南無阿彌陀佛! Namu Amida Butsu!
(Amitabha Buddha, Central Java, 8th-9th Century)

Frog, ca. 3100–2650 B.C.E Early Dynastic Period, #Egypt

Blue green glazed faience

(Met Museum)

Finished last night, incredible book. With all the buildup to the finale I was worried Mishima wouldn't stick the landing, but he's a master at work. Exactly the right amount is left unsaid, so tasteful.

namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu namo amida butsu

Mahavairocana - Central Java, 9th/10th Century

Bhava tanha, the craving for being- is it wrong for me to see it as more than mere mental state? Doing volunteer plant conservation, it is hard not to see dukkha in the seed struggling to sprout, the competition for light and water, and the ecosystem struggling to persist.

The statue in the image is the Seated Vairochana Buddha from 9th century Central Java. Beautiful example of medieval Javanese iconography.

In my study of Buddhism I'm triangulating between three different "Buddhisms": that known to secular philosopy, that known to the social sciences, and that of Buddhists themselves. I feel all three are necessary for understanding.

Soraj Hongladarom on Spinozist-Buddhist correspondences

I went to my first dharma talk yesterday. I'm deciding to take the plunge and explore Buddhism.

The Meditations are what first got me really hooked on philosophy. So excited!

So nice to be on a platform where having an academic interest in anthropology doesn't lead to incel amateur race scientists flooding your mentions