Zen Dialogues

Reflections from Japan's Buddhist Traditions

My fortune teller told me that men can be seen.

It was last year when I had my fortune teller look at me. I was told, “There's a man behind you.” At that time, I thought it was someone who would protect me. But when I look back on my life, what if it's a ghost? That's what I thought. This is because there are 2 men who think it's unavoidable...

4 responses

The reason why ascetic monks are fat

There are a few wealthy ascetic monks, such as Eiheiji Temple and Sojiji Temple, but why is that? Aren't you going to lose weight?

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It's full of benefits, but somehow I don't like it

I'm always indebted to you. I was worried about what to do about the job I was about to apply for, and even though it was full of merits for me, I couldn't get rid of the feeling of “somehow disgusting,” so I asked a question. I'm in my fourth year as a part-time lecturer at a university, and...

4 responses

The power to have worries

Anyway, I have an anxious personality. I don't think it's possible to get rid of life and worries, so I'd like you to tell me how to expand the capacity to have worries and concerns and how to deal with them. If moles increase, you may despair if you have skin cancer, you will be terribly...

4 responses

My heart is hard even though it's my desired divorce

In April of this year, she said, “Even if I tell them I don't like it, my husband won't stop talking, and we can't have a proper discussion. We asked, “Should we continue our marital relationship as it is?” After that, we have been searching for a way to become a married couple by referring to...

4 responses

It made my boyfriend feel uneasy

I have a classmate boyfriend who is now a college student and we've been dating for almost 2 months. We met in the same department, and we always spend time together little by little on weekdays, and we go on a date about once a week for about half a day using our free time. So far, I think the...

4 responses

I want to take care of my feelings for the rest of my life

I've discussed it before. The couple had broken up, and they were dating someone in the same situation that they met on a matching app, but his wife took their child out (the affair was not revealed) and he is currently in divorce mediation. The relationship changed and I was worried. Once the...

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A child was born, but he is reluctant to enroll and has fun

--- “I” --- They married for the first time in 2015. I'm going to have a baby baby. Ako is now 8 years old. She divorced her son's father in 2020. After that, she became a single mother with her son We've been working hard together. And in April of this year (2026), I gave birth to a...

4 responses

I've done something irreparable.

It's an unavoidable story, but I was in middle school, and we all went to the arcade by bicycle after school, but since I didn't have a bicycle, I borrowed one from my friend's parent. Then, when I was about to go home after playing, the other kid said, “We're still playing, so ride your bike...

4 responses

I was able to endure it.

I would like to ask your opinion and ask a question. Since about 2 years ago, I've been paired up with someone I'm not good at at work (they complain all the time every day, they're arrogant, have a bad face, etc.), and even when I talk to my boss, I'm only careful once, and they don't do...

4 responses

How to overcome suffering and feelings of inferiority

There is a feeling that my chest is being tightened when talking to people, my breathing becomes shallow, and I get tired. I thought everyone had similar pain when it came to communication and social interaction. However, apparently, I recently learned that there are many people who feel that...

4 responses

I lied for the sake of my own good looks

I would like to discuss romance I'm 23 years old this year, and I haven't had a boyfriend since I had a boyfriend when I was in middle school. I've started a matching app and have met and called several men Recently, I lied to the first man I called for the first time I had never met The...

4 responses

The agony of bereavement

My mother passed away on November 25 of last year. I'm currently 50 years old, and when I was 27, I suffered from a mental illness called schizophrenia, and I'm still battling it. I've never lived alone, etc., and although we are a mother and child family, I've never been separated from my...

4 responses

About the birthday play from a friend

An internet friend said “I'm going to prepare a birthday present” with an X since last year, but on the day of my birthday this year, they didn't say congratulations or apologize for not being able to prepare before the birthday. My friend on the internet has been mentally ill since last year,...

4 responses

It makes me want to do whatever I want

I'm having trouble with my relationship with my husband. My husband doesn't have delicacies, and he's not good at thinking about this feeling and acting on it. There are places where I focus on what I want to do right now, and I feel that my priorities are low, and I often feel sad because of...

4 responses

What does it mean to forgive yourself

I changed jobs 4 years ago, and now I'm able to work at the workplace I've been longing for. I was also studying for the qualification exam in order to expand my range of work, but I found out that I failed in early January of this year, and I was accompanied by my parents going to the hospital,...

4 responses

How to deal with people who complain that they aren't feeling well

We provide consultation support for people with disabilities. There are words that I am in trouble because they are said while listening to a story. In the case of a complaint such as “I want to die” from a person with a mental disorder, it is taken as the opposite of the phrase “I want you...

4 responses

It will hurt loved ones

I have an important senior at work I get along well with that person in private, but during work, they are careful with me with pretty harsh words, and they treat me harshly anyway. It's a job that requires procedures, so it's natural to be strictly instructed, but I'm depressed because of the...

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Is there any point in going to hell?

I'm a bad person, so I'm falling from the hell of this world to real hell with obedience and suffering. Of course, I listen to Buddhism on YouTube for about 2 to 30 minutes every day in search of salvation. I have a feeling that I will listen through the rest of my life until my doubts clear in...

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My mother likes fortune telling. It can be decided by the results

My mother likes fortune telling, and I'm worried that her personality will be determined based on the results. In fortune telling, it seems that it is called a “personality that sees people and assigns them to the right place” and “personality that blames people when problems occur,” but the...

4 responses

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