Funeral delivery

[Zenmei]

Jundo, maybe you should be talking to Sotoshu about a new business model...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/23/business/international/amazon-japan-delivers-priest.html

Gassho, Dudley
#sat

[Jundo]

Yes. That is one reason I have so much difficulty to get Japanese folks to come to Zazen. Buddhism is almost totally in most folks minds about funerals for grandpa and memorial ceremonies for the ancestors.

I might as well place an add that says, "Come to the Funeral Home and Have Some Fun!"

I seriously would do better here to detach the Zazen completely from Buddhism and call it "Happy Relax Cosmic Yoga" or something. People would come.

I have written more about "funeral Buddhism" in Japan here.

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?13937-Zen-No-More-in-Japan&p=166147&viewfull=1#post166147

Gassho, Jundo

Sat "Happy Relax Cosmic Yoga" Today

[Myogan]

How about "We put the "fun" in Funeral"?

Nothing beats an Irish wake though.

Gassho, Marc
sat

[Myosha]

How about "We put the "fun" in Funeral"?

Nothing beats an Irish wake though.

Gassho, Marc
sat

A sobbing Mrs. Murphy approaches Father O’Grady after mass.

He says: “So what’s bothering you?”

She replies: “Oh, Father, I’ve terrible news. My husband passed away last night.”

The priest says: “Oh, Mary, that’s terrible. Did he have any last requests?”

"Certainly father," she replied. “He said: “Please Mary, put down that damn gun.”


Gassho
Myosha
sat today

[Heigan]

Happy Relaxing Cosmic Yoga sounds like the new place opening down the street from my house in yet another mixed-use development in Atlanta.

To make zazen Big in Japan, I think we need some kind of weird game show where people meditate and if they move they get hit with fish by a guy dressed as some kaiju monster...there...I think there are enough stereotypes included in that statement

Gassho,

Heigan
#sattoday

[Makkusu]

Yes. That is one reason I have so much difficulty to get Japanese folks to come to Zazen. Buddhism is almost totally in most folks minds about funerals for grandpa and memorial ceremonies for the ancestors.

I might as well place an add that says, "Come to the Funeral Home and Have Some Fun!"

I seriously would do better here to detach the Zazen completely from Buddhism and call it "Happy Relax Cosmic Yoga" or something. People would come.

Abbot Muho wrote something like that in his newest book. The Japanese tend to mix up their religions so they have different shrines at home, one for Shintoism, one for Buddhism,... That was very interesting to hear, sadly they don't care much about Zen.

[pinoybuddhist]

Happy Relaxing Cosmic Yoga sounds like the new place opening down the street from my house in yet another mixed-use development in Atlanta.

To make zazen Big in Japan, I think we need some kind of weird game show where people meditate and if they move they get hit with fish by a guy dressed as some kaiju monster...there...I think there are enough stereotypes included in that statement

Gassho,

Heigan
#sattoday

Don't forget the kawaii idols dressed in skimpy versions of the typical Japanese schoolgirl uniform and the loud comedians/hosts commentating the nonaction. Jundo can join them as the resident gaijin talent. [emoji1]

[emoji1431]Raf
Sat some happy relaxed cosmic yoga today


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[FaithMoon]

Jundo, It must be disappointing that there is so little interest in zazen where you are. It is important to me that my local sangha conducts memorial ceremonies. I can imagine that having this service available in Japan is a relief for some who have moved away from their home temple. I am speaking as a sangha member who had a family member die recently.

FaithMoon
st

[Jundo]

Hi Faith,

Funerals and memorial services are important, and Buddhist temples provide an important glue that helps bring Japanese families together.

It is just that Buddhism in Japan has become little else. That is unfortunate. A Buddhist temple or priest is about the last place that any spiritually inclined young person in Japan would turn these days. So called "new religious" have become the more likely outlet for such folks.

Gassho, Jundo

SatToday

[Kaishin]

So called "new religious" have become the more likely outlet for such folks.

Gassho, Jundo

SatToday

Are any of these peripherally related to Buddhism (like SGI), or are they just new-agey concoctions? How big is Christianity in Japan?

-satToday

[Jundo]

Hi Kaishin,

Christianity has been historically very small in Japan, although there are small groups of Christians. I believe that they are less than 1% of the population. There are various reasons for that.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/12/20/national/history/christian-missionaries-find-japan-tough-nut-crack/#.V-vFvSiLTIU

Yes, SGI is one of the more established and very very large "New Religions," an offshoot of Nichiren Buddhism. But there are many hundreds of groups, mostly small, with all variety of beliefs combining Shinto, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, New Agey beliefs, Divination and you name it ...

This discusses some of the larger ones (and a couple very notorious) ...

http://jpnreligions.weebly.com/new-religions.html

The Wiki listing is actually pretty detailed and interesting ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_new_religions

Gassho, Jundo

SatToday

[Jakuden]

Thanks for asking Kaishin, I was curious about that too. Obviously people everywhere are searching for something spiritual... it is kind of like a koan in itself how we pick, choose or even create a religion based on what we want out of it.
Which brings me to a question of my own: when I had my "sesshin interview " before attending sesshin at ZMM, the monastic who interviewed me wanted to know my goal/reason for wanting to do sesshin. I felt like my answers were not what he was looking for, although I was allowed to go. The same guy emphasized the importance of having a goal or a reason to sit later at an introductory talk at the monastery.
I guess I still wonder about what is a "good reason to sit." I probably look for relief from suffering, like anyone else, but is that attainable if I set it out that way as a desire? Isn't that grasping/wanting? [emoji848] If there is a goal, it would seem to be "just being awake" without searching for anything, which is the non-attainable Buddha Way.
Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday




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[FaithMoon]

Jakuden, Try these keywords in your search engine: buddhism desire paradox

My reason to sit: to save all beings. Might as well have big desires

Faith-Moon
st

[Jakuden]

Jakuden, Try these keywords in your search engine: buddhism desire paradox

My reason to sit: to save all beings. Might as well have big desires

Faith-Moon
st

Thanks! I actually came across an interesting thread here along with some other general info.

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday