Friday 26 August 2016

Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation by Lafcadio Hearn

Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation

by Lafcadio Hearn


Parts of this video:

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NRwOAN7lOg Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRWORNFX9B0 
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maLJsMa_Pi8

Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation | Lafcadio Hearn | *Non-fiction, History, Religion | Audiobook full unabridged | English | 1/3
Content of the video and Sections beginning time (clickable) - Chapters of the audiobook: please see First comments under this video.
Greece-born Lafcadio Hearn (1850 - 1904) spent decades of his life in Japan, even marrying a Japanese woman, thus becoming a Japanese citizen by the name of Koizumi Yakumo (小泉 八雲). He wrote many books on Japan, especially about its folklore. In this posthumously published book, he takes a closer look at Japan's religious history: How it developed from ancient beliefs into Shintoism, resisted suppression attempts by both Buddhism and Christianity and how – despite efforts to westernise Japan during the era known as Meiji Restoration – it remained the basis for Japanese society. Even today, over 100 years after this book was written, some of the described traditions and fundamental ideas still exist. (Summary by Julia Niedermaier)

Buddhistdoor: Finding Excellence, By Joseph Houseal

1. http://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/finding-excellence-part-1-of-course-they-donrsquot-talk-about-it

2. https://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/finding-excellence-part-2-a-tradition-of-transmission

Finding Excellence

By Joseph Houseal

Researching endangered dance traditions as I do, it is usual to chronicle the problems, challenges of discovery, along with the qualities of vanishing practices. So it was with delight and surprise, during fieldwork in the eastern tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh this summer, that we encountered a number of monasteries where Cham dance practice remains strong, vibrant, and firmly rooted in tantric visualization realization practice—examples of excellence that serve everyone, today and tomorrow.

Buddhistdoor: Approaching Ch'an

1. http://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/approaching-chan-part-1

2. https://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/approaching-chan-part-2-the-two-streams-of-chan-contemplative-practices


Approaching Ch'an

By Ven. Guo-Xing and Ven. Chang-Hwa