"Once upon a time, I, Chuang Chou, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Chou. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man." -- Zhuangzi
Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Monks, Meditation, and Mummies
In honor of Halloween (which is actually also the anniversary of Martin Luther pounding his 95 theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg in 1517), I have dedicated a post to the mysterious mummified monks of Japan. While we are all familiar with the mummies of Egyptian acclaim, I argue that these mummies of northern Japan are more remarkable. Why? Because they didn't wait to die to be mummified; they did it themselves as the ultimate expression of devotion.
Labels:
Alicia Cutler,
Buddhism,
burial,
Japan,
ritual,
Sokushinbutsu
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