Catholic (church)

DharmapalaTravels in Sri Lanka, the Holy Land of Buddhism

(43) What is Protestant Buddhism in Dharmapala - The existence and impact of a new Buddhism that is also different from traditional Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

As we saw in the previous article, traditional Sri Lankan Buddhism is different from our image of strict Theravada Buddhism. If anything, it is even closer to our Japanese Buddhism.

So why is there such an "image gap"?

The key to this is found in the "Protestant Buddhism" of Dharmapala, which I will introduce here.
FlorenceThe Italian Renaissance and the Revolution of Knowledge

List of recommended reference books to learn about Florence - A profound world of art, history, and literature, including da Vinci, Machiavelli, and Dante.

In our previous article, we recommended reference books for learning about Rome, Italy, and in this article, we will recommend books about Florence.

Ferenze is a city of flowers where the works of Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and other unspoken masters continue to fascinate people from all over the world.

However, it is surprisingly difficult to understand the history of Florence and how art flourished in this city.

We may know the term "Renaissance art," but when it comes to the actual nature of this art, what was the background of the period in which it reached its golden age?

The more you know about Florence, the more interesting it is! We hope you will find this article useful.
Recommended Sightseeing Spots in RomeThe Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, the Vatican, and Roman Catholicism

List of Recommended Reference Books on Rome - History, Culture, Religion, and Art! A list of great books that will make Rome more interesting!

In the previous article, "Monks' Recommendation: 15 Sightseeing Spots in Rome! From the Royal Road to Maniacal Churches, Taste the Ultimate in Beauty" introduced the recommended spots in Rome, and in this article, we will introduce a recommended reference and guidebook to enjoy Rome even more.

Please refer to each link for a more detailed discussion of the book.

Rome is so deep. It is like a bottomless swamp that the more you know about it, the more you become addicted to it. I, too, have become completely obsessed with this Roman wanderlust.

I hope this article has been helpful to you.
Recommended Sightseeing Spots in RomeTravels in Rome" - Charms of the Theater City of Rome and Pilgrimage to Bernini

15 recommended sightseeing spots in Rome unique to monks! Taste the best of beauty from royal to maniacal churches

In this article I will introduce some of my favorite places to visit in Rome.

In this article, we will introduce not only famous churches such as St. Peter's Basilica and the Colosseum, but also maniac churches that are not often visited by tourists.

Rome is indeed a wonderful city. However, there is a trap of having too much to see and do. We hope that our blog posts will be of help to you.
Apollo's CupYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Yukio Mishima's "The Cup of Apollo" Synopsis and Impressions - A travelogue of his first trip around the world and his experiences in Greece! Recommended to learn about Mishima's view of art!

Yukio Mishima embarked on a round-the-world trip at the end of 1951 as a special correspondent for the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. The travelogue of this trip became "Apollo's Cup.

Mishima enjoyed the ruins and art of Athens and Delphoi, and wrote about his thoughts in his travel journal. He visited many places during his round-the-world trip, but his impressions of these places clearly stand out.

And this is very interesting because it frankly describes what Mishima thought about Greek art and how it influenced his own view of literature and life.

The Cup of Apollo" is filled with Mishima's original Greek and Roman experiences. It is also a very informative work for understanding Mishima's literature and way of life.
DostoevskyDostoevsky's works

Four recommended works of Dostoevsky! A selection of gems and masterpieces of interesting Russian literature!

Dostoevsky is a Russian literary master along with Tolstoy.

Dostoevsky is an overwhelming giant who left behind such literary masterpieces as "Crime and Punishment" and "The Brothers Karamazov. Dostoevsky plumbed the depths of the human psyche, opening up to us a profound and chaotic world. His stories, woven with his unique narrative style and strong personalities, have an indescribable black magic charm. I was one of those who were fascinated by his black magic.

In this article, we will introduce some of Dostoevsky's recommended works and reference books. We will also discuss useful information such as which translations are recommended and where to start reading.
Rome and DostoevskyTravels in Rome" - Charms of the Theater City of Rome and Pilgrimage to Bernini

(42) What does Dostoevsky, who criticized Roman Catholicism, think of Rome, the temple of beauty and theater city?

We have updated our Rome travelogue 41 times so far.

As I reported in the introduction to this travelogue, I toured Rome with the question, "Although Dostoevsky hated Roman Catholicism, could he not be captivated by St. Peter's Basilica, its main temple, and Bernini's stage art in Rome?

For me, I did not forget Dostoevsky for a single moment during my stay in Rome. I was always with Dostoevsky during my stay in Europe.

So what did Dostoevsky actually think of Rome during his stay?

The truth is that we do not know as Dostoevsky left nothing behind. But even so, I have come to the conclusion that Dostoevsky would have liked but disliked Rome.
berniniTravels in Rome" - Charms of the Theater City of Rome and Pilgrimage to Bernini

(40) Bernini suffered disappointment and slander in his final years - Construction of the third colonnade in St. Peter's Square was also halted.

I cannot help but feel saddened by the fact that Bernini, who had so much glory, spent his last days in pain. If he had achieved his glory through arrogance and pushing others away, it would have been karmic retribution. But he was never like that. That is why I feel regret.

Great artists are often prone to suffer from slander. And it is not uncommon for them to finally be appreciated decades after their death. People who are called geniuses are too immense to be understood by their contemporaries. It would be extremely fortunate if they were appreciated while they were alive.
berniniTravels in Rome" - Charms of the Theater City of Rome and Pilgrimage to Bernini

(39) "Blessed Ludovica Antoni" - A powerful work from Bernini's last years in the church of San Francesco a Ripa!

This article presents "Ludovica the Blessed" in the Church of San Francesco a Ripa.

The beauty of "Ludovica the Blessed" glowing in the dark night is tremendous.

Bernini has perfect control over the lighting. He has also calculated how the light will illuminate the sculpture. You can never reproduce that with light. You can see why Masumi Ishinabe was so careful.

It was indeed a wonderful experience. It may be a minor spot in Rome, but it is a very impressive church. I highly recommend a visit if you are ever in the Trastevere area.
Travels in Rome" - Charms of the Theater City of Rome and Pilgrimage to Bernini

(38) Angel of Ponte Sant'Angelo by Bernini in his later years - a famous sculpture now in the collection of Sant'Andrea delle Fratte Church.

This time, we would like to introduce two angel statues installed on the Ponte Sant'Angelo in front of Castel Sant'Angelo.

In this article, I will talk about such an angel statue by Bernini. In fact, the original of this work is housed in another church, which is also wonderful!

The quality of the angel statue I saw in the original was completely different. I could see that it had been polished, and above all, the dynamism of the garments conveyed was something else.

And strangely enough, for some reason, these two angel statues reminded me of the Wind God and Thunder God of Sanjusangendo in Kyoto. Perhaps the miraculous rippling of the angels' robes reminded me of my favorite wind god and thunder god.