Tag Archives: Buddhism

Buddhist Gods & Pandemics (Coronavirus)

Excellent piece here at Immanent Frame by Brian Lowe about Buddhist Gods, pandemics, and political power:   But these gods did not only protect. They also observed and reported transgressors, who would in turn be punished. The celestial realm was itself a … Continue reading

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Inside/Outside Empty/Solid (Buddhist Shrine)

I liked this 8th century Tang Dynasty Chinese Buddhist shrine at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, acquired by the museum in 1922.  You can see here photos of the the external walls of the shrine, busy with a thin veneer … Continue reading

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Aizen myôô, the Wisdom King of Passion (Joined Wood Construction)

Transforming physical lust into spiritual awakening, Aizen myôô, the Wisdom King of Passion is coarse and fearsome. The trick would be to identify that precise moment in time when the one is turned into the other. According to his Wikipedia … Continue reading

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地蔵 (Jizō the Bodhisattva of the Earth Matrix)

Protector of those tormented in hell, women from childbirth, and warriors in battle, travelers and children, including dead children and aborted fetuses –Jizō the Bodhisattva of the Earth Matrix carries a pilgrim’s staff and a “mani jewel” whose protective light … Continue reading

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The Idea of a Collection (Japanese Buddhism at the Museum of Fine Arts) (Boston)

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is relatively small compared to the behemoths further south. But they pack a lot into its space. I slipped away from the AJS conference the other week to take a peek, particularly to … Continue reading

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(bell hooks) Race, Gender, Religion & Spirituality

In case you missed it, this interview with bell hooks in the NYT Opinionator is pretty interesting. Its focus is the intersection between race, gender, religion, and spirituality. You can read it here. I found most interesting two things: [1] … Continue reading

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Signs of Empire & Buddha Fashionistas (China: Through The Looking Glass)

A society of spectacle –Chinese and Chinese inspired fashion illuminated brightly by film, art, sculpture, and religion. Turning up my nose, I had no intention to see China: Through the Looking Glass, this summer’s blockbuster at the Metropolitan Museum of … Continue reading

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Reclining Shabbes Buddha

We stole this guy from my mother. She was between apartments and asked if we’d hold on to him. He never got returned. We put him up over the fake fireplace along with the Shabbat candlesticks under the Bridget Riley print. … Continue reading

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Sovereign Power and Protection (Hindu and Buddhist Art from Lost Kingdoms of Southeast Asia)

Went to see “Lost Kingdoms,” the blockbuster exhibition of awesome, awesome Hindu and Buddhist mostly sculpture from now vanished and forgotten kingdoms in southeast Asia dating from the 5th through 8th centuries. Holland Cotter’s review in the NYT  describes the export-migration … Continue reading

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Buddhist Church and Shinran Shonin (Hiroshima New York)

I’ve walked by the rather non-descript New York Buddhist Church on Riverside Drive and W. 105th St. I don’t know how many times. I always found the statue of Shinran unremarkable. But he looked great in the snow and I … Continue reading

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