buddhist

Flush your prayers down the toilet at this unique Japanese temple

A new way to pray at the porcelain altar.

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Holy noodles! Japanese restaurant serves up some very unusual udon

Food for thought, in more ways than one.

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Help your kitty reach enlightenment with Felissimo’s new Buddhist statue-style “halo scratcher”

After all, isn’t the most divine member of your household worthy of some proper respect every now and then?

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Japanese musicians sing ancient Buddhist sutras, bring them to life with a modern beat【Video】

Sutras aren’t meant to die in dusty old books, they’re meant to be alive in people’s voices.

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Kyoto’s Rurikoin Temple to offer stunning views of autumn leaves for a limited time next month

Tourists flock to Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto during the cherry blossom-viewing days of spring, but equally stunning are the sights of brilliantly colored autumn leaves amidst ancient structures that have remained undisturbed for hundreds of years.

One particular temple, Rurikoin, stands on the edge of the city and is a paradise for photographers during the autumn months, as well as visitors who didn’t even know they had an artistic side yet spend hours playing with different lighting effects there. While Rurikoin is not always open for general admission from year to year, we’re in luck because this year the building will indeed open its doors for the span of one short month.

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Most people go to Shinto shrines several times a year, like for New Years or to make a special wish or prayer, like before a job interview. But with Buddhist temples, it’s usually just for tourism and funerals – not that frequently, basically. But wait! Temples are transforming these days, more and more using their halls for activities such as yoga classes, group date venues (‘gou-kon‘ in Japanese – group dinners with single men and women, seeking potential mates), and even as concert venues!

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