Zen Dialogues

Reflections from Japan's Buddhist Traditions

“What the hell is a monk?”

Hello (=°ω°=) There are things that haven't been vaguely resolved for many years, and I'm going to ask you a question bluntly m (__) m “What the hell is a monk?” It's an occupation, but unlike being a doctor, they don't treat you by touching your body. According to the story, business...

4 responses

About marriage

It's been 3 years since my boyfriend committed suicide. I met someone new and we are getting married this year. However, I feel sorry for him who passed away, and I feel sorry for his parents and his friends. Can I just be happy like this? Wouldn't it make him or his parents feel bad?

4 responses

I can only think about myself

Six months ago, I used my family's money to gamble lightly. I didn't think about anything in particular the moment I did it, but recently I've been very sorry. Even though I was anxious, I couldn't help it anymore. Why did I regret it? If you think about it carefully, you might find out....

4 responses

Please give us your opinion.

Currently, I'm thinking about “The Role of Water in Japanese Buddhist Rituals” as my graduation thesis theme. In particular, we are paying attention to the act of sprinkling water at Buddha ceremonies, visiting graves, hand water, etc., but why is the act of using water linked to purification,...

4 responses

Taking care of parents

I was the only one to take care of my father and mother among my siblings. They both died at the hospital, and my mother was the only one to take care of them. However, some people have heard that watching a parent's death is the greatest form of filial disloyalty. I was in a relationship...

4 responses

What is a friend

In the past, I saw a friend with suicidal thoughts, who also posted here, at the station for the first time after breaking a relationship (3 or 4 years ago). As I was writing my diary in the wake of that, I realized that I still had my true intentions for my high school friend who committed...

4 responses

Boyfriend pretending to be single

Previously, I had a discussion about my boyfriend pretending to be single. Thank you very much for your kind words. My depression worsened from then on. Then my boyfriend told me that he wanted me to break up with his family because he wanted to get back together. Rather than having...

6 responses

I can't believe it...

Hello. Thank you for helping me here before, I can think more positively now than before. Right now, I have a boyfriend that I've been dating for a year. I used to take love counseling. What was my unrequited love has come true and we are now able to have a relationship. And yet, I...

4 responses

Are there any mistakes between the meaning of memorial services and these values

First, please forgive me for asking disrespectful questions even though I am a high school student and unfamiliar with Buddhist manners and deep teachings. I am currently a 17-year-old examinee, and I was absent from my grandparents' first memorial service that was held today. There is also a...

4 responses

Distress caused by ichthyosis

Mainly on my arms and legs, I was born with a skin called ichthyosis that looks like fish scales. Sometimes, when I was in the lower grades of elementary school, I was teased for that ugly skin with “cracked crackling walleye,” etc., and when I was in the fourth year of elementary school, I was...

4 responses

Aiming for justice

I'm indebted to you. There were times when my feelings were fuzzy, so I would appreciate it if you could tell me something. I'm currently 8 months pregnant. When I was sitting on the train home from work, the old woman next to me scolded me, saying, “There's a pregnant woman standing up, so...

4 responses

Regrets about naming children

I gave birth to my daughter the other day. I regret naming that child. I had been considering a few candidates for my husband's name since I was pregnant, but there weren't many names that came right, so I decided to decide after looking at his face after giving birth. After giving birth,...

4 responses

About Japanese Buddhist monks

I'm a priest. The reason is that I want to become an official Buddhist disciple. Apart from that, I don't want to be the chief priest of a temple, nor do I want to recite sutras at the funeral. However, what I've recently come to think is that in Japanese Buddhism, monks live almost no...

4 responses

My heart seems to be interrupted by my mother's care

Thanks to you, I finally settled my life abroad in late March, applied for the immigration bureau in order to leave a path for my future, returned to my parents' house with my pet, and continued to support my mother. I had a conflict with my other family (for my mother <myself) about my past...

5 responses

I misrepresented my work history to my job offer

I wrote a lie on the resume I submitted to my job offer. Furthermore, during the interview, I lied about the reason for my retirement. The length of time I was enrolled in my previous job has been inflated. I know that making corrections and apologies before joining the company will make me...

5 responses

I feel sorry for myself.

Good morning. Previously, I was asked to discuss my work, but I was working as a nursing assistant at a private hospital, but no matter what, I didn't remember my job, so I quit my job. I really wanted to work as a nursing assistant, so I found a job as a nursing assistant at a university...

4 responses

Can I not go to the grave?

I'm three sisters. My mom is enjoying going on trips at the end of her life, as if to make up for what she has been struggling with until now. My mother has always said, “I don't want to go to this house's grave.” It has always been rooted in the fact that my father's parents, relatives, etc....

4 responses

Past Failures and How to Redeem Them

Now that I'm in my 30s, people around me have been promoted, got married, and had children, and while thinking that I wasn't there recently during a period like a report card for the first time I did in my 20s, I'm now being tormented by the regrets I made when I was young and foolish in the...

4 responses

I lied to him. I regret it. I want your forgiveness.

Thank you for reading. Please be aware that it is my fault and let me ask the question. I've been in a relationship with him for about 2 years. My boyfriend gets mad at me for going to a drinking party. That's why I sometimes lie about drinking parties. I found out about it the other day...

4 responses

I have a past where I hurt people, and I'm worried about the future

Nice to meet you, I came across this site while doing a lot of research, and I'm writing it for the first time. I hurt a friend when I was in middle school. They often said things that looked down on, such as “stupid,” “stupid,” etc., and LINE replies were careless and looked down on. There...

4 responses

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