It’s in Japanese. I don’t speak Japanese. But I do have a pretty good awesomeness detector.
Click the image above or here.
I’m a little confused just how much Buddhism there is or isn’t in this movie — see a review here — but it looks and sounds kinda promising as-is:
It’s apparently premiering at the Japan Society in NYC tonite, so check it out and let us know what you think if you can.
A real quick Hulu clip from the Today Show — about a sculptor making Buddhas from cardboard.
This was posted here a couple of weeks ago:
Well, Lost, my favorite current TV show just got, um, favoriter.
Don’t know how I missed this initially, but one of the newly-returned show’s newest characters, a Japanese guy who is “Master” of the mysterious, rebirth-granting temple recently found by the Losties, is named Dogen. As in “Eihei Dogen,” founder of the Japanese Soto school of Zen Buddhism.
This is probably not insignificant, not on a show whose characters are named things like “John Locke,” “C.S. Lewis,” and “Daniel Faraday.” Also, of course, the whole thing centers around an enigmatic organization called “The Dharma Initiative.”
My eyes will be on the show and on Hiroyuki Sanada, who plays Dogen, for more. The second episode of the season is on tonight. Get caught up with last week’s premiere here.
But now, in a new interview with the New Yorker’s Vulture blog, Sanada denies a Buddhist connection:
Dogen translates roughly to “the temple of eternal peace.” Also, Dogen was a thirteenth-century Buddhist teacher. Any significance to your character?
Yeah, he’s not a Buddhist. Dogen’s name is inspired by a famous Buddhist in Japan a long time ago. He’s not a Buddhist, per se; it’s just a name. And also he has another real name from growing up in Japan.
Yes, even PerezHilton.com posted this video, writing: “LOLs! In an attempt to attract new, younger followers to Buddhism, Buddhist monks in Japan are trying a new approach – rapping! Check out the HIGHlarity of the hip hop monks…” (And comments there have been positive, too, so far.)
What do you think of Mr. Happiness and his drink-pouring extended posse? The more traditional of us may balk, but he’s doubled attendance at his temple. Can you argue with those results? (And really, is this all so “HIGHlarious”?)
Boy, this story about Japanese monks trying new approaches to bring youth under their wings sure has been popping up a lot over the few months. I’m not gonna rehash it here, but suffice it to say this story’s been recycled a lot.
And hey, no need to rehash anyway — not when good ol’ Nate at Precious Metal is getting to the heart of the matter in a different and personal way. Check it out and lend your voice.
Love this video from Rev. Koyo S. Kubose of the Bright Dawn Institute for American Buddhism — on the meaning of one of Japan’s most pervasive (and cool) Dharma-Burgers, the Daruma (or Bodhidharma, or Damo) doll. In his series of videos — some are just for young kids, all are playful — the camera is static, but the good reverend makes up for that by being so animated himself.
More videos from Rev. Koyo here.
Via AFP:
The Ryohoji temple, built in the late 16th century in a Tokyo suburb, erected a colourful manga-inspired sign at its entrance in June and has since seen visitor numbers perk up — especially young men.
But it went a step further at the weekend, setting up tents and opening up a temporary cafe staffed by bonnet-wearing girls sporting classic frills, one of the recent popular themes among fans of anime and costume role-playing. [...]
it seemed to work, the temple drawing hundreds of visitors on Saturday as the event coincided with a local autumn festival in Hachioji, on the western outskirts of Tokyo.
But it’s kinda awesome.
Reminds me of those good days when I served as as chantleader for the then-just-getting-under-way Boundless Way Zen community. (Which is growing and growing in numbers and wonderfulness, by the way…)
