Second Indian Expedition - Travels to Buddhist sites in India and Sri LankaOn my return flight, I had to read a book. It was "He Died at Waseda" by Takeshi Hida.
I will be shocked to the point of holding my breath with this book.
I will tell you what the book contained and what struck me about it. It was the moment when something definitively changed in me.
Yukio Mishima and Japanese LiteratureEveryone knows the name of Osamu Dazai, a great writer. In particular, "Running Meros" is a classic work that has become a staple in textbooks.
In this article, we will introduce some of Osamu Dazai's recommended works. We will introduce here works that we can confidently recommend to those who want to try reading but do not know what to read.
Second Indian Expedition - Travels to Buddhist sites in India and Sri LankaSri Lanka's world-renowned author Martin Wickramasinghe. Here was a tremendous writer!
The psychological descriptions are reminiscent of Dostoevsky, the storytelling is like Chekhov's, and the social observations are thorough, Zola-like. This is amazing.
Wickramasinghe's novels will be your best guide to the picture of Sri Lanka. I highly recommend this author.
Diary of a MonkNice to meet you. My name is Takahiro Ueda, the administrator of this blog. This blog started as my attempt to look at various things in my daily life and write words with the motto of asking myself questions, as you can see in the title of the blog.
This article will give you a general guide within our blog. If you are new to our blog or wondering what to read, please read this article first.
Dostoevsky's worksI'd like to read Dostoevsky, but where on earth should I start? Is there a recommended order?"
This is a problem that many people who want to read Dostoevsky for the first time may have trouble with.
In this article, I will discuss my recommended introduction to Dostoevsky to answer these concerns.
Shinran and DostoevskyThis travelogue has been written for the enjoyment of those who are unfamiliar with Dostoevsky.
There are many tours of places related to Dostoevsky in Russia, but it is rare to find one written specifically for Europe. In this sense, we feel that we may be of some help to those who love Dostoevsky, even if only in a small way.
First Expedition to India - Visit to the Holy Land of the Ganges RiverWhy do you have to go to such lengths to visit Hindu holy sites when you are a Buddhist monk? Why do I have to go so far to visit Hindu holy places when I am a Buddhist monk?
This is a very valid question. If you want to learn Buddhism, go to a Buddhist site.
But I did not.
In this article I will discuss my thoughts on this subject.
Yukio Mishima and Japanese LiteratureWell - even so, Akutagawa's short story technique is brilliant! An eerie presence appears in the darkness of the night after ascending Rashomon. Even as an adult, I still find myself engrossed in the story, wondering what is out there. It's almost like a cinematic technique, and the sense of realism is incredible.
In this work, Akutagawa decisively captures the moment when a man embarks on a path of evil. The last part of the work, in which the subtle psychological state of this man is exquisitely captured, is a masterpiece.
Rashomon" is harsh. It shows us the harsh, harsh world as much as possible. It leads us to the very point of what it means to embark on the path of evil. It is truly a wonderful work.
This article will also discuss the connection between Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Russian literature, particularly Gogol.
Yukio Mishima and Japanese LiteratureThe Spider's Thread" is the first children's literature written by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, and is a famous short story that is also famous as a Buddhist tale. As a Buddhist monk, I have seen and heard the story of "The Spider's Thread" in many Dharma talks and Buddhist books, and I believe that this story has been familiar to the Japanese people as a whole, beyond the framework of temple-related works.
In the commentary at the end of the book, there is a detailed explanation of the production of "The Spider's Thread," which was quite a surprise to me. To summarize the main points briefly, (1) it is not known whether "The Spider's Thread" is originally of Buddhist origin or not, and (2) this work is also related to Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. This article will look at this in more detail.
Yukio Mishima and Japanese LiteratureLike "Shayo" introduced in the previous article, "Ningen Shikkaku" also had a strong impact on readers. Dazai's writings have a unique magic power to make each reader think, "This is me! Dazai's writing has a unique magic power to make each reader think, "This is me! Young people who sympathized with the naïve nature of the protagonist became fascinated with Dazai's literature. The term "Shayozoku" was coined to describe these young people.
Among Dazai's works, "Ningen Shikkaku" is one of the most magically powerful works.
And for me personally, the connection between Dostoevsky and "The Human Disqualification" was very interesting.
This is because in the second half of the film, a discussion of Dostoevsky was inserted, in which "Crime and Punishment" was discussed.
Welcome to our website. For those of you who are visiting our blog for the first time. First of all, please click here.
The best of our blog! The "Dostoevsky's Journey" trilogy - my full-length European travelogue!
Travels to Buddhist Sacred Sites in India and Sri Lanka: What I felt there when I was called to India
(1) The birth of Prince Siddhartha in Lumbini, Nepal!
10 novels instead of business cards - I'm ashamed to say I'm such a person.
Ten books that a bookish monk would seriously recommend to students - reading is always a powerful thing!
Takahiro Ueda, "Dostoevsky and His Wife's Fateful Journey: Travels in Western Europe of Madness and Love" - A journey that traces a once-in-a-lifetime journey with his wife that changed the destiny of a great writer.
Why am I, a monk, reading Dostoevsky and world literature?" Articles - The Surprising Similarities Between Shinran and Dostoevsky
(62) Visit the site of Yukio Mishima's suicide and the Ichigaya Memorial Hall of the Self-Defense Forces Ichigaya Camp (now the Ministry of Defense)
(61) Yukio Mishima's Fierce Final Days! What was happening at the site of his suicide that day?
(60) Yukio Mishima loved Disneyland! What fascinated Mishima about Disney?
(59) After all, Yukio Mishima was exceptional! The overwhelming power of his brush strokes gives the impression of Dostoevskian black magic.
List of recommended commentaries on Disney as religious thought, history, and art
List of 15 recommended works of Yukio Mishima and commentaries - Interesting works of Yukio Mishima, one of Japan's most famous writers, and his epic life.
Yukio Mishima's "Sea of Fertility" Synopsis and Impressions - What is Life? What is life? An amazing feature-length tetralogy that contains the soul of Mishima!
(58) A Visit to the University of Tokyo's Yasuda Auditorium - What was that Yasuda Auditorium Incident at the University of Tokyo? Thoughts on the Student Conflict of the Time
