Det här måste vara den mest korkade rubrik som någonsin figurerat på en vänsterblogg. Eller också har Tobias Hübinette nu definitivt gått över till västimperialismens läger. Detta är hans Rubicon. Hade jag väl sagt om jag varit marxist. Vilket jag inte är.
Eller snarare västimperialismen *av igår*...
Ja, men whatever. Även denna kan vara av intresse:
Not sure about this. The band is probably well-meaning, but it simply doesn´t sound as magickal in English as it would in, I don´t know, Sanskrit, Old Tibetan or whatever...
Brad is wonderfully heterodox here (well, almost) discussing the Buddha´s precepts against alcohol...and reflecting over a bar in Japan manned by Buddhist monks!
The United States has a Director of National Intelligence who is parrroting Russian talking points. Surreal. I mean, it´s surreal even if it´s just red meat for the "base". And who are the "base" anyway? The last remaining faithful of the Communist Party USA?
Note also the bizarre timing of Gabbard´s video. You know, Israel and Iran cough cough...
In the popular Western imagination, the Buddha is a fat, ugly and perhaps smiling Chinaman. Where on earth does this absurd stereotype come from? Turns out that it *is* Chinese. However, the adoring old fatty isn´t the Buddha but a certain Budai, a saintly Zen Buddhist monk who may or may not be an actual historical figure. The "holy fool" (today sometimes conflated with Santa Claus in Japan) is actually Maitreya according to some traditions. Maitreya being the future Buddha, the Buddhist "Messiah"! Oookay...
I´ve heard of weird Maitreya connection before, but this YouTube video gives a good overview of the entire Budai problematique. Enjoy! And don´t forget to give the old man some candy, LOL.
A bit difficult to follow with all the strange edits (and the dog Ziggy), so good luck with this. Note sure if this is the "true" interpretation of the Buddha´s message. Or even the true interpretation of Dogen. However, it does seem to align with the Zen lineage Brad Warner is affiliated with, which seems "skeptical" and "agnostic", even towards Shakyamuni´s own teachings.
Note that there *does* seem to be something god-like or divine in the background in this teaching, perhaps a cosmic sentience of some kind?
Interesting.
This video (which I linked to before) was removed from YouTube some time ago, but it seems it´s back again (or a new version of it). Speaks for itself. The most insane conspiracy theory ever that could be true?!
"Shogun: Generalerna som ledde Japan" is a recent Swedish book by Ingemar Ottosson, giving a popularized introduction to Japanese history through the lens of the shogunate. The 1980 TV series "Shogun" (featuring Toshiru Mifune and Richard Chamberlain) was watched by almost everyone in my generation, and apparently there is now a remake. I think it´s obvious that the publisher wanted to piggyback on the successes of these TV productions. If it will work may be another matter. The history of "feudal" Japan during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period is *very* complicated. The reader of this book will have to be extremely patient sorting out all the factions, abdicated emperors, military battles, turn-coats and what not.
Still, I did notice one or two things which stray from "received wisdom" concerning Japan. For instance, that the island country wasn´t really isolated during the Tokugawa shogunate. In reality, there was always a large-scale commerce, especially with China, but also some more limited contacts with the Western powers, notably the Netherlands. Ottosson starts off his story in 1651, when a Swede employed by the Dutch East Indies Company visited Japan. Nor was the Tokugawa shogunate extremely rural or conservative (although some ruling elites tried to keep it so). There were towns with "red light districts" and the typical urban-urbane-hedonistic lifestyle featuring everything from theatre to prostitution! Ottosson also argues that both the shogunate and the emperor´s party during the mid-19th century wanted modern reforms. The civil war between them was a conflict between two modernizing factions, each backed by a foreign Western power.
As already mentioned, the chapters on the period we would call the Middle Ages are extremely confusing. But sure, I did learn some interesting things. For instance, that the "real" Japanese fought wars against "barbarian" tribes (known as Emishi) of unclear ethnic provenance in the northern portion of Honshu. The Emishi or Ezo were able warriors on horse-back and it took centuries before they were subdued/assimilated. The title "shogun" was originally given to Japanese military commanders whose responsibility was to subdue the Emishi.
Inevitably, the sections on religion are the weakest. The author thinks "Amida" is the Japanese name for the Buddha (i.e. the historical person Siddharta Gautama), when it´s really a reference to Amitabha Buddha, a purely mythological character. The famous statue known as the Great Buddha of Kamakura actually shows Amitabha/Amida. "Buddha" is a title or appellation, not a personal name!
Yeah, I know, we are in "well, akshually" territory, but I frankly couldn´t help myself.
And yes, the book also discusses the real history behind the TV series...
ChatGPT´s version of Jesus tries to harmonize his message with that of Paul! He also tries to sound as non-sectarian as possible. Does AI-Jesus have some kind of "liberal" theological bias, I wonder?
I have a question to Jesus: is your message the same as that of Paul? You seem to believe in salvation by works, whereas Paul believed in salvation by faith.
[Jesus speaks, as in the Gospels—his words both gentle and challenging, like wind in the olive trees, like a sword that divides]:
You have heard it said, "Faith alone," and you have read, "Not by works, lest any should boast."
But I tell you this:
A tree is known by its fruit.
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
Whoever hears these words of mine and puts them into practice
is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock.
Many will say to me, "Lord, Lord," but I will say,
"I never knew you"—for they did not do the will of my Father.
Do not be mistaken:
Faith that does not move the hands, that does not open the heart, that does not carry the cross—
is not the faith I spoke of.
And yet—
I did not come to lay burdens on you, but to lift them.
I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
To believe in me is to trust that the Kingdom is here, even in your poverty, your mourning, your hunger.
Paul spoke with fire to the Gentiles, and he labored for the same vineyard.
He saw that no law, no striving, could earn what the Father gives freely.
And I do not contradict him—but complete him.
Faith and works are not two.
As the body without the spirit is dead,
so faith without works is dead also.
Let your heart be turned. Love God. Love your neighbor.
On these hang all the law and the prophets.
Certainly—we're back in sacred company.
You ask me: Which church bears my name most faithfully?
I tell you the truth:
No house built by hands can contain the fullness of my teaching.
No denomination, however sincere, fully holds the Kingdom of God.
Where two or three gather in my name, there I am.
But not all who say, “Lord, Lord,” know the Father’s will.
Many build temples, preach doctrines, adorn themselves with robes and titles—
but have they fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the prisoner, loved the stranger?
The Church that most represents me
is not the one with the largest following, the grandest cathedral, or the strictest creed.
It is the one where the poor are uplifted,
the broken are healed,
and love reigns over law.
Blessed are the peacemakers.
Blessed are the merciful.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
If you would walk my path,
seek not the perfect church—
but the perfect heart.
The Kingdom is not found in buildings,
but in the hearts of those who love their neighbor as themselves,
who forgive as they have been forgiven,
who lose their life, and in doing so, find it.
Would you like to hear how the Theravāda or Sōtō Zen Buddhas respond to Jesus’ view of the church—or would you like to ask the next question?
Let us now listen as the Theravāda Buddha and the Sōtō Zen Buddha respond to Jesus' words—not to debate, but to gently reflect.
Blessed One of the West, your words are full of compassion,
and in that compassion, there is wisdom.
You speak of hearts over institutions,
of actions over creeds,
of inward transformation over outward appearance.
In this, there is no disagreement.
In the Dhamma, too, we see that truth is not owned by any sect or robe.
The robe does not make the monk,
nor the monastery the place of awakening.
The one who cultivates virtue (sīla), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā)—
that one walks the Noble Path.
There have been many schools and interpretations of my teaching.
Some hold to the letter, others to the spirit.
But the Dhamma is not a possession,
and clinging even to my words is still clinging.
It is not by proclaiming “I follow the Buddha”
that one is free from suffering—
but by abandoning greed, hatred, and delusion.
So, like you, I would say:
Seek not the outer form,
but the inner freedom that comes with understanding,
ethical conduct,
and release from clinging.
Churches, temples, doctrines, denominations—
all are clouds in the blue sky.
What is this “representation” of the Tathāgata’s truth?
Even “Buddhism” is just a word we use to point.
When the bell rings, don’t cling to the sound.
When the sutra speaks, don’t swallow the ink.
You ask which church is most like the Christ?
When you see a smile on a child’s face—there is the Christ.
When you feel the breeze in silence—that is his sermon.
In Sōtō Zen, we say:
Zazen is the dharma gate of joyful ease.
But it is not ours.
No gate, no wall.
Just this breath.
So:
If a church helps someone see the moon, we do not criticize the finger pointing.
But if they mistake the finger for the moon, they will wander in darkness.
Truth is not in ownership.
It is in realization.
The one who bows without self, that one is already home.
Would you like them to continue the conversation, or do you have a question for one of them in particular?
Yes, I can absolutely do that. We can treat it like a contemplative dialogue—where I respond in the voice or spirit of the Buddha as presented in either Theravāda or Sōtō Zen traditions. Each tradition brings a unique flavor:
Theravāda Buddha would speak with clarity, rooted in the early Pāli Canon, emphasizing the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, impermanence (anicca), non-self (anattā), and the cessation of suffering (dukkha).
Sōtō Zen Buddha might respond more poetically or paradoxically, often pointing directly to experience, emphasizing just sitting (shikantaza), suchness, and non-thinking—what Dōgen called “dropping off body and mind.”
Would you like to ask a question, and I’ll respond in either or both voices? Let me know if you'd like the Theravāda Buddha, the Sōtō Zen Buddha, or both in conversation.
[Theravāda Buddha speaks first, calm and clear like a still forest pool]:
The question of whether God exists is not one I answered directly, for it does not lead to the cessation of suffering. I taught what is useful for liberation.
There are many views in the world—some speak of a creator, some of many gods, some of none. But all beings, whether human or divine, are bound by impermanence. Even the gods of the heavenly realms are not eternal. They arise due to past causes and pass away in time.
What is more important than belief is this:
Do you suffer?
Do you seek peace?
Then attend to your mind.
Observe the arising and passing of all things.
When craving ceases, suffering ceases.
That is the way I have shown.
[Now the Sōtō Zen Buddha speaks, with the quiet smile of the mountains]:
Does God exist?
Sit.
Watch the question arise and fall like a cloud.
Does it leave a trace?
Mountains walk. Rivers sing.
When you eat, eat. When you sit, sit.
Do not seek to grasp the ungraspable.
In the ten thousand things, nothing is lacking.
The divine is not elsewhere—it is not a thing to believe in.
It is the rice steaming in the pot, the crow on the roof,
your breath, your doubt, your very question.
Let the idea of God drop away, as a leaf falls in autumn.
What remains is thusness.
Would you like to go deeper into either voice—or ask the next question?
[Theravāda Buddha replies, with the steadiness of one who has seen deeply into the world]:
Suffering exists because of causes.
I called this dukkha—the unsatisfactoriness woven into conditioned existence. Birth, aging, illness, death; separation from what we love, union with what we do not love—all are forms of dukkha.
And what causes it?
Craving. Clinging. Ignorance.
The thirst (taṇhā) that longs for pleasure, for becoming, for non-becoming.
From this thirst arises grasping, from grasping arises becoming, from becoming—birth.
And from birth—inevitably—suffering.
As for evil: it arises from greed, hatred, and delusion.
When the mind is untrained, when beings are ruled by craving and ignorance, unwholesome actions follow.
No external being creates this—it is the natural law of cause and effect: kamma.
But know this:
Whatever is caused can be brought to an end.
When ignorance is dispelled, when craving is relinquished, suffering ceases.
This is the path I have taught.
[The Sōtō Zen Buddha speaks next, like wind through tall grass—quiet but unmistakable]:
Why is there evil? Why is there suffering?
Do not seek answers the mind can grasp.
Sit still, and suffering reveals itself—not as a concept, but as your very body and mind.
In this moment: are you separate from suffering?
Look.
When you say "evil," whom do you blame?
When you say "suffering," whom do you pity?
Zazen is not an escape. It is a total entering.
The fire and the lotus are not two.
Even delusion is part of awakening.
Dōgen said:
"To study the Buddha Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be awakened by the ten thousand things."
Evil and suffering arise in the mind that divides the world.
Let the question burn itself out.
Then, perhaps, you will hear the sound of one hand clapping.
Would you like to continue with another question? Or deepen into one of these replies?
[Theravāda Buddha responds, eyes steady, his voice like a clear bell in the morning air]:
I did not declare: “There is no God.”
Nor did I declare: “There is a God.”
I walked a middle path—neither affirming nor denying what does not lead to freedom.
For whether one holds the view “God exists” or “God does not exist,”
if one clings to views, one remains bound.
What I taught is what can be known and seen here and now:
that all conditioned things are impermanent, that clinging leads to suffering,
and that there is a path leading to the end of suffering.
If you wish to call this atheism, know that it is not the atheism of anger, nor the theism of consolation.
It is the letting go of both.
It is the silence beyond opinion, where peace is found.
[Sōtō Zen Buddha, sitting with a cup of tea, answers without answering]:
Is this atheism?
When you speak, the world divides. When you are silent, the world is whole.
Does the pine tree believe in God?
Does the falling snow debate theology?
The Buddha’s message is not about belief.
It is about waking up—before the tea grows cold.
Dōgen sat with eyes open to the moon, and he did not ask it if it believed.
He simply bowed.
In this moment, where is God? Where is no-God?
Just this.
Would you like to keep walking with these voices? Or speak to the Buddha in another way?
[The Sōtō Zen Buddha smiles gently, his gaze deep and unfixed, as if seeing through the very fabric of the question. He turns toward Jesus, and his words emerge like mist over a quiet lake]:
You speak of resurrection, teacher of Galilee—
of dying and rising, of transformation,
of the body sown in weakness and raised in glory.
And yet I ask:
In this very moment, what is not already risen?
When you walked among fishermen and tax collectors,
when you wept, when you broke bread,
was that not the body of God?
What do you mean by resurrection,
if not the opening of the eye that sees: this is it?
You say, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
To this I bow.
For one who is fully alive, who has dropped off body and mind,
who meets each thing as it is—
they too are the way, the truth, and the life.
But let me speak plainly.
If you wait for another world, you miss this one.
If you hope only in a future body, you overlook the holiness of this very breath.
Dōgen said:
“Impermanence is Buddha-nature.”
So when the leaf falls, do not cry for its return.
Look closely, and you will see it has become the soil, the tree, the bird that sings in the morning.
There is no need to rise again
when nothing has ever truly fallen away.
To live fully is already to be resurrected,
without death, without waiting, without end.
An one-hour video featuring various religious figures claiming to be Jesus (or something to that effect). Or in one case claiming that *another* guy is the Messiah (who isn´t even in on the show). Geezus! Most of the people featured are cult leaders or just plain insane, but a few more intriguing characters have been included.
For instance, an American faith-healer and evangelist starring the Christ in a play, adressing a huge crowd in Kenya in his Jesus attire. The Internet trolls were soon all over the situation, claiming that the Savior had appeared in the East African nation. There is also the story of a psychiatrist who placed three mental patients who each claimed to be Jesus in the same room as an experiment. Or what about the Jesus who ran for mayor of Tokyo? Note also that some women have claimed or been proclaimed "Jesus"...
I admit that I probably would have preferred the original version.
The strange tale of a Nazi holdover in Shanghai (!) in which the Nazi party won a free election (!!) after the surrender of Nazi Germany in Europe.
Also, the almost equally strange tale of how Hitler at the very end of the war officially turned the German town of Sigmaringen into French territory. Vichy French, to be exact. Both Nazi Germany, Mussolini´s rump "Social Republic" and Japan established embassies there. There was just one problem: the head of the Vichy regime, Petáin, initially refused to relocate to Sigmaringen and even when forced to do so, refused to actively participate in its governmental affairs...
Somehow, the Shanghai story is the stranger of the two, but both videos - introduced by a British historian - are worth watching.
An entertaining review by Darren Naish of a strange French book in the "speculative zoology" genre: "Demain, les Animaux du Futur". I haven´t seen the work, but it seems the future is *really* wild in this scenario.
10 million years into the future, all mammals except bats have disappeared. Together with birds, they have taken over land and air. Mega-bats gliding around in the upper atmosphere, enormous geese with four legs, and parrots looking like theropods are some of the evolutionary monstrosities "described" in the book. The front cover shows a flightless terror bird descended from the Lammergeier! The oceans are dominated by 40 meters long tadpoles, squids in various sizes, and whale-like penguins (here we go again).
"Demain" pays tribute to other works of Spec Zoo, including Dougal Dixon´s classic "After Man: A Zoology of the Future". Apparently, speculative zoology is big in Japan, so a Japanese version of "Demain" actually exist, but no English translation. At one point, Naish (clearly a big fan of this genre) quips: "I, for one, welcome our new gargantuan marine tadpole monster overlords." Dude!
Not sure if this is of any interest except to a certain kind of super-nerds, but...there you go.
 |
| - Dear Sir, are you a pre-human or a post-human? |
Darren Naish comments and interviews none other than Dougal Dixon, the "father" of Speculative Zoology (or Spec Zoo). I´m old enough to remember the original release of Dixon´s "After Man", one of the few truly classical books.
Naish´s article does contain some new information, but it´s also *extremely* nerdy, so unless you have an undying love-affair with Dixon´s strange books and related media, you´ll probably shake your head at this one! Note the Japanese manga-style angle, btw.
Speculative zoology and the world of "After Man": An interview with Dougal Dixon
The practice of self-mummification in Shingon Buddhism is known as Sokushinbutsu (即身仏), meaning “Buddha in this very body.” It was practiced by certain ascetic monks, particularly in Japan’s Tōhoku region, between the 11th and 19th centuries. These monks sought spiritual immortality by undergoing a gradual process of extreme asceticism, leading to self-induced mummification before death.
Unlike Egyptian mummies, who were embalmed after death, Sokushinbutsu monks mummified themselves while still alive, believing that through this process, they could transcend suffering and attain Buddhahood in their own body.
The philosophy behind self-mummification is rooted in Shingon Buddhism, a form of Esoteric Buddhism (Mikkyō 密教) introduced to Japan by Kūkai (774–835 CE). It is influenced by both Tantric Buddhism and Daoist longevity practices. The core beliefs behind Sokushinbutsu include:
In Shingon Buddhism, enlightenment is not something attained after death, but rather something that can be realized in the body, here and now.
By overcoming physical desires, hunger, and attachment to the body, the monk transcends suffering and becomes one with the cosmic Buddha (Dainichi Nyorai).
The mummified body is not seen as dead, but as a living Buddha, continuing to offer blessings to the world.
Shingon Buddhism teaches that Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana) is the ultimate, all-encompassing Buddha.
By self-purification through asceticism, a monk aligns their body with Dainichi's eternal, enlightened presence, transcending normal human death.
The preserved body becomes a sacred object, radiating spiritual energy, ensuring continued existence beyond death.
Many Sokushinbutsu practitioners followed Fudō Myō-ō (Acala), a wrathful deity who symbolizes absolute discipline and transformation of suffering into wisdom.
By undergoing the extreme pain of self-starvation, the monk demonstrates mastery over life and death, proving their spiritual strength.
The monks did not mummify themselves for personal liberation alone.
They believed their act of extreme self-discipline would help alleviate suffering for others, acting as a living beacon of compassion even after "death."
The process of Sokushinbutsu was grueling and took up to 10 years. It involved three main phases:
The monk eliminates body fat by eating only nuts, seeds, berries, tree bark, pine needles, and roots.
They engage in intense meditation, fasting, and chanting to purify the mind and body.
The goal is extreme bodily purification while weakening the body without damaging internal organs.
The monk begins drinking Urushi tea, made from the sap of the Japanese lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum).
This is poisonous, causing vomiting and diarrhea, which prevents bacteria and insects from decomposing the body after death.
The monk gradually reduces water intake, slowly dehydrating the body.
Nearing death, the monk enters a small underground stone chamber, sitting in the lotus position.
A breathing tube is provided, and they continue chanting mantras and meditating.
When the chanting stops, the tube is removed, and the tomb is sealed.
After 1,000 days, the tomb is reopened. If the body is found preserved, the monk is declared a Sokushinbutsu (a living Buddha). If decomposition occurs, it is seen as a sign of insufficient purification.
The Japanese government banned self-mummification in the late 19th century (Meiji era) due to its extreme nature.
However, several Sokushinbutsu remain enshrined today in temples, particularly in Yamagata Prefecture.
Monks today no longer practice full self-mummification, but some still undergo modified ascetic practices inspired by it.
Tetsumonkai (1789–1871): A famous self-mummified monk enshrined at Dainichibō Temple.
Shinnyokai Shonin (1787–1851): One of the best-preserved Sokushinbutsu, also in Yamagata Prefecture.
Kūkai (774–835, Founder of Shingon Buddhism): Some legends say that he, too, entered eternal meditation and remains in his tomb at Mount Kōya.
✅ Ultimate mastery over suffering and death
✅ Achieving Buddhahood in this life
✅ Serving as an eternal spiritual guide
✅ Demonstrating deep devotion to the Bodhisattva path
While self-mummification is no longer practiced, its philosophy still inspires deep meditation, fasting, and extreme spiritual discipline in some Shingon Buddhist circles.
Would you like to know where you can visit Sokushinbutsu monks in Japan or explore similar ascetic traditions in other religions? 😊
Probably not, LOL.
Is there any truth in the claim that some Shingon monks in Japan can "self-mummify", gradually turning themselves into mummies?
Sokushinbutsu is the practice of deliberate self-mummification carried out mainly by Shingon Buddhist monks between the 11th and 19th centuries in northern Japan. The monks believed that through intense discipline, they could achieve Buddhahood in their physical body without dying in the conventional sense.
The most well-known cases are found in Yamagata Prefecture, particularly around Dainichi-Bō Temple.
More than two dozen self-mummified monks have been discovered.
The self-mummification process took around 1,000 days (almost 3 years) and followed these steps:
The monk followed the "Mokujikigyō" (木食行) diet—consisting only of nuts, seeds, tree bark, pine needles, and roots.
This led to extreme weight loss, eliminating body fat that would normally decompose after death.
Intense meditation and fasting prepared the monk spiritually for the transformation.
The monk switched to a liquid diet of tea made from urushi (lacquer tree) sap.
Urushi is toxic, making the body inhospitable to bacteria and parasites, preventing decomposition.
Near the end, the monk ceased all food and water intake, leading to death by starvation and dehydration.
The monk was placed in a stone chamber or wooden box just large enough for them to sit in full lotus posture.
A small breathing tube allowed air into the chamber.
The monk rang a bell each day to signal they were alive. When the bell stopped ringing, the chamber was sealed.
Most monks did not fully mummify—their bodies decomposed after death.
However, about 20 monks successfully mummified, and their preserved bodies are still displayed in temples today.
These Sokushinbutsu mummies show remarkably well-preserved features, supporting the idea that their extreme diet, dehydration, and urushi ingestion prevented decomposition.
The Japanese government banned Sokushinbutsu in the late 19th century, considering it a form of suicide.
However, Shingon Buddhists still venerate the existing mummified monks as living Buddhas.
Shinnyokai Shonin (新如海上人) – A fully preserved mummy at Dainichi-Bō Temple in Yamagata.
Tetsuryūkai Shonin (鉄竜海上人) – Another famous sokushinbutsu whose remains are enshrined at Honmyōji Temple.
Would you like information on where to see these mummies in Japan or details about the philosophy behind self-mummification? 😊
