The Tree Legend of Japan.

(PHOTO CREDIT: Torii, Shinto arch, surrounded by ancient, Japanese, cedar trees on the Kumano Old Road in Wakayama, Japan).

(Translation: Alternate, Ukrainian translation: http://blog.1800flowers.com/international/thebuddhistblog-legend-ua/)

In the ancient, Shinto, belief system of Japan, a legend says, that the Japanese people descended down from the heavens by climbing down the tall, sacred, cypress trees of the island. As someone who is in awe, admiration, and respect for our noble trees, I find this creation story to be deeply, spiritual. The other aspect I admire, is how it echoes the Buddhist teaching that we are interdependent upon nature for our very lives. As a Zen Buddhist, I find much within Shinto that I admire and respect; not the least of which, being nature veneration.

May we all find freedom atop the great tree of Dharma. All branches, regardless if they are Theravada or Mahayana, contribute to the strength and vitality of the tree. Do our branches bend a little differently, of course!! But, when was the last time you saw two tree branches that were the exactly same?!! Diversity is the strength of any system--it takes all sizes, shapes and age of branch to sustain a strong tree. This is true, by the way, for humanity. If everyone was supposed to be the same, then everything would be one color; imagine how boring that would be?!!

~Peace to all beings~

The Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy and Religion

The Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy and Religion
Want to get more out of your yoga class? Explore the teachings of the Tao Te Ching? Are you looking for the Zen wisdom that makes Phil Jackson such a success? This examination of the ancient beliefs of Asia takes the mystery out of Eastern thought. Targeted for the Westerner, this enlightening audiobook is sophisticated in content, yet easy to follow. It provides a thorough account of the histories and beliefs of Eastern philosophies as well as a “quick take” on the practices of the various religions.The Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy and Religion is the one source for everything anyone would want to know about Eastern traditions. There are complete discussions of the tenets of: • Hinduism • Buddhism • Confucianism • Taoism • Shintoism • Jainism • Zoroastrianism.
Best of all, this Best Guide elaborates on the meaning of the Eastern practices that Westerners find most compelling, such as tantric sex, the martial arts, and feng shui. It also explores the connection between Asian beliefs and Western writers like William Blake and Deepak Chopra, and Western seekers like the Beatles and Richard Gere.Whether a first time explorer of Eastern ideas or a seasoned practitioner, this guide shows the way through the beautiful labyrinth of Asian thought.

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Encyclopedia Of Buddhism

Encyclopedia Of Buddhism
This is a general introduction and reference primarily to Buddhism, but also to Daoism, Shinto, Confucianism, and other major religious traditions of East Asia that are not covered in other volumes of the series. Articles by scholars of religion, all but one American, consider important figures, both Asian and Western; deities and other supernatural beings; rules and concepts; schools; practices; and other aspects.

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Around the World in 80 Faiths

Around the World in 80 Faiths

Episode Two: The Far East
Pete Owen Jones presents the definitive guide to faith on earth, with eighty rituals across six continents in the space of a year. In this episode of the series, Pete encounters the exotic and inscrutable religions of the Far East, from anarchic Buddhist Naked Man and Shinto Fire festivals in Japan to enlightening Taoist monks in the mountains of China.
He visits an obscure Shamanic sect in South Korea, and finds out how war helped to create the biggest church in the world. In Buddhist Thailand he explores the meaning of non-attachment, and in Vietnam he comes under the spell of a divine eye, before giving money away to a mother goddess.

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Episode six: The Indian Subcontinent
After examining 49 faiths, Pete Owen Jones journeys from the Nepalese Himalayas to the south of India to make sense of the mystery of Indian religions, including the transmigration of the soul, karma, the pantheon of gods and the high regard for gurus.
Pete visits a Tibetan Buddhist monastery high in the mountains. In Calcutta, he takes part in the colourful Durga Puja festival and meets the Agori who live amongst the dead. He then travels to the deserts of Rajastan, where he finds Hindu sects ready to walk on fire or even pay the ultimate price for their gurus. In Mumbai, Pete attends a Zoroastrian marriage and explores why one of the world's oldest religions is in danger of disappearing. He discovers how Sikhism had a violent birth when he attends the 300th anniversary of its greatest guru's death, and then journeys south to learn about the remarkable faith of Jainism, which renounces violence against every living creature. Finally Pete spends Diwali in a tiny village at a dung-slinging festival - with inevitable results.

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A Popular Dictionary of Shinto - Brian Bocking

A Popular Dictionary of Shinto - Brian Bocking
This dictionary is a comprehensive glossary and reference work with more than a thousand entries on Shinto, ranging from brief definitions of Japanese terms to short essays dealing with aspects of Shinto practice, beliefs, and institutions from early times to the present. Shinto regards itself as the ancient indigenous tradition of Japan, yet it has gone through remarkable transformations, even in the last century. The dictionary explains terms relating to such matters as festivals, shrines, rituals, kami, Shinto-related religious movements, significant events, and key figures in the development of Shinto. Distinctive features of the book are its clear and concise explanations of Shinto terms, its comprehensive coverage of the dimensions of Shinto, and a religious-studies approach to the subject that deals objectively and empathetically with Shinto ideas and practices.

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A Guide to Japanese Buddhism

A Guide to Japanese Buddhism

Buddhism originated in India in the 6th century BC. It consists of the teachings of the Buddha, Gautama Siddhartha. Of the main branches of Buddhism, it is the Mahayana or "Greater Vehicle" Buddhism which found its way to Japan. Buddhism was imported to Japan via China and Korea in the form of a present from the friendly Korean kingdom of Kudara (Paikche) in the 6th century. While Buddhism was welcomed by the ruling nobles as Japan's new state religion, it did not initially spread among the common people due to its complex theories.
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Buddhism is Watering the Western Cultures like Rain Waters a Field of Flowers.

The Buddha compares his teaching to the rainfall that descends without discrimination on the earth. That this rain causes some seeds to grow into flowers and some into great trees implies no differentiation in the rain but rather is due to the capacities of the seeds that it nurtures. Thus, the teaching of the Buddha is of a single flavor but benefits beings in a variety of ways according to their capacity.

- Donald S. Lopez, Jr., Buddhism in Practice

There are many that criticize and condemn the new tradition of Buddhism that I align myself with which is most commonly known as Western Buddhism. I'm more on the Zen end of that spectrum. I know that this is a hot button issue for some so I am going to chose my words carefully and I want to emphasize that I don't profess to be a teacher. In my eyes, Western Buddhism is no different than when Chinese Buddhism, or Korean, or Tibetan Buddhism was the newest tradition in the vast Buddhist community. Buddhism always blends and adapts to different cultures when introduced to that new society but I don't believe that makes it any less useful. Tibetans for example have incorporated many aspects of their traditional Bon beliefs when Buddhism arrived from India. Yet not many would say that the proud Tibetan Buddhist tradition isn't an "authentic" (whatever that term means) form of Buddhism.

In Japan, Buddhism merged into the native beliefs related to Shinto and yet not many would say that Japanese Buddhism isn't "real" or an invalid extension of Buddhism.

The native Chinese Taoist beliefs (and overall Chinese culture) have greatly influenced Chinese Buddhism which became integral aspects to the formation of Ch'an/Zen that is so prevalent today.

Part of the uneasiness with Western Buddhism is that it is still taking shape and it's hard to tell how the exact form will be but one thing is for sure, it's here to stay. I realize the western culture that it is mixing with is different than the traditional Asian Buddhist culture but that doesn't make it any less beneficial, nor does it make it inferior. Whether we like it or not, culture influences the tradition that Buddhism develops into when introduced to a different culture than a "mother culture."

Western Buddhism seems to be developing as an umbrella structure from which slightly more western styles of each tradition are appearing. That's the beauty of Buddhism, it is pliable to everyone and each culture depending on where they are in their karmic journey. It is my belief that we should focus more on the things that we have in common then on the things that we see slightly different because of our culture.

All of this isn't to say that Western Buddhists are "better" but my goal by posting this was to show it isn't inferior either. I think the main thing that unites all these forms of Buddhism is taking refuge in the three jewels, the four noble truths and practicing the eight fold path. Again, I realize that this is a controversial subject for many Buddhists of more established, traditional schools but just remember that Mahayana Buddhism for example was seen as quite radical to the older traditions at the time.

I hope that in time, Western Buddhism will become as accepted as Mahayana has.

~Peace to all beings~