Among various Buddhism teachings, Zen is quite minimalistic. It tries to return to the source, which is not necessarily fundamental but uniquely radical. Traditionally, Bodhidharma, an Indian Buddhist monk, transmitted Zen (Chan) teachings to China during the fifth or sixth century. He is known as Daruma (達磨) in Japan with this popularized doll. His way … Continue reading Zen Minimalism
Tag: #Art
Blowing in the Wind
Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again," which is one of the well-known passages in the Bible. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; … Continue reading Blowing in the Wind
The Eye of Detachment
Noh (能) is one of the traditional theater plays in the fourteen century’s Japan. It liberally means talent or skill in this Chinese character. But it implies a lot more in-depth. One of the key figures in this tradition is Zeami (世阿弥: 1363-1443). He was a Noh actor; at the same time, created playwrights and … Continue reading The Eye of Detachment
The Beauty of Wabi-Sabi
There are two bowls. One looks flawlessly brand new. The other is a bit deformed with cracks and stains, and yet looks clean, well-used, and maintained. Given these two options, which one we could call beautiful? The wabi-sabi aesthetics tells us the second bowl is "beautiful." There is another anecdote. One old Zen master instructed … Continue reading The Beauty of Wabi-Sabi
Inclusive, Exclusive Faith
Should our faith be inclusive or exclusive? It is one of the most sensitive questions in human histories, which is derived from the birth of our self-consciousness. Once we are aware of ourselves, we would inevitably ask such questions as "Who are we?" and "Who are others?" Since the birth of our self-consciousness, we have … Continue reading Inclusive, Exclusive Faith
A Pair of Peasant Shoes
Plato claimed that our physical world was a shadow by a series of forms. Only beyond these forms, we could reach something truthful and timeless. He dichotomized both worlds as forms and ideas, likewise, physics and metaphysics. For example, we see various horses on earth. According to Plato, there must be something like ideal horseness … Continue reading A Pair of Peasant Shoes
