A peculiar kimono find by Becky Mitsui related on her blog Silk&Bones. And I say peculiar as in “who, why, and WHERE DID THEY WEAR THAT???”.
(go read article, have a laugh because Becky is a gem, and then come back)
I can’t see any setting where butsunehan (death of Buddha) would be appropriated as a kimono pattern... Maybe it’s something about butsunehan services (15th of 2nd month, now 15th of 3rd month), more probably as Becky supposes something related to a Buddhist sect (and they are many so its totally on the table).
Or, past owner was simply a fantastic individual not giving a single fuck (because, yes this kimono was worn as Becky found traces of ohashori folds).
If you know anything, please share your thoughts as we are all super puzzled about this piece!
(But tbh, passive-agrressive mother/mother-in-law does sound the most hilarious option xD + plus bonus dramaphant™, such a mood)
Ten Principal Disciples No. 10: Ananda - The First Buddhist Council [So far]
According to the texts, the First Buddhist Council was held in Rajgir. In the first vassa after the Buddha had died, the presiding monk Mahakasyapa (Ref) called upon Ananda to recite the discourses he had heard, as a representative on this council.
Among his disciples, Ananda was the only one to witness Buddha's death in person. Anticipating his own death, Buddha took only Ananda on his last year-long journey from Rajgir to the small town of Kushinagara before he died there.
There was a rule issued that only enlightened disciples (arahants) were allowed to attend the council, to prevent mental afflictions from clouding the disciples' memories. Ananda had, however, not attained enlightenment yet, the Mahakasyapa could not allow him to attend, leaving aside the 499 disciples who had already attained Arhatship.
On the night before the event, he tried hard to attain enlightenment. After a while, Ananda took a break and decided to lie down for a rest. He then attained enlightenment right there, right then, halfway between standing and lying down. The next morning, to prove his enlightenment, Ananda performed a supernatural accomplishment by diving into the earth and appearing on his seat at the council (or, according to some sources, by flying through the air).
Regardless, today, the story of Ananda's struggle on the evening before the council is still told among Buddhists as a piece of advice in the practice of meditation: neither to give up, nor to interpret the practice too rigidly.
Ananda played a crucial role in this council, and texts claim he remembered 84,000 teaching topics, among which 82,000 taught by the Buddha and another 2,000 taught by disciples.
Many early Buddhist discourses started with the words "Thus have I heard" (Skt: Evam maya srutam), which according to most Buddhist traditions, were Ananda's words, indicating that he, as the person reporting the text (Skt: samgitikara, lit: rapporteur), had first-hand experience and did not add anything to it.
there was some display gallery showing off the various logos in hypmic and the ichikuu peeps on the tl were in shambles over both of them using halos in their mc name signatures lol
Reading this chapter another time, then and now, left me somber. It starts out joyful with our favorite monk's parents' meeting. His father, Guangrui, gained a blessing to go to the capital for examination and job; getting first in rank and personally being praised by the Tang Emperor. Spent 3 days on horseback going around the capital. Then we're introduced of Xuanzang's mother, Yin Wenjiao(referred to as just Lady Yin later on), who sees a handsome, smart, and high ranking official during his 3 day parade; throws down a embroidered ball at her future husband knocking off his black cap. Though I like to think she went: "YOU!" pointing at him from the tower and aimed for his head. Really making sure that this guy's dense and doesn't get a hint. Actually, does that mean she technically proposed to him? Anyways they get married, move to city for Guangrui job, and picked up his mother along the way. Even saved a golden carp and sending it back to its river! Guangrui mother gets sick and forced to stay at a rent house. A little bump in the road, but that's fine since the couple can retrieve her in the fall.
Then Liu Hong appears captivated by Lady Yin's beauty and rips the young couple future away by killing Guangrui and stealing his identity. Forcing Lady Yin to comply to his demands. They dump Gaungrui's body in the river where thanks to saving, not actually a carp, his body and soul is preserved until his is avenged by his murderers.
Lady Yin is miserable in her situation, wishing to eat Liu Hong body and sleep on his skin. But kept her dark thoughts to herself and didn't enact on them; as she was pregnant with our monk! But not happy news as Bastard Liu Hong will kill our future protag the second he gets the chance. Thanks to divine intervention and luck, Lady Yin manages to send the baby away. By writing a letter in her own blood and biting off one of his toes before sending him off on river; tied by her garment before found by a monk.
So our monk, nicked River Float, and then called Xuanzang once he turned eighteen and joined the monetary; he learned of his orgins and set off to right wrongs. He succeeded, reuniting his mother, who helped him get in contact with grandfather. Who later just destroyed Liu Hong in a brutal fashion. I strongly don't think Xuanzang was there to see that part as he was probably with his mother, who already tried to kill herself once saved. She does it again after they toss Liu Hong's heart and liver into the river, seeing her husband body floated up. Who comes back to life!
Happiness as Xuanzang's family all together again, his father joins the Emperor court, and he continues with his studies in the Way. Except for Lady Yin, who succeeds in taking her life. Bittersweet ending.
Now for my notes and theories. You cannot tell me that this boy wasn't bullied by his peers for being an orphan. He had nothing, no name, probably no friends, and put all his efforts into studying the scripture as a source of comfort or even proving his worth to be there. (I could ramble more on his upbringing and the similarites with him and Wukong's background, but that could be for another day)
Besides the luck and divine intervention(and Sha Wujing eating his past lives), another clue that Xuanzang might be special is when he cured his grandmother blindness by licking her eyelids.
Or the pain and guilt that despite everything he did failed to save his mother.
No matter how long it lives, the Greatest Lion will eventually die miserably. That's the world! They may die young from injuries they sustained while defending their Pride. They may die old, enfeebled by age. At their Peak, they rule, chase other animals, catch, devour, gulp and leave their crumbs for hyenas. But age comes fast.
The old Lion can't hunt, can't kill or defend itself. It roams and roars until it runs out of luck. It will be cornered by the hyenas, nibbled at and eaten alive by them. They won't even let it die before it is dismembered.
Life is short. Power is ephemeral. It happens to all lions. It will happen to each of us as old people. Everyone who lives long enough will become very vulnerable at some point. Therefore, let us be humble. Help the sick, the weak, the vulnerable and most importantly never forget that we will leave the stage one day.
Today is Vesak, let’s celebrate it!!
Today we Buddhist celebrate Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and mahaparinirvana on what is the most sacred day to millions of Buddhists around the world.
Image taken on Internet
On this day, the Day of the Full Moon in the month of May, two and a half millennia ago, in the year 623 B.C., Buddha was born. It was also on this that He attained enlightenment,…
Lingwu was born a white tiger in the mountains outside Yue Prefecture City. When he was a cub, he was attacked by a wolf and nearly died. Thankfully, a monk found him and took him in. For ten years, the two were inseparable. But when the monk died, the tiger was forced to retreat into the mountains, hiding from humans.
But he still did his best to help others, like how the monk helped him. He saved baby birds that fell from their nests, even if the mother birds pecked at him. He tried to help humans gather firewood, even if they threw knives at him. And one night, Lingwu protected a young flower from the heavy rains.
The flower was grateful and asked why Lingwu didn't go to help humans. It even said that once it got to know him, it wasn't scared. This inspired Lingwu to find a way to transform into a human and join the people of Yue Prefecture City.
As a human, he assisted the people in every way he could: carrying groceries, healing them... But when war found its way to the peaceful city, Lingwu was faced with difficult choices - he couldn't save everyone, no matter how hard he tried.
To make things worse, one of the people he helped just went back to battle and became so violent and unhinged that he murdered everyone he saw. Finally, he died from an arrow shot to the heart.
Conflicted, Lingwu left the city and traveled around Cloud. He hoped to learn more about right and wrong, how to help others without harm. But as much as he learned, he got no definitive answer.
He returned to Yue Prefecture City and found a dying man on the road. Lingwu tried to get medical help from the closest clinic, but the family turned him away. The man had broken into their home and attacked them, and they did not want to heal him in case he came back to hurt them again.
Finally, Lingwu was able to get help for the man. But upon remembering the war-crazed man from years ago, he made this man promise to be a better person, or he will be left for dead next time.
The man changed his ways immediately. He made amends best he could with the family's clinic, he donated to the poor, he visited the temple and devoted himself to improvement.
Nowadays, Lingwu watches over the city, sometimes visiting the temple, sometimes snacking on hawthorn balls. But he always strives to do the right thing.
Connections
-Lingwu visits several places in Cloud that we've been to in gacha events: Cloud Capital (New Beginings hell event), Zither River (the Flame Fox Reflection), and Lor River (Northern Melodies hell event).
-Besides our favorite tiger boy, one other person was deeply affected by Cloud War: Qingyue recounts how she lost her father in Moonset.
Fun Facts
-This suit premiered in the CN/TW server during the Year of the Tiger, in 2022. For us in the global server, we got it in 2023, the Year of the Rabbit.
-I'm not sure if this is the correct translation for the name, but "lingwu" can mean "to understand or comprehend." And Lingwu tries his hardest to understand the world, the difference between right and wrong, and how best to help others.
-The temple has a statue of Buddha. This is the first time Shining Nikki has made a direct reference to a religion or person from our world.
Hidden in the mystery of consciousness, the mind, incorporeal, flies alone far away. Those who set their mind in harmony become free from bonds of death….. ~ Buddha (The Dhammapada, Chapter 3…The Mind)
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You would think that this common phrase, dust to dust, is obvious in our daily activities, our goals, our decision making, and the foundation to our civilization. Unfortunately it is not. For example, at almost all the funerals I have attended and seen on the media, this phrase has been uttered at the grave site, but almost never at the beginning of the funeral.
Funerals have become a place to celebrate the life and accomplishments of the deceased. But, who cares? The person is dead. It is celebrated not for the deceased, but for us to continue with the same conditioning. To keep it going. To continue it with our own lives.
The dust is of course your physical body, all your accomplishments, all your goals, all your dreams, all your wealth, all your prestige, and all your physical future. The dust is what you are. The , “to”, is who you are. Have you noticed that when you speak the entire phrase, the word, “dust” is spoken longer than the word, “to”? We emphasize the dust more than the to.
The “to” is what continues? When you are quietly laying in bed and can focus on the sensations of your body’s weight against the bed, what happens when the sensation disappears? The “sensation” is your brain’s interpretation to what it is conditioned from countless experiences with gravity! These “sensations” shape your day-to-day interactions with the physical world. For example, when you can remember your dreams, have you ever had a dream that you were flying? During these dreams, you are not having these “sensations” of gravity. Your brain is not interpreting your physical world as it has been conditioned and trained to do since the day you were born!
Dust to dust is a conditioning interpretation and we skip over the “to”. We rather live as dust and not as the freely “to”.
What does it mean to “take an unfortunate rebirth”? Since we have been born, we know birth as a being is possible. If we do harmful things in this world, for example, creating a slave trade, then we greatly increase the chances another birth into being will occur as a slave. Conversely, if we do good, and improve the conditions of the world, then we increase the chances birth into being will occur in a good world. Our present life demonstrates the possibility to experience the function of human biology, the production of consciousness, directly through being one-self. Such a possibility suggests it is possible to be born as life— and we know there is much life. This suggests rebirth to be possible, as a fully unique, biologically produced, self.
Why is now not enough?
What’s so important in the future that can’t allow you to feel fulfilled, content and enough right now?
Your voices are whispering to you the past which is controlling your future projection. You gathered information from the moment you entered this realm, each moment counted from then until now. Collapsing what you don’t identify with anymore will help you release some…