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วัดบางสะแกนอก ศาลเจ้าแม่นิยม Here is another first time presented in English. I found no info on this temple or the goddess in English. Almost nothing in Chinese either. I asked and was given permission to take these photos and make this article. Wat Bang Sakae Nok is an old temple in Talat Phlu. At some point it had fallen into disrepair until some monks settled there for a rains retreat. The temple also serves as the home of the Goddess Niyom (Chao Mae Niyom/ นิยม ) Miss Niyom was a local girl whose life was tragically cut short at the age of 17 during an epidemic sometime in around the early 1940s. She was buried, along with several other people who had also succumbed to the epidemic in a wooded area near the temple. In 1955, Wat Bang Sakae Nok conducted a ceremony ( พิธีล้างป่าช้า ) to purify or sanctify the area. These ceremonies are closely related to the merit-making practices of caring for the unclaimed dead which is a common buddhist practice in Thailand. ...

Yokai - 根香寺的牛鬼

Negoroji is a temple established by Kobo Daishi that rests in the middle of a steep slope on Mt. Aomine inside a grove of trees. Buddhism during the Nara Period aimed for chingokokka (spiritual protection of the state), but in the Heian Period, Buddhism came to value ascetic practices in order to attain special powers that give one the ability to cast spells and make prayers come true. That is why the temple, a place for ascetic practices, was selected to be not in a sunny, lively location, but in the depths of the mountain away from the town and people. (This form of Buddhism is called "Sangaku Buddhism", and these types of temples are called "Sangaku temples", or "mountain temples".) Let's look inward and self-reflect while standing peacefully in the grounds of the temple. Also, since this is inside the mountain, close your eyes and listen to the birds singing and insects crying. 根香寺は、急坂を登りつめた青峰山中腹にある、弘法大師により開基された木立の中のお寺です。なぜ、このような険しい山の中に建てられたので...

Bodhidharma's teaching in Tibetan

Khenpo Tashi Tsering (澤仁扎西堪布) recently released a Tibetan translation of Bodhidharma's four teachings 菩提達摩四論 There were several well known names in attendance at the release event, with Venerable Fazang giving a very animated speech (can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlwdMIcg70s ) Khenpo Tashi and his students were also distributing a triligual edition of the famous zen text 永嘉大師證道歌 Tibetan Buddhism Zen Buddhism Chan Meditation

The teachings of Geshe Thubten Soepa

According to Buddhist cosmology, in the Abhidharmakosha it says that at the beginning of this earth, countless years ago, our lineage grandfather, Vramah and the gods and goddesses were miraculously reborn. They had light and were able to fly. They didn´t eat dirty food, meat, egg or blood. They used concentration food and nectars. (Further information can be found in the Abhidharmakosha and its commentary.) Many years later, some gods and goddesses ate earth and dirty foods. Their light disappeared and they could not fly. They could not see their companion gods and goddesses. Then they started to have sexual relations. Generations later they ate meat and blood. They started to become violent and kill each other. That was the beginning of being human. Human translates into Tibetan terminology as “mi” or “minang”. “Mi” means "I cannot see my companion gods and goddesses." Therefore, countless years ago, our lineage grandfather and grandmother gods, did not eat meat. Generation...

The Great Sage as an ancillary deity in Tainan

JC's site has a post listing several temples in Taiwan dedicated to Monkey King . So in this post I would like to highlight two examples of the Great Sage being enshrined as a secondary deity in Tainan. Both of these examples are very old temples, and in both temples, the Great Sage is to be found on the main god's left side (a point I will remark on at the bottom of this page) The first is the shrine of Guanyin in An Ping 安平觀音亭 According to wikipedia the Guanyin in this temple is from the mainland and came to Taiwan in the late 1500's The Great Sage is enshrined on the altar on the goddess's left, while the shrine on her right is occupied by a 福德正神. Amulets available at the temple. ____________________________________________________ The second example is a very old landlord temple, 鎮轅境頂廟 The layout of this temple is one which has an 'outer or front shrine' and an 'inner or rear shrine'. Below is a picture of the front of the temple with 齊天...

Shikoku, Medicine Buddha and hearing the sounds of hell's cauldron

On the grounds of Shikoku’s 83 rd temple, sits a shrine where evil doers hear the sounds of hell. Once upon a time, there was a very mean old lady living near the temple. At some point someone told her that there was a shrine at the temple, and if a bad person puts their head into the shrine their head will get stuck and they will hear the sounds of hell. The woman didn’t believe it but went ahead and tried anyways. Sure enough, her head got stuck in the shrine and she heard the terrible sounds. She begged for forgiveness and the shrine opened. After that she reformed herself and changed her ways. 昔むかし、このお寺の近くに、意地悪で病気がちなおばあさんが住んでいました。ある日近所の人から「このお寺には地獄の釜の煮えたぎる音が聞こえる祠があって、悪いことばかりしている人が頭を入れると抜けなくなる」という話を聞きました。そこで、おばあさんは「そんなことはないだろう」とためしに頭を入れてみたのです。するとたちまちとびらが閉まり、下のほうからゴォーーッという地獄の音が聞こえてきました。おばあさんはあわてて頭を抜こうとしましたが、どんなに力をこめても抜けません。とうとう怖くなり「今までのことは許してください。もう意地悪はしません」と涙ながらに何度も頼むと、とびらは開き、頭がすっと抜けました。それからというもの、心を入れ替えたおばあさん。体もすっかり元気になり、近所の人とも仲良く暮らしたということです。この祠は、お大師さまが美しい心とすこやかな体を授け...

Holy Places in the life of LP Sodh (3) -วัดสองพี่น้อง

One of my early blog posts about an amulet commemorating a pilgrimage to places important in the life of Luang Por Sodh Wat Pak Nam. Here I will show the temple where he took ordination, Wat Songphinong วัดสองพี่น้อง in Suphanburi located just a few minutes away from where LP Sodh was born Wat Songphinong was founded in 2212 during the time of King Narai According to The Life and Times of Luang Phaw Wat Paknam , the future master was ordained, along with seven others in July of 1903. His preceptor was LP Niang หลวงพ่อเห นี่ยง อินฺทโชโต (พระครูวินยานุโยค) who had assumed abbotship of temple two years prior. Some years later LP Niang would also serve as the preceptor of Venerable Pun Puṇṇasiri (ปุ่น ปุณฺณสิริ) who would go on to become the Phra Saṅgharāja. As the Sangahraja, master Pun Puṇṇasiri wrote a book about LP Sodh and Dhammakaya meditation. LP Sodh was not to stay at Wat Songphinong for long though. He quickly ""memorized the mantras and the Patimokkha. However, while ...

The Talisman of Koyasan’s Pure Noble Inari

高野山清高稲荷大明神 Up a gentle flight of tori gate lined stairs is the shrine of Koyasan's Pure and Noble Inari This Inari deity is of very high rank 正一位 and the spirit here was divided from another Inari shrine. On my second visit to this shrine, I received the shrine’s talisman. 御祈祷寶牘 (royal supplication, precious letter) The talisman itself says that it bestows upon the holder Inari’s blessings for safe travels and a safe home. On the inside of the talisman, printed in red ink is a siddham character 梵字ユ followed by 奉修弘法大師御本地供 [息災延命/家內安全] 祈從 Pray to Kobo Daishi [safety at home/avoiding disasters and prolonging life] While there are a handful of small Inari shrines around koya, from what I gather it is one of the more important ones, and certainly the most well looked after. As an aside, did you know there was actually a big Inari shrine in west gate located near where red house is now? You can check out this blog to see some pictures: Taipei Inari Shrine So, i...

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