(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor David) www.davidlai.me A month ago, I was with Tsem Rinpoche and a bunch of other people in a car. In a conversation about China, Rinpoche suddenly asked us, “Why is Buddha Amitabha so prevalent in China?” Silence ensued for a few moments as everyone struggled to recall what they...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, China 中国, Guest Contributors | 34 Comments »
Many people have debated and denied the existence of UFOs, but as proof of their existence gets more and more frequent… can they continue to ignore it?? There have been recent sightings of UFOs in Japan …to the point that the Japanese Government finds it difficult to deny their existence! Imagine a government official...
Posted in Aliens, Science & Mysteries, Videos, Videos | 19 Comments »
Hoichi the Earless One is a well known Japanese folktale character who lived during the feudal era. This story comes from Kwaidan, a collection of classic Japanese ghost stories written by Lafcadio Hearn...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Ghosts and Hauntings, Mythology and Mysteries, Paranormal | 8 Comments »
The belief that luck is a potent factor in our daily lives transcends the barriers of geography, culture, race and religion; it is deeply embedded in our collective consciousness. Most of the symbols that we use to attract good fortune...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Guest Contributors | 27 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Professor Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki (18 October 1870 – 22 July 1966) was a prolific Japanese writer known for his translations of important Zen (Chan) and Shin (Jodo Shinshu or ‘Pure Land’) Buddhist texts. His work was instrumental in igniting widespread interest in Buddhism in the West, and was a significant catalyst...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Celebrities & People, Inspiration & Worthy Words | 9 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Kukai, also known posthumously as Kobo Daishi, was an influential and beloved figure in Japan. He played an instrumental role in establishing and spreading the Shingon Buddhist doctrine (also known as Shingon Mikkyo), one of the few esoteric forms of Buddhism outside Tibetan Buddhism, which he received from his root guru,...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Great Lamas & Masters, Inspiration & Worthy Words | 13 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline) Introduction When the word ‘Japan’ comes to mind, people will usually think about Hokkaido, Tokyo, or Osaka, as these prefectures are the most popular tourist destinations. Another prefecture that should not be left out on any trip to Japan, one that is distinct from mainland Japan with...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Travel | 9 Comments »
Hokkaido is the northernmost of Japan’s four main islands. It is also the least urbanised, famous for the volcanoes, natural hot springs (onsen) and snow fields that dot its landscape. At 32,221 square miles (83,457 sq. km), representing over 20% of Japan’s total land mass, Hokkaido Island is the country’s second-largest island, while Hokkaido...
Posted in Asia, Travel | 9 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Tokyo, formerly known as Edo, now officially known as Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan. It is also the busiest and largest city in Japan. Under Japanese law, Tokyo is designated as a to, meaning metropolis. This beautiful city is also the most populous metropolitan area in the world. It...
Posted in Asia, Travel | 7 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline) Shikoku (四国, which literally means “four countries”) is the smallest among Japan’s four main islands as well as the least populous one with over 4 million people. It is located at the southwest of Honshu Island and is east of Kyushu Island. Just as its name implies, Shikoku is divided into four prefectures that refers to the former four provinces that made up this island, namely Awa, Tosa, Sanuki, and Iyo. These four provinces are replaced by today’s four prefectures of Tokushima, Ko...
Posted in Asia, Travel | 8 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor David) Japan, called Nihon-koku in its native Japanese, literally means the ‘State of Japan’. It is an East Asian island nation in the fringes of the Pacific Ocean, right on the eastern coast of the Asian mainland and the Korean Peninsular. To the north is the Sea of Okhotsk,...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Asia, Travel | 8 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline) Kyoto and Nara were once two of ancient Japan’s capital cities that flourished as the county’s cultural and political centres. Japan’s capital city was relocated to Tokyo in the 18th century, and has remained so until today. The two prefectures of Kyoto and Nara are parts of the...
Posted in Asia, Travel | 9 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) I love it when people try new and creative ways to bring Buddhism to a new crowd. The world today is full of distractions caused by technological advancements, so it is apt that this Japanese Buddhist priest has adopted a techno-music approach, drawing from his DJ background, to attract a younger...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice | 20 Comments »
Dear friends around the world, Those who know me will know that I have always liked Japan. It is a country that I find to be very peaceful, neat and safe. I love Japanese architecture and the small quaint towns there. No matter how rural or small, Japanese villages are very aesthetically pleasing, timeless...
Posted in Current Affairs & News, Inspiration & Worthy Words | 29 Comments »
Dear friends, I personally do not enjoy travelling but what I have always longed for is to live in the mountains with trees, streams, greens and nature ever since I was young. I would like to stay in the mountains in a small little hut with trees surrounding me. I would live there on...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture | 34 Comments »
Japan has always been one of the countries that I find to be incredibly beautiful. I love their courteous and unique culture and tradition, and their lifestyle which is hugely influenced by Zen Buddhism, something that I am very fond of. It is one of my favorite countries in the world. This article features...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Asia, Travel | 15 Comments »
These are some of the most unique and absolutely mesmerizing places in Japan. They are not your usual go-to places for tourists and, the fact that they are not frequented by throngs of people allows them to retain and sustain their natural beauty. Of the 16 places on this list, I found the Buddhist...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Asia, Travel | 9 Comments »
By Kay Sakamoto In Japan, dining and drinking with your coworkers is very common, in fact it can be an unspoken requirement in some companies. Many Japanese feel that after work parties are an important way to enhance relationships. It can be useful to understand who your coworkers are, their typical mindset when...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture | 17 Comments »
In the 1970s, the West was not as exposed to the East like it is now... as a young boy, I remember how not many people could distinguish between people from the different Asian countries - everyone who was Asian were assumed to be Chinese...
Posted in Etc | 4 Comments »
I have always been interested in architecture especially those that blends in with nature. Below is an article extracted from the magazine, modernism. The magazine features an existing architectural concept called "Shell House"...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture | 31 Comments »