June 2017

Just what WOULD Confucius say?

Chinese fortune cookies with fortunes attributed to Confucius in the

For most people, the fortune inside the typically bland Chinese fortune cookie is its most palatable part, for it delivers either a sunny forecast, or at worst, a vague aphorism. Just how Confucius might have felt about these slips of paper so often attributed to him, however, might be an…

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Shinto-Japan’s Nature Religion

A bonsai tree in the moonlight

The word Shinto comes from the Chinese word Shen-tao, which means “the way of the gods”. In Japan, these gods are called “kami”; however, the meaning of kami encompasses not only gods, but also one’s ancestors, the spiritual essence that occupies everything, and anything/person that inspires reverence or awe.  In general, however, while…

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