had, perhaps it’s time to revisit good ol fashioned Buddhist meditation. This was inspired by two excellent cartoons by Sinfest: here and then here. Stop and visit Sinfest if you haven’t already, and enjoy the … Continue reading

Posted in Buddhism, Zen | 12 Comments

Checking in, saying ‘hi’

Hello all, Just providing some updates as this month has been trying. A few folks have been inquiring, so I thought it warranted a blog post. I spent the past couple of months studying for the Linux RHCE Certification for … Continue reading

Posted in General | 2 Comments

Waves and Water: a Buddhist metaphor

Ryōhen (良遍, 1194-1252), was a prominent Hossō scholar and faithful disciple of Jōkei, often credited as a reformer of Hossō Buddhism during the medieval period in Japanese Buddhist history. In James L. Ford’s book on Jokei and Medieval Japanese Buddhism, … Continue reading

Posted in Buddhism, Hosso | 2 Comments

Metroid: The Post-it Version

Something I wanted to share, since I have been recently on a Nintendo nostalgia trip (with some Buddhism mixed-in). I work in a certain office in Seattle, and on a different floor, someone made this image out of post-it notes: … Continue reading

Posted in Nintendo, Photography, Technology | 2 Comments

Onmyoji: a film review

Recently one night after Baby was sleeping soundly, I cracked open an old DVD I hadn’t watched in a long time: Onmyoji. This is a Japanese film my wife bought in the US years ago when we were still dating, … Continue reading

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Hosso Yogacara Buddhism and the Five Natures Doctrine

Throughout the history of the Hossō Buddhist sect in Japan, descended from the Yogacara school of thought from India, no one doctrine has caused more controversy or sparked debate with other schools than the Five-Natures Doctrine, or goshō kakubetsu (五姓各別). … Continue reading

Posted in Buddhism, Hosso, Tendai | 2 Comments

Happy Father’s Day 2010

My little girl, with help from Mommy, made this mug for me last weekend in our Buddhist “Sunday School” class for toddlers (caption written by Mommy): This right here is why being a parent is worth it. It’s been a … Continue reading

Posted in Family | 1 Comment

Good News on Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Tree

A few months back, I wrote about the famous and ancient Ginkgo tree that had fallen over in a storm at the Shinto Shrine of Tsurugaoka Hachimangū in Kamakura, Japan. This shrine, and its tree, are both famous in Japan … Continue reading

Posted in Japan, Religion, Shinto, Travel | 5 Comments

Sugawara Michizane Poem in Exile

This poem came from the excellent biography about Sugawara no Michizane (later deified in Shinto as Tenjin), Sugawara no Michizane and the early Heian Court. Inspired by a nice visit to Yushima Tenmangu in Tokyo a few months ago, I … Continue reading

Posted in Japan, Japanese, Language, Literature, Poetry | 2 Comments