Azuki Beans
Azuki beans are small red beans commonly used in Japanese cooking, particularly in foods associated with ritual and ceremony. They appear both in sweet preparations, such as red bean paste used in mochi, and in unsweetened dishes, most notably sekihan (red rice).
In sekihan, azuki beans are cooked plain and the bean cooking liquid is used to color the rice, not to flavor it. The red color has traditionally been associated with protection and purification, which is why azuki beans are common in temple food and Buddhist contexts. When combined with mochigome (glutinous rice), the dish marks occasions of significance without relying on strong seasoning or sweetness.
Dukkha
Typically Dukkha is translated as “suffering”, which is an inadequate translation. In the tradition of The Eternal Fishnu, Dukkha refers to the mechanism of suffering, and that is the pitifully inadequate model of the Universe we call our brains.
The Eightfold Path
A list of attributes prescribed by the Buddha to relieve suffering. It’s the 4th item of the Four Noble Truths.
For Bodhi Season 2019, I covered each item of the Eightfold Path, beginning with the Pre-Bodhi Season 2019 post.
Hannya Shin Gyo
The Heart Sutra. “Heart” as in “the essence of” Buddhism.
English translation by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Lunar Bodhi Day
The Lunar Bodhi day is the 8th day of the 12th moon of the Chinese New Year calendar.
Morning Star Mantra
Nobo Akyasha Kyarabaya Om Arikya Maribori Sowaka.
The founder of Shingon Buddhism, Kobo Daishi, chanted this a million times and reached enlightenment. Like Siddhartha Gautama, he awoke from his meditation to Venus as the Morning Star.
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© 2018-2020 by Reverend Dukkha Hanamoku. All rights reserved.
Bodhi Day 