Zen Dialogues

Reflections from Japan's Buddhist Traditions

How to deal with my real mother

My mother, who lives apart, goes to day service and seems to be living with her father in her own way, but in her free time, she calls me every day even though she doesn't have any errands, and she also thinks “see you later...”, so when they don't talk in particular and keep silent, they just...

5 responses

The monk's car

There is an image of a monk riding a scooter in comics or other depictions. Actually, I wonder if there are cars that people ride separately for work and private. I'm wondering if there actually is a car I like or the car I want, but what do you think? Incidentally, I'm riding a MAZDA sports...

5 responses

Mother-in-law's death

Nice to meet you, I'm a Japanese woman living in America with an American husband and children. My parents-in-law lived 30 minutes by car, and we had a good relationship on the weekend, eating and celebrating birthdays together, and in particular, my mother-in-law was loved like a real...

5 responses

I don't understand people's feelings

My way of thinking is self-centered, and I can't think in the other person's position It makes people feel bad, but after they get scolded, After I heard that what you did was like this I'm in a tight state for the first time. A lot of people don't care. I was asked to go further, and it...

5 responses

Do you really believe it?

Do monks seriously believe they will become a Buddha when they die?

5 responses

How to tell a toddler about the death of a relative?

My father-in-law passed away yesterday, and today is a wake. I'm worried about how to explain it to my 3 year old (kindergarten younger) son. I used to go to my husband's parents' house several times a month, and I think Jiji loved it because he was close to my son, having traveled...

5 responses

What is an ancestral memorial service?

This is MK who has posted about my wife many times before. My wife's question of faith is still being resolved. My wife hasn't been able to do memorial services for her ancestors, so my ancestors are asking for help. My ancestors had sinful people and they are suffering. They say that weight is...

5 responses

Inside my heart

I worry about people's eyes when I'm little... I can't say what they think of them, and I don't want to be disliked... the inside of my heart is always fuzzy and cluttered... I want to keep the inside of my heart in the shell. Isn't it too late now...

5 responses

I want to ease my husband's heart

Nice to meet you. I'm a 47 year old housewife. My husband and I remarried last year. My husband is a dentist, and he is a serious person who usually talks at home about how to properly examine them. However, they have a strong sense of distrust of people, and especially when they drink alcohol,...

5 responses

How to become a monk

I want to be a monk. I want to know how I can become a monk. Does age matter? Is it difficult when you're close to 40?

5 responses

What do humans live for

What do humans live for? In the third part of my favorite comic “JoJo's Bizarre Adventure,” DIO (Dio) answered, “Every human being overcomes anxiety and fear and lives to gain peace of mind.” I see, definitely. I thought this phrase might apply to everything in human activities, but if you...

5 responses

My relationship with my older brother

I have one older brother. They have been close brothers and sisters since long ago, and since they experienced death due to their parents' illness in their 20s, they are also the only blood linked family left. Can you lend me money several times in terms of money that occurred in my older...

5 responses

An age where bad guys survive happily

Excuse me for the long sentence. There are things in my life that I just can't be convinced of. It was at a large clothing store. This store gets crowded on weekends. I decided to go by car for the first time in a while. The parking lot was still as crowded as ever. Then, a very strange...

5 responses

What is a person's trouble

There are always problems, aren't there? There are times when I'm still worried, frustrated that things aren't going well, and my stomach hurts due to stress. But when I think about it carefully, what I was worried about 5 years ago isn't a big deal when I think about it now; for example, I had...

5 responses

I want to hear words that give encouragement during difficult times

I want to hear good words from monks that will give them encouragement during difficult times in their lives. Please give encouraging words that will serve as a cheering song for everyone watching this site. I am very thankful for the words that the monk himself encouraged.

5 responses

Is it now or in the future

I have an older child. I wanted them to learn by playing and experiencing a lot in kindergarten and elementary school. In other words, rather than living to prepare for the future, I want people to enjoy the “now.” However, there are a lot of children around me who go to cram schools and lessons...

5 responses

About one's own death

Surrounding me are three friends, cousins, and a friend's daughter who took their own lives. It's so sad and heartbreaking to think about it. I often hear that the souls of people who have taken their own lives will continue to suffer forever, so I wonder if those 3 people are still suffering...

5 responses

Is the child in your stomach my brother-in-law who died?

I've always been worried about whether my husband's older brother, who passed away a few years ago, will ever be reborn as my child. I am 35 years old and have 2 daughters. I recently found out about my third pregnancy, and I'm due to give birth in mid-April next year. My husband had an older...

6 responses

How to accept the sacrifices caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake

Many people were sacrificed due to the Great East Japan Earthquake. They had a painful and painful experience even though nothing was wrong with them, and on the other hand, I am living well. The same goes for wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Why would such an unreasonable thing happen? I don't have an...

6 responses

Happiness, from a Buddhist perspective

I'm indebted to you. When I looked back at my question history that I posted about 3 years ago, I was unhappy 3 years ago, and I'm not happy in the same way now. I'm not aiming for a 100-point scale, but there are actually people who can't be happy forever, and I feel like I'm one of...

6 responses

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