#three treasures

[odaclan]

Mystery solved! Strange seal is a Buddhist seal, presumably from a temple

Just the other day I posted this mysterious letter that was labelled "Oda Nobunaga" in an auction listing, and the name signature was legible enough to identify as indeed saying "Nobunaga".

It drew my attention because the seal is not Tenka Fubu, and I have no idea what it was at first. Well, I've identified the seal now. It's a Buddhist "Three Treasures seal".

I wasn't able to find a version of it that looks exactly like the one printed on the paper, but there's enough line similarities between the ones I did find and the mysterious seal, that I'm confident enough to say that it's indeed a variation of that very same seal.

The text that is inscribed says: 佛法僧宝 (buppousoubou)

This means: "The treasures: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha (monks)"

This might be some sort of document awarding a grant to a certain temple, or a statement of offering, and was stamped with the temple's seal. Unfortunately this is not something that I was able to find much info on. Temples do have seals that they apparently stamp on paperwork or sutras as proof of pilgrimage or offerings, but I couldn't find any other Sengoku period examples of this being done on a samurai document.

Without knowing what the letter actually says, it's hard to tell what's going on in here.

The auctioneer does not have a transcript of the letter's content, and I have no idea where it went now (presumably already bought by someone). So unless this text eventually turns up again elsewhere, with experts providing the analysis, I'm stumped.

[raffaellopalandri]

Talking about Alchemy: 內經圖 - Neijing Tu

Talking about Alchemy: 內經圖 – Neijing Tu

The Neijing Tu – 內經圖 is a Daoist inner landscape diagram which illustrates the human body according to Neidan, the Esoteric Taoist Internal Alchemy.   內經圖 – Neijing Tu As a practitioner, a teacher, and a lecturer of Internal Martial Arts, I also developed a deep interest into Taoism and Alchemy. Taoist Internal Alchemy focuses upon becoming aware, developing, and using the 三寶 (sanbao), the so…

View On WordPress

[1five1two]

Since the refinement of the three treasures requires the removal of emotions, it is necessary to govern the mind. What is governing the mind? The mind is originally pure, the mind is originally calm; openness and freedom are both basic qualities of mind, this means we should keep it as it is in its original fundamental state, clear as a mountain stream, pure, fresh, unpolluted, silent as an immense canyon, free from clamor, vast as the universe, immeasurable in extent, open as a great desert, its bounds unknown.

Thomas Cleary

[symphonyoflovenet]

I have three treasures, which I prize and hold fast. First is compassion, second is simplicity, third is humility. Compassion, therefore I can be courageous; simplicity, therefore I can be generous; humility, therefore I can be good. - Lao Tzu, Verse 67 (我有三寶，持而寶之。一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。慈，故能勇；儉，故能廣；不敢為天下先，故能成器長。) Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photo-1751880/

[divinum-pacis]

What Are the Three Treasures in Taoism?

An introduction to the Taoist Three Treasures: Jing (creative energy), Qi (life-force energy) and Shen (spiritual energy).

[kharmachanic]

Sangha:

a community of those who practice Buddhism; peer review. 

One of the Three Treasures (Three Jewels)

[scentedink]

Haus of Gloi Yule Collection 2013-Three Treasures

Why am I putting up two reviews in two hours?

Well, why ask why?

(The truth: Snow Wolf as supposed to be posted yesterday, but it disappointed me so much I couldn't bring myself to write about it. My life is a joke, pretty much.)

So here's the one I was planning on doing today!

Three treasures is described as:

Sacred gifts of frankincense, myrrh and gold. Smoldering with warmth and brightened with a touch of mandarin rind.

Literally here for this. I heart resins likes you don't even know.

I was mildly concerned about the mandarin! Because of my tendency to amp certain things to the point that they're unpleasant. Also, the concept of a gold note confuses me.

In the sample, the frankincense and myrrh dominate, making a rich and almost amber impression. The only thing stopping it from possibly being too resiny (as if that was ever an issue) is the faint trace of mandarin.

On my skin, the mandarin opens up and balances the other three perfectly, making Three Treasures a warm and bright scent. Like juicy candied orange peels, which is one of my favorite things.

As the perfume fully dries, the orange rind starts dominating, which could have been a problem if it weren't for the fact that citrus fruits are my favorite fruits.

If you like the resinous/balsamic family and are fine with hesperides, I'd suggest this one! Otherwise, it might turn out badly for you in the drydown.

Three Treasures is in the same format as everything else, as always.

(Apologies for the short post, but my nose is kind of dead at this point, and I never seem to find enough things to say when I like perfumes. Other than, "You know what you should do? You should buy this for me."

But uh, that's probably not what you're here for, either.)

[stochasticlife]

The 21st Century Sangha

One of the three 'jewels' or refuges of Buddhism (see Three Jewels) is the sangha or the 'community'.

For western Buddhists of the 21st century the Sangha is much more expansive. Traditionally a monastery and it's community were the extent of the sangha, including the lineage the monastery was descended from. This definition was inherently more concrete, the transmission of knowledge of the dharma was a more tangible thing; you had to be there to be a student or to read the written texts.

Today however, the sangha is larger and can be digital. The inclusiveness of the 21st century sangha is such that we can take refuge in experience of almost any Buddhist anywhere, almost instantaneously. We have access to thousands of texts. The role of the sangha has evolved.

I have begun to wonder if there wouldn't be a place for an actual digital sangha, a virtual monastery where adherents are united by common purpose and practice, not necessarily by physical location. I suppose with such a poor functioning knowledge and direct of experience of a true sangha I may not be the most qualified person to assess the value of such a thing.

But it would make the sangha, as it relates to the three treasures, more accessible. As Buddhism spreads in the west, it would be especially helpful in those times and places where a physical location for/of Buddhism isn't possible or practical.