By Rev. Noriaki Fujimori
On a recent trip to Japan, I visited “Chibaru Shokudō,” an Okinawan restaurant in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture, that’s known as “wrong-order restaurant.” Elderly people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease work there.
Kiyozawa: From Philosophy to Awakening
By Rev. Ken Yamada
Spiritual awakening takes various routes, depending on the person. Swift and direct, or twisting and turning. Two of Jodo Shinshu’s most important teachers in modern times took such opposite routes.
Daisetz Teitarō Suzuki (1870-1966), absorbed in Zen practice, experienced a profound realization early in life. By contrast, Kiyozawa Manshi (1863-1903) struggled for years, delving deep into philosophy before awakening to spiritual truth. Continue reading “Kiyozawa: From Philosophy to Awakening”
Reaching Beyond Temples to Teach Buddhism
Among his many activities, he started a company, Interbeing, aimed at bringing Buddhist teachings to business people. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree and developed lessons to help priests better run their temples. He organizes spontaneous meet-ups with young people in various cities to discuss life issues. He started a temple café and created a Buddhist website called higan.net. He’s written several books, including the popular “A Monk’s Guide to a Clean House and Mind,” which was translated into 18 languages. Continue reading “Reaching Beyond Temples to Teach Buddhism”
The Art of Listening
By Rev. Marcos Sawada
A confession: I’m more a speaker than a listener. Are you a good listener? Many people are not.
Generally, I think people like to talk more than listen. That’s strange, given we have two ears but only one mouth. Mouths have two functions which keep them busy—speaking and eating. The job of ears is merely to hear. So why is listening so difficult? Continue reading “The Art of Listening”