Japanese festivals

  • Buddhism 1: the Aristocratic Age

    ~ Introduction & Overview ~ What Is Buddhism? Buddhism is both a philosophy of liberation and a world religion that began in northern India in the 5th–4th century BCE with the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha (“Awakened One”). At its heart are a few key ideas: Over centuries Buddhism spread across Asia:

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  • Shinto: the Way of the Gods

    Shintō (神道), often translated as “the Way of the Gods,” is Japan’s native spiritual tradition; a set of beliefs and practices that long predates the arrival of Buddhism, Confucianism, or Christianity on its shores. Rooted in the worship of kami, or divine spirits, Shintō emerged organically from the rhythms of daily life, the cycles of

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