A couple of recent articles in The Guardian tackle human relationships with non-sentient phenomena, and the way that trees relate to each other. The first is by Dr Penelope Dransart, reader in anthropology at the University of Wales.
*************… Read the rest
Alan Watts has a ‘godlike’ status for those of us who prefer spirituality to religion. He of course was the first to deny guru status for himself, but as a teacher he continues through his recordings to shed light on … Read the rest
An advertisement for a shrine maiden to help with disposal of anime figures shows Shinto’s flexibility and ability to adopt. The Rocket News article below couches it in typical slanted fashion as something weird and exotic, but it’s part of … Read the rest
Green Shinto has written before of how Shinto stands on the twin pillars of animism and ancestor worship, and how these two different strands are interlocked. (See here for instance.) Zen too cultivates both aspects, though they are not so … Read the rest
As someone distressed by the appalling treatment of animals by human beings (factory farming being the most egregious example), it saddens me that modern Shinto shows so little interest in the subject. Animal guardians serve the kami, and horses act … Read the rest
A reminder that tomorrow (Mon 28th) will be the harvest full moon, traditionally celebrated by the Japanese as the most beautiful of the year. There are lots of moon viewing parties, which in the past consisted of poetry making while … Read the rest
The following passage in praise of trees comes from Herman Hesse’s Baume: Betrachtungen und Gedichte (Trees: Reflections and Poems), 1984. It’s a beautiful piece of writing that speaks of a connection to the natural world and the happiness that comes … Read the rest
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