Japan admiration thread

[Latinus]

I love Japan's cherry trees, they are so beautiful:

[The Lawspeaker]

I love Japan's cherry trees, they are so beautiful:

So-called "sakura" (サクラ - in katakana) - cherry blossom. It's also a given name.

[The Lawspeaker]

Buddhist Chant - Heart Sutra (Japanese) Hannya Shingyo
http://www.amazon.ca/Buddhist-Chants-...

Heart of Wisdom Sutra
http://www.budtempchi.org/hannyashing...

[Leader]
Maka Hannya Haramita Shingyo

[Everyone]

Kanjizai Bosatsu Gyo Jin Hannya Haramita Ji

Sho Ken Go Un Kai Ku Do Issai Ku Yaku Sharishi

Shiki Fu I Ku

Ku Fu I Shiki

Shiki Soku Ze Ku

Ku Soku Ze Shiki

Ju So Gyo Shiki Yaku Bu Nyo Ze

Sharishi Ze Sho Ho Ku So Fu Sho Fu Metsu

Fu Ku Fu Jo Fu Zo Fu Gen Ze Ko Ku Chu

Mu Shiki Mu Ju So Gyo Shiki

Mu Gen Ni Bi Zets' Shin I

Mu Shiki Sho Ko Mi Soku Ho

Mu Gen Kai Nai Shi Mu I Shiki Kai Mu Mu Myo

Yaku Mu Mu Myo Jin Nai Shi Mu Ro Shi

Yaku Mu Ro Shi Jin Mu Ku Shu Metsu Do

Mu Chi Yaku Mu Toku I Mu Sho Tokko

Bodaisatta E Hannya Haramita

Ko Shin Mu Ke Ge

Mu Ke Ge Ko Mu U Ku Fu

On Ri Issai Tendo Mu So Ku Gyo Nehan

San Ze Sho Butsu E Hannya Haramita

Ko Toku A Noku Ta Ra Sanmyaku Sambodai

Ko Chi Hannya Haramita Ze Dai Jin Shu

Ze Dai Myo Shu

Ze Mu Jo Shu

Ze Mu To Do Shu

No Jo Issai Ku Shin Jitsu Fu Ko

Ko Setsu Hannya Haramita Shu

Soku Setsu Shu Watsu

Gyate Gyate Hara Gyate

Hara So Gyate Boji Sowa Ka

Hannya Shin Gyo


- ENGLISH TRANSLATION -

[Leader]
Heart of the Great Wisdom Sutra

[Everyone]
When a sincere truth seeker attains the wisdom of enlightenment, he realizes that all the five senses are empty and he transcends every suffering.

Listen: All things are no different from emptiness; emptiness is not different from all things. Form is emptiness; emptiness is form. Feelings, perceptions, impulses, consciousness are also like this.

Listen: The original nature of all things is neither born nor extinguished. There is no purity, no defilement; no gain, no loss.

In this world of emptiness there is no form, no feelings, perceptions, impulses, or consciousness. No eye, ear, tongue body, or mind. Therefore, no color, sound, smell, taste, touch, or thought. The world of form does not exist, nor the world of the mind or of ignorance; no old age and no death.

Yet there is continuous ignorance, old age, and death.

There is no suffering, no cause of suffering, no cessation of suffering; no wisdom and no attainment because there is nothing to be attained. The compassionate truth-seeker depends upon the wisdom of enlightenment.

When the mind does not become attached to anything, there are no obstacles and fear does not exist. This mind goes beyond all disruptive views and attains Nirvana. All the Buddhas of the past, present and future depend upon the wisdom of enlightenment--and so attain the supreme, wisdom of enlightenment as the great unexplainable true word, the great shining true word that is able to remove all suffering. It is true, not false. This true word of wisdom says:

Gyate Gyate Hara Gyate Hara So Gyate Bodhi Sowa Ka.

Shingon Teaching

Shingon is a form of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism, it is also called Shingon Mikkyo. This school was founded in 804 AD by Kukai (Kobo Daishi) in Japan. The teachings of Shingon are based on the Mahavairocana Sutra and the Vajrasekhara Sutra, the fundamental sutras of Shingon. Through the cultivation of three secrets, the actions of body, speech and mind, we are able to attain enlightenment in this very body. When we can sustain this state of mind, we can become one with the life force of the Universe, known as Mahavairocana Buddha. The symbolic activities are present anywhere in the universe. Natural phenomena such as mountains and oceans and even humans express the truth described in the sutras.

The universe itself embodies and can not be separated from the teaching. In the Shingon tradition, the practitioner uses the same techniques that were used over 1,200 years ago by Kukai, and have been transmitted orally generation after generation to the present. As Shingon Buddhists, there are three vows to observe in our lives:

May we realize Buddhahood in this very life.

May we dedicate ourselves to the well-being of people.

May we establish the World of Buddha on this earth.

Becoming a Buddha in This Very Life (Sokushin Jobutsu) The unique feature of this Shingon Teaching is that one does not become a Buddha only in his mind, nor does one become a Buddha after one has died. It means one is able to attain perfection of all of the qualities of a Buddha while one is yet living in his present physical body. An essay on the Bodhicitta (Bodaishin-ron) says: "One speedily attained great Awakening in the very body born of mother and father." According to the Shingon tradition, all things in this universe -- both physical matter, mind and mental states -- are made up of some six primary elements. These six primary elements are: earth (the principle of solidity), water (moisture), fire (energy), wind (movement), space (the state of being unobstructed) and consciousness (the six ways of knowing objects). Buddha as well as ordinary human beings are made up of these six elements, and in this sense both Buddha and human beings are basically and in essence identical. When we realize this truth, then our actions, our words, and our thoughts will undergo and experience of faith which will cause them to be correct and purify their surroundings. This living, physical body will be able to achieve Buddhahood.

Salvation and Enlightenment. Shingon Buddhism grants salvation and enlightenment to human beings who would otherwise be caught in the cycle of birth and death. Once a person is able to enter the gate of this faith, he/she will be able to receive that salvation and guidance of many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. It is a religion in which that person will be fortunate enough to be able to recite the mantras that are the Buddha's own words. Kobo Daishi explained two points as its special characteristics:

1. Attainment of enlightenment in this very body.

2. The present moment that clearly teaches the content of enlightenment.

He explained these two aspects throughout his writings like, "The Meaning of Becoming a Buddha in This Body," "The Ten Stages in the Development of the Mind," "The Meaning of the Secret Samaya Precepts of the Buddha." It is a blessings of Shingon Buddhism to make it possible to come into direct contact with the practices leading to salvation. Shingon discipline The Shingon Teachings are broad and profound, and require strict discipline to put into practice. If we do not personally practice them in our daily lives of faith, then this treasure will become a useless possession. In actuality, we must manifest the teachings and practice of becoming a Buddha in this body in concrete form. The form of this faith is the developing one's mind into higher stage and engaging in discipline. There are various meditation techniques in Shingon traditions including the practice for gaining secular benefits for others by using mantra chanting and mudra hand signs as well as seeking enlightenment in this very body for oneself.

Shingon Discipline

The followings are some of the major forms practiced by many practitioners: Susokukan (Basic meditation to find one's own breathing pace) Gachirinkan (Moon Disc meditation) Ajikan (A syllable meditation) These practices are gateways into understanding the nature of Reality. Through these gateways we can experience many states of consciousness and as our skill develops we begin to have real insight into the nature of the unproduced state. Through these meditations we can experience the flow of energy from this state into this physical plane of existence. However, this state cannot be experienced without correct understanding of its doctrine and the guide by an authentic teacher.

[Aldaris]

From some Japanese anime.

[Crn Volk]

Legend

[The Lawspeaker]

Sukiyaki (Ue o Muite Arukou)- Kyu Sakamoto (English Translation and Lyrics) About the Lyrics The lyrics tell the story of a man who looks up and whistles while he is walking so that his tears won't fall. The verses of the song describe his memories and feelings. The English-language lyrics of the version recorded by A Taste of Honey are not a translation of the original Japanese lyrics but a completely different set of lyrics set to the same basic melody. The title Sukiyaki, a Japanese hot pot dish, has nothing to do with the lyrics or the meaning of the song; the word served the purpose only because it was short, catchy, recognizably Japanese, and more familiar to most English speakers.

A Newsweek columnist noted that the re-titling was like issuing "Moon River" in Japan under the title "Beef Stew." About the song: "Ue o Muite Arukō" (上を向いて歩こう?, literally "[I] shall walk looking up") is a Japanese-language song that was performed by Japanese crooner Kyu Sakamoto, and written by lyricist Rokusuke Ei and composer Hachidai Nakamura. It is best known under the alternative title "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking parts of the world. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the United States in 1963, and was the only Japanese-language song to do so. In total it sold over 13 million copies internationally. The original Kyu Sakamoto recording also went to number eighteen on the R&B chart.[3] In addition, the single spent five weeks at number one on the Middle of the Road charts.

The recording was originally released in Japan by Toshiba in 1961. It topped the Popular Music Selling Record chart in the Japanese magazine Music Life for three months, and was ranked as the number one song of 1961 in Japan. Well-known English-language cover versions include a 1981 cover under the title "Sukiyaki" by A Taste of Honey and a 1995 cover by 4 P.M.. There is also an English language version with altogether different lyrics by Jewel Akens under the title "My First Lonely Night" recorded in 1966. There are many other language versions of the song as well. About Kyu Sakamoto: Kyu Sakamoto (坂本 九 Sakamoto Kyū?, born Hisashi Oshima (大島 九 Ōshima Hisashi?), 10 December 1941 -- 12 August 1985) was a Japanese singer and actor, best known outside of Japan for his international hit song "Sukiyaki", which was sung in Japanese and sold over 13 million copies. It reached number one in the United States Billboard Hot 100 in June 1963. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyu_Saka...

[Lemgrant]

Legend

and special thanks to Steven Seagal for promotion of Aikido in movies.

[The Lawspeaker]

Hey guys, follow me to Higashihonganji, just north of Kyoto station in Kansai, Japan. Sorry for the water on the lens and the noise. It was a windy, rainy day. For some background information: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higas...

[Teutone]

Japan a country smart enough to go for a hydrogen fuel future instead of a delusional electric vehicle future.

[Teutone]

Blessed Iustus Takayama Ukon

BORN in Takayama village, in Toyono-cho, Toyono-gun, Osaka Prefecture, the Martyr of Christ, Justus Ukon Takayama (1552-1615), a Catholic layman of heroic virtue who was considered a pillar of the early Church of Japan, died in Intramuros, Manila on February 3, 1615 – only 44 days after he was exiled to Manila for refusing to abjure his Catholic faith. In 1630, a petition was presented to the Vatican by the Archdiocese of Manila for Takayama’s beatification. His Cause was revived at the Vatican in 1963 – with the Japanese Bishops in charge. The Takayama process was crowned with Beatification in Osaka on February 7, 2017.