Showing posts with label sword. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sword. Show all posts

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Manjushri Bodhisattva cuts our ignorance

(Buddha's Wisdom with Matt) MANJUSHRI: The bodhisattva who cuts through ignorance

Thousand-Armed Manjushri
Manjushri
(Sanskrit š‘€«š‘€œš‘†š‘€šš‘€¼š‘€°š‘†š‘€­š‘€», Romanized MaƱjuśrÄ«) is a bodhisattva who represents transcendental wisdom (prajƱā) of the "Cosmic Buddhas" [like Vairocana] in Mahāyāna Buddhism.

The name "MaƱjuśrÄ«" is a combination of Sanskrit word maƱju and the honorific -śhrÄ«. It can therefore be literally translated as "Beautiful One with Glory" or "Beautiful One with Auspiciousness."

Namasangiti Manjushri
MaƱjuśrÄ« is also known by the fuller name of MaƱjuśrÄ«-kumāra-bhÅ«ta (ą¤®ą¤ž्जुश्रीकुमारभूत) [1], literally "MaƱjuśrÄ«, Still a Youth" or, less literally, "Youthful Prince MaƱjuśrÄ«." Another name of MaƱjuśrÄ« is MaƱjughÅį¹£a.

In Mahāyāna Buddhism
Scholars have identified MaƱjuśrÄ« as the oldest and most significant bodhisattva in Mahāyāna Buddhist literature [2]. Notable traits of MaƱjuśhrÄ« include: More
It's impersonal: My EGO is an illusion?
Anattā: "not-self," "non-self," "non-ego," "egolessness," "selflessness," "soullessness," the fact that ultimately all is "impersonal" is the last and most difficult of the three fetters or wrong views to cut.

It is one of the Universal Characteristics of All Existence (ti-lakkhana). The anattā doctrine taught by the historical Buddha is that neither within the bodily and mental phenomena of existence (the Five Aggregates clung to as self: form, feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousness), nor outside of them, can there be found anything that in the ultimate sense can ever be regarded as a self or independently-existing real ego-entity, soul, self, or any other abiding essence, substance, or atman.

This is the central doctrine of Buddhism, without the understanding of which any real knowledge of Buddhism is altogether impossible.

It is the only really specific Buddhist doctrine, with which the entire structure of the Buddhist Teaching (Dharma, Dhamma) stands or falls.

All the remaining Buddhist doctrines might, more or less, be found in other philosophical systems or religions, but the anattā-doctrine is only clearly and unreservedly taught by the Buddha (or buddhas before him), wherefore the Buddha is known as the anattā-vādi, or "Teacher of Egolessness."

Whoever has not penetrated this impersonal characteristic of all existence and does not comprehend that in reality there exists only this continually self-consuming process of arising and passing bodily and mental phenomena, that there is no separate ego-entity within or without this process, that person will not be able to understand Buddhism, that is, the teaching of the Four Ennobling (Enlightening) Truths (sacca) in the correct light.

One will think that it is one's ego or personality that experiences suffering, one's person that performs good and harmful karma and will be reborn according to those actions, one's personality that will enter into nirvana, one's personality that practices the Ennobling Eightfold Path. More

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

When Buddhists Attack (Zen of martial arts)

Theravada Buddhist Muay Thai champion versus Shaolin Kung Fu master from Far East

Buddhist Wisdom (Tuttle Publishing)
Uncover the historical truth about Buddhist warrior monks with this informative and enlightening book.

Exploring the origins of Buddhism and the ethos of the Japanese samurai, martial arts practitioner Professor Jeffrey Mann traces the close connection between the Buddhist way of compassion (karuna) and the way of the warrior.

This Zen book serves as a basic introduction to the history, philosophy, and current practice of Zen as it relates to the Japanese martial arts.

Maybe they'll be ghosts (kami)
It examines the elements of Zen that have found a place in budo (bujutsu or bugei)—the "Martial Way"—such as zazen, mushin, zanshin, and fudoshin, then goes on to discuss the ethics and practice of budo as a modern sport.
 
Offering insights into how qualities integral to the true martial artist are interwoven with this ancient religious philosophy, this book on Buddhism helps practitioners reconnect to an authentic spiritual discipline of martial arts.


Film, television, and popular fiction have long exploited the image of the serene Buddhist monk who is master of the deadly craft of hand-to-hand combat.

While these media overly romanticize the relationship between a philosophy of non-violence and the art of fighting, When Buddhists Attack: The Curious Relationship Between Zen and the Martial Arts shows this link to be nevertheless real, even natural.
Prof. Jeffrey Mann, Dept. of Religious Studies
ABOUT: The author Jeffrey K. Mann is a professor and the chair of the Religious Studies Department at [the Protestant Evangelical LutheranSusquehanna University (susqu.edu) in Pennsylvania. He earned his doctorate in religious studies from Vanderbilt University and has also served as a visiting professor of religion at Senshu University in Ikuta, Japan. A longtime student of Japanese martial arts, he has trained and competed in karate tournaments throughout North America, Japan, Okinawa, and the Philippines. He is an instructor of the Susquehanna Goju-ryu Karate-do Club, a school affiliated with the International Okinawan Goju-ryu Karate-do Federation.