Zen Dialogues

Reflections from Japan's Buddhist Traditions

Disappearing mountain villages and myself unable to do anything are empty

Nice to meet you, please forgive me for making this a bit long. After I graduated from college, I worked as a white-collar worker in an urban area. I myself was born in a rural area on a flatland, but my parents are from an abandoned village deep in the mountains, and I was often taken from an...

5 responses

About Kouten's new banknote

Thank you for always taking the time to consult with us. I posted it because I wanted to get your opinions on the new Kosen bill. As described in previous consultations, my sister died 20 days after it was discovered too late when she was found to have terminal cancer. That was February of this...

5 responses

Reunion with my wife (10 years less) and lover

I've now been married for 10 years. I love and appreciate my wife, but I've been sexless for many years, and she hasn't been able to respond to my wishes for children, and I continue to worry strongly about this. It was over a year ago, and we had a consultation here as well. Meanwhile, I...

5 responses

I'm worried about the future

Thank you for your support before. Thank you very much. I'm a mother raising a child. Maybe my postpartum constitution has changed, I tend to get sick and go to the hospital a lot... I'm making an effort to review my lifestyle and go to counseling for introspection if it doesn't stay this way,...

5 responses

About how to have a heart in the midst of illness anxiety

Recently, the results of the health checkup were poor, and as a result of performing a thorough examination at the university hospital, it became a follow-up observation, and I became afraid to even make a schedule for 1 month from now. I'm worried about what the test results will be in the...

5 responses

I want you to explain the Four Law Seals and the Eightfold Path!

Thank you for your hard work. I'm researching Buddhism in school research study assignments. What are the basic principles? What are we aiming for? What are they doing for that? I looked it up using the internet in various ways, but in particular, “the important points of Buddhism...

5 responses

I got sick with COVID-19 at work and it got worse. It's painful.

Hello. My feelings haven't subsided, and I'm at a loss. I would like you to teach me ways of thinking that will make you feel comfortable. I was working at a hospital. In spring, the coronavirus cluster occurred due to a mistake on the hospital side, and I was also affected. Unfortunately,...

5 responses

How to become an Obo?

I'm studying Buddhism through university correspondence. Eventually, I'm thinking of getting the qualification of a monk. However, since he isn't the son of the temple, I'm worried about whether I'll be able to live. Even if you ask someone who has graduated from a correspondence school, you...

5 responses

Son's death

It's been a year since my beloved son committed suicide, and they are still bad parents who are obsessed with their son without getting through with their bones (son's wishes). They are pathetic parents who couldn't stop rescuing their son from suffering or taking his own life. Every day, I pray...

5 responses

There are only terrible incidents

I have no intention of defending murder, and I don't understand the psychology of murdering others without a grudge because they want to end their own lives at all. However, I think there are a lot of people who are being hunted down right now, just like the culprit. I think there are Japanese...

5 responses

I have a question about the Buddhist altar that was in my parents' house.

We look forward to working with you. Due to various circumstances, my parents moved into the facility this time and decided to leave my parents' house. I already got married 15 years ago and have left my parents' house. At my parents' house, I enshrined Buddhist altars from generation to...

5 responses

There is a monk I can't trust

I sometimes get involved with monks because of my work. Many of the people I meet are really nice people, and I can tell you that there are various denominations, but everyone values Buddhism. Also, it's a lot of fun to hear stories about Buddhism from such people. However, some of the...

5 responses

Should I live a steady life alone?

Recently, I've been thinking about it. Is one person happy? Are you happy being with people? I had a boyfriend not long ago. However, due to various circumstances, they parted ways. One of my friends is older, someone the same age. And then I have an aunt. They are all nice people and very...

5 responses

I don't understand the meaning of living

It's going to be long, but please forgive me. This is someone who has asked me questions here a few times. ・Love, marriage I don't even have a boyfriend. People around me are getting married and having children more and more. Even though the company is a reasonably large department, there are...

5 responses

What does it mean to accept that you're dead

My mother passed away the other day due to an illness. I've been prepared since I was in the hospital, and every time I went to see her, I did my best to hold hands and express my gratitude and feelings for my mother so far, but it still didn't change to be painful and sad. I often hear...

5 responses

What does it mean to live indifferently

This is my first consultation in a long time. Please let me discuss the subject matter. I became mentally ill due to my relationships and workload at work, and I am currently on leave of absence. When I went to the psychosomatic medicine clinic, my primary care physician said, “It's important...

5 responses

Heartbreak, emptiness

I'm a single woman in her 40's. My father passed away when I was 16, and when I was 29, my mother passed away after fighting illness for several years, I have no siblings, and people call me canopy loneliness. I graduated from the university my mother made me go to, and I worked hard enough to...

5 responses

It's hard being alive. That's the limit.

When I was in the upper grades of elementary school, I was bullied such as verbal violence, financial damage, and confinement. Specifically, die, disappear, poisonous apples, brown sugar, etc. The situation did not improve even when I talked to my homeroom teacher, and the feeling that I couldn't...

5 responses

It's frustrating when people say bad things about kids.

I can't forgive the words I was told when I met my mom, who I knew so well. They're still babies, but they compared each other's children and were able to take the mount. “Your child is difficult to raise, and compared to that, my child is easy to raise, so I can immediately think of a second...

5 responses

Jodo Shinshu and Mahayana non-Buddhism

How should we deal with the fact that the Jodo Sanbu Sutra is said to be false sutras or non-Buddhist theories? I lost Amida's faith because of this. It seems that it is known “historically” that the Buddha did not directly explain it as a fact, and even so, since it was preached by a Buddha...

5 responses

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