How can we protect ourselves from various kinds of sufferings and threats? As long as we live in this world, we can't avoid all these challenges. Life is difficult, which is the archetypal recognition that we all have in one way or another. Whether we like it or not, there is a stormy day. Various … Continue reading The Armor of God
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Psalm 91
Psalm 91 is one of the most recited Psalms in history, especially at the moment of adversity. It is also known as Soldier’s Prayer. Reciting this particular chapter, we feel protected and encouraged. Even some people believe the power of protection on the battlefield at the very moment of fight. Beyond such belief and pep … Continue reading Psalm 91
Virtue, Mind, and Wisdom
We, humans, have experienced various sufferings throughout history from starvation to warfare to disease. Buddhism categorizes them as follows: Living (生苦, Jāti dukkha)Aging (老苦, Jarāpi dukha)Disease (病苦, Byādhipi dukkha)Death (死苦, Maraṇampi dukkha) Separating from someone we love (愛別離苦, Appiyehi dukkha)Meeting someone we don’t like (怨憎会苦, Piyehi dukkha)Can't get what we want (求不得苦, Yampiccha dukkhaCan't control … Continue reading Virtue, Mind, and Wisdom
The Sword Taia
Takuan Sōhō (沢庵 宗彭) was one of the notable Japanese Zen monks in the 17th century. While he did not care about his socio-political status, his relationships with the sword-masters made him inevitably famous. He was also well-known as Miyamoto Musashi’s mentor. What made him mainly famous was a series of letters he wrote for … Continue reading The Sword Taia
Know Thyself
One of the well-known Delphic maxims is "Know thyself." It should be the first question that we have to ask ourselves, and the ultimate inquiry that we keep on pondering throughout our lives. "Know thyself" is one of the crucial signs that we have self-consciousness. Hearing this maxim in Delphi, we naturally ask ourselves who … Continue reading Know Thyself
Pray, Work, and Read
In the tradition of the Benedictine monastery, the daily activities of the monks could be these three categories. People join the monastic community primarily to devote themselves to these three. Liturgical prayerManual laborLectio Divina The liturgical prayer is the foundation of their spiritual life. With this practice, they ensure to keep and inherit the traditions … Continue reading Pray, Work, and Read
The Word was with God, and the Word was God
Lao Tzu said, "The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of ten thousand things." We understand the world and the universe through a grid of language. It is definitely one of the valuable tools for ontology and epistemology. Only with this tool, we can ensure our existence and … Continue reading The Word was with God, and the Word was God
