Carving the Divine TV Podcast

Let’s support, watch and share this world award winning documentary, Carving the Divine! HERE IS THE LINK 👉 https://igg.me/at/Carving-the-Divine What is Carving The Divine about? Carving the Divine is a documentary film that offers a rare look into a 1400-year-old Buddhist woodcarving tradition and the practitioners struggling to preserve its legacy in a rapidly changing Japan. The art of Busshi is one of the most significant cultural legacies of Japan. Yet at this point, this tradition is virtually unknown to the Western World. These statues have been an integral part of Japanese culture for 1400 years for a reason. And it will be my great pleasure and privilege that Carving the Divine will be the first experience of these cultural treasures for many people around the world. Carving the Divine has become the official selection for 30 film festivals, showing in a total of 22 countries, and won awards at 13 festivals worldwide, such as winning the Best Director Award of a Foreign Language Documentary at World Cinema Milan and premiering at the famous Raindance Film Festival in London. Carving the Divine Awards: World Cinema Milan Festival 2019 - Best Director of a Foreign Language Documentary Award Art Quake Kyoto 2019 - Best Feature Length Film Award Helsinki Education Film Festival International - Best Historical Feature Award Australia Independent Film Festival 2019 - Jury Award Arte Non Stop Festival 2019 - Best Screenplay Award Religion Today Film Festival 2019 - In the Spirit of Faith Award and commendation Award Japan Indies Film Festival 2020 - Best Documentary Feature Award Puerto Rico International Film Festival ENFOQUE 2020 - The mention of Honor of Best International Documentary Film New York Interfaith Film & Music Festival 2020 - Best International Documentary award Rhode Island International Film Festival Roving Eye 2021 - Best Documentary First Prize Rhode Island International Film Festival 2021 - Flickers International Vision Award: First Prize World Independent Cinema Award (WICA) 2021 - Best Cinematography in a Documentary - Best Director of a Foreign Language Documentary Buddhist Arts and Film Festival 2022 - Best Documentary Award, Boulder Colorado More information please visit: http://www.carvingthedivine.com https://www.facebook.com/CarvingTheDivine/ https://www.instagram.com/carvingthedivine/ https://twitter.com/CarvingDivine Carving the Divine Review by Shodo/Calligraphy Master William Reed #carvingthedivine #busshi Support the show

Let’s support and watch this world award winning documentary, Carving the Divine! HERE IS THE LINK: https://igg.me/at/Carving-the-Divine What is Carving The Divine about? Carving the Divine is a documentary film that offers a rare look into a 1400-year-old Buddhist woodcarving tradition and the practitioners struggling to preserve its legacy in a rapidly changing Japan. Carving the Divine has become the official selection for 30 film festivals, showing in a total of 22 countries, and won awards at 13 festivals worldwide, such as winning the Best Director Award of a Foreign Language Documentary at World Cinema Milan and premiering at the famous Raindance Film Festival in London. Carving the Divine Awards: World Cinema Milan Festival 2019 - Best Director of a Foreign Language Documentary Award Art Quake Kyoto 2019 - Best Feature Length Film Award Helsinki Education Film Festival International - Best Historical Feature Award Australia Independent Film Festival 2019 - Jury Award Arte Non Stop Festival 2019 - Best Screenplay Award Religion Today Film Festival 2019 - In the Spirit of Faith Award and commendation Award Japan Indies Film Festival 2020 - Best Documentary Feature Award Puerto Rico International Film Festival ENFOQUE 2020 - The mention of Honor of Best International Documentary Film New York Interfaith Film & Music Festival 2020 - Best International Documentary award Rhode Island International Film Festival Roving Eye 2021 - Best Documentary First Prize Rhode Island International Film Festival 2021 - Flickers International Vision Award: First Prize World Independent Cinema Award (WICA) 2021 - Best Cinematography in a Documentary - Best Director of a Foreign Language Documentary Buddhist Arts and Film Festival 2022 - Best Documentary Award, Boulder Colorado The art of Busshi is one of the most significant cultural legacies of Japan. Yet at this point, this tradition is virtually unknown to the Western World. These statues have been an integral part of Japanese culture for 1400 years for a reason. And it will be my great pleasure and privilege that Carving the Divine will be the first experience of these cultural treasures for many people around the world. More information please visit: http://www.carvingthedivine.com https://www.facebook.com/CarvingTheDivine/ https://www.instagram.com/carvingthedivine/ https://twitter.com/CarvingDivine Support the show

Let’s support and watch this world award winning documentary, Carving the Divine! HERE IS THE LINK: https://igg.me/at/Carving-the-Divine Check out an endorsement review of Carving the Divine by Rinzai Zen Master, Meido Moore "Great Buddhist sculpture reveals not only a hard-won technical mastery and aesthetic refinement: it possesses an energetic, luminous quality that has the ability to transform our conditions, and even to give the viewer an experiential taste of the qualities represented by each figure. This wonderful film "Carving the Divine" shows us that the path to mastery of this ancient art is as much a spiritual discipline as it is the learning of a skill. The profound yet stern compassion of the teacher, and the sincerity of the apprentices as they seek to uncover the images within the wood, are wonderfully shown. Watching this film, one may grasp how the art of the Busshi is not simply to produce sculpture: it is itself a Way of life and wisdom, in which the images mirror the artists' own hearts." - Meido Moore, Rinzai Zen priest Abbot at Korinji Rinzai Zen Monastery What is Carving The Divine about? Carving the Divine is a documentary film that offers a rare look into a 1400-year-old Buddhist woodcarving tradition and the practitioners struggling to preserve its legacy in a rapidly changing Japan. Carving the Divine has become the official selection for 30 film festivals, showing in a total of 22 countries, and won awards at 13 festivals worldwide, such as winning the Best Director Award of a Foreign Language Documentary at World Cinema Milan and premiering at the famous Raindance Film Festival in London. Carving the Divine Awards: World Cinema Milan Festival 2019 - Best Director of a Foreign Language Documentary Award Art Quake Kyoto 2019 - Best Feature Length Film Award Helsinki Education Film Festival International - Best Historical Feature Award Australia Independent Film Festival 2019 - Jury Award Arte Non Stop Festival 2019 - Best Screenplay Award Religion Today Film Festival 2019 - In the Spirit of Faith Award and commendation Award Japan Indies Film Festival 2020 - Best Documentary Feature Award Puerto Rico International Film Festival ENFOQUE 2020 - The mention of Honor of Best International Documentary Film New York Interfaith Film & Music Festival 2020 - Best International Documentary award Rhode Island International Film Festival Roving Eye 2021 - Best Documentary First Prize Rhode Island International Film Festival 2021 - Flickers International Vision Award: First Prize World Independent Cinema Award (WICA) 2021 - Best Cinematography in a Documentary - Best Director of a Foreign Language Documentary Buddhist Arts and Film Festival 2022 - Best Documentary Award, Boulder Colorado The art of Busshi is one of the most significant cultural legacies of Japan. Yet at this point, this tradition is virtually unknown to the Western World. These statues have been an integral part of Japanese culture for 1400 years for a reason. And it will be my great pleasure and privilege that Carving the Divine will be the first experience of these cultural treasures for many people around the world. More information please visit: http://www.carvingthedivine.com https://www.facebook.com/CarvingTheDivine/ https://www.instagram.com/carvingthedivine/ https://twitter.com/CarvingDivine Support the show

Let’s support and watch this world award winning documentary, Carving the Divine! HERE IS THE LINK: https://igg.me/at/Carving-the-Divine Check out an endorsement review of Carving the Divine by Art Historian Mark Schumacher "Carving the Divine explores the modern remnants of Japan’s ancient carving traditions – largely hidden from public gaze. It captures the hardships and aspirations of the current generation of apprentice-artisans training under the harsh-yet-kind tutelage of a master carver. Heart-warming and intimate, "Carving the Divine" unveils the secret world of master-disciple relationships among sculptors of religious icons. It also shines a spotlight on the time-honored traditions of passing down ancient techniques to a new generation. This film is a godsend for anyone who has worked with a mallet and chisel, but everyone who sees it will be touched by its beauty, benevolence, and blessings of compassion." - Mark Schumacher, Art Historian What is Carving The Divine about? Carving the Divine is a documentary film that offers a rare look into a 1400-year-old Buddhist woodcarving tradition and the practitioners struggling to preserve its legacy in a rapidly changing Japan. Carving the Divine has become the official selection for 30 film festivals, showing in a total of 22 countries, and won awards at 13 festivals worldwide, such as winning the Best Director Award of a Foreign Language Documentary at World Cinema Milan and premiering at the famous Raindance Film Festival in London. Carving the Divine Awards: World Cinema Milan Festival 2019 - Best Director of a Foreign Language Documentary Award Art Quake Kyoto 2019 - Best Feature Length Film Award Helsinki Education Film Festival International - Best Historical Feature Award Australia Independent Film Festival 2019 - Jury Award Arte Non Stop Festival 2019 - Best Screenplay Award Religion Today Film Festival 2019 - In the Spirit of Faith Award and commendation Award Japan Indies Film Festival 2020 - Best Documentary Feature Award Puerto Rico International Film Festival ENFOQUE 2020 - The mention of Honor of Best International Documentary Film New York Interfaith Film & Music Festival 2020 - Best International Documentary award Rhode Island International Film Festival Roving Eye 2021 - Best Documentary First Prize Rhode Island International Film Festival 2021 - Flickers International Vision Award: First Prize World Independent Cinema Award (WICA) 2021 - Best Cinematography in a Documentary - Best Director of a Foreign Language Documentary Buddhist Arts and Film Festival 2022 - Best Documentary Award, Boulder Colorado The art of Busshi is one of the most significant cultural legacies of Japan. Yet at this point, this tradition is virtually unknown to the Western World. These statues have been an integral part of Japanese culture for 1400 years for a reason. And it will be my great pleasure and privilege that Carving the Divine will be the first experience of these cultural treasures for many people around the world. More information please visit: http://www.carvingthedivine.com https://www.facebook.com/CarvingTheDivine/ https://www.instagram.com/carvingthedivine/ https://twitter.com/CarvingDivine Support the show

Let’s support and watch this world award winning documentary, Carving the Divine! HERE IS THE LINK: https://igg.me/at/Carving-the-Divine Check out an endorsement review of Carving the Divine by Martial Artist Teacher, Author, Speaker An-Shu Stephen K. Hayes! "Can a traditional Japanese sacred art form based on generations of selfless apprentices studying with stern masters survive into the 21st Century? Has Japan retained enough reverence for the demanding learning process that takes years of thankless dedication to just begin to develop mastery? I sat breathlessly through “Carving the Divine”, silently cheering on those few committed artists as they approached gaining the exquisite skill of depicting through carved wood the most sublime of Buddhist sacred images. Will they make it? Can they accept the firm and relentless coaching from their masters? Filmmaker Yujiro Seki pulls aside the curtain and shows us nakedly the disciplined world of the busshi, master carvers of Buddhist wonder. An amazingly touching film!" - An-Shu Stephen K. Hayes, Teacher, Author, Speaker What is Carving The Divine about? Carving the Divine is a documentary film that offers a rare look into a 1400-year-old Buddhist woodcarving tradition and the practitioners struggling to preserve its legacy in a rapidly changing Japan. Carving the Divine has become the official selection for 30 film festivals, showing in a total of 22 countries, and won awards at 13 festivals worldwide, such as winning the Best Director Award of a Foreign Language Documentary at World Cinema Milan and premiering at the famous Raindance Film Festival in London. Carving the Divine Awards: World Cinema Milan Festival 2019 - Best Director of a Foreign Language Documentary Award Art Quake Kyoto 2019 - Best Feature Length Film Award Helsinki Education Film Festival International - Best Historical Feature Award Australia Independent Film Festival 2019 - Jury Award Arte Non Stop Festival 2019 - Best Screenplay Award Religion Today Film Festival 2019 - In the Spirit of Faith Award and commendation Award Japan Indies Film Festival 2020 - Best Documentary Feature Award Puerto Rico International Film Festival ENFOQUE 2020 - The mention of Honor of Best International Documentary Film New York Interfaith Film & Music Festival 2020 - Best International Documentary award Rhode Island International Film Festival Roving Eye 2021 - Best Documentary First Prize Rhode Island International Film Festival 2021 - Flickers International Vision Award: First Prize World Independent Cinema Award (WICA) 2021 - Best Cinematography in a Documentary - Best Director of a Foreign Language Documentary Buddhist Arts and Film Festival 2022 - Best Documentary Award, Boulder Colorado The art of Busshi is one of the most significant cultural legacies of Japan. Yet at this point, this tradition is virtually unknown to the Western World. These statues have been an integral part of Japanese culture for 1400 years for a reason. And it will be my great pleasure and privilege that Carving the Divine will be the first experience of these cultural treasures for many people around the world. More information please visit: http://www.carvingthedivine.com https://www.facebook.com/CarvingTheDi... https://www.instagram.com/carvingthed... https://twitter.com/CarvingDivine Support the show

Let’s support and watch this world award winning documentary, Carving the Divine! HERE IS THE LINK: https://igg.me/at/Carving-the-Divine Check out an endorsement review of Carving the Divine by Rev. Marvin Harada The Bishop and Co-Director, Center for Buddhist Education Buddhist Churches of America "Carving the Divine is more than a movie about amazing wood sculptors of Japan. To me, the movie is about the Master-Apprentice, or the Master-Disciple relationship, and how this is still being transmitted in the traditional manner.....stern, but yet ultimately kind, in training the apprentice to be a true artist in both skill and spirit." - Rev. Marvin Harada, The Bishop and Co-Director, Center for Buddhist Education Buddhist Churches of America What is Carving The Divine about? Carving the Divine is a documentary film that offers a rare look into a 1400-year-old Buddhist woodcarving tradition and the practitioners struggling to preserve its legacy in a rapidly changing Japan. Carving the Divine has become the official selection for 30 film festivals, showing in a total of 22 countries, and won awards at 13 festivals worldwide, such as winning the Best Director Award of a Foreign Language Documentary at World Cinema Milan and premiering at the famous Raindance Film Festival in London. Carving the Divine Awards: World Cinema Milan Festival 2019 - Best Director of a Foreign Language Documentary Award Art Quake Kyoto 2019 - Best Feature Length Film Award Helsinki Education Film Festival International - Best Historical Feature Award Australia Independent Film Festival 2019 - Jury Award Arte Non Stop Festival 2019 - Best Screenplay Award Religion Today Film Festival 2019 - In the Spirit of Faith Award and commendation Award Japan Indies Film Festival 2020 - Best Documentary Feature Award Puerto Rico International Film Festival ENFOQUE 2020 - The mention of Honor of Best International Documentary Film New York Interfaith Film & Music Festival 2020 - Best International Documentary award Rhode Island International Film Festival Roving Eye 2021 - Best Documentary First Prize Rhode Island International Film Festival 2021 - Flickers International Vision Award: First Prize World Independent Cinema Award (WICA) 2021 - Best Cinematography in a Documentary - Best Director of a Foreign Language Documentary Buddhist Arts and Film Festival 2022 - Best Documentary Award, Boulder Colorado The art of Busshi is one of the most significant cultural legacies of Japan. Yet at this point, this tradition is virtually unknown to the Western World. These statues have been an integral part of Japanese culture for 1400 years for a reason. And it will be my great pleasure and privilege that Carving the Divine will be the first experience of these cultural treasures for many people around the world. More information please visit: http://www.carvingthedivine.com https://www.facebook.com/CarvingTheDivine/ https://www.instagram.com/carvingthedivine/ https://twitter.com/CarvingDivine Support the show

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism, the history of Buddhism and of course Buddhist sculptures/sculptors (bustuzo/busshi) so that when viewers finally watch the documentary Carving the Divine - Buddhist sculptors of Japan, they will get the maximum value of the documentary. Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism, the history of Buddhism and of course Buddhist sculptures/sculptors (bustuzo/busshi) so that when viewers finally watch the documentary Carving the Divine - Buddhist sculptors of Japan, they will get the maximum value of the documentary. Finally, we will have a special show about Busshi (Japanese Buddhist sculptors). This time we are going to talk about the history of Busshi! The art of Busshi, known as Butsuzo, has been one of the highest refined art forms in Japan for 1400 years, but it has been under the radar until now. Finally, we are ready to bring this art and tradition to the forefront through our documentary Carving the Divine. However, Carving the Divine does not recount the history of Busshi; rather, it is about the modern-day Busshi. So, we thought it would be a great idea to do a special show to specifically introduce the history and why the Busshi tradition matters. * To fully enjoy the visual presentation of the slides, please go to our YouTube video: https://youtu.be/tWld13bY1hc As always, we will take you on a true wild rollercoaster ride. Get ready! In this show, you will travel through the span of 1400 years. How crazy is that? How cool is that? This is a truly special show because we invited our hero, Art Historian Mark Schumacher, to show and tell the history of Busshi through his visual presentation. We will not only talk about the history of Busshi but we will also be showing you visually the art of Busshi. We’ll be talking about Tori Busshi, Jocho, Unkei, Kaikei, Enku and so much more! So you can see the beautiful art of Busshi in your own eyes along with the history lesson! And that’s not all! Mr. Schumacher is gracious enough to let us download the virtual presentation of this episode so that you can study it in your own time and at your own pace! Please go to https://www.carvingthedivine.com/study-guide and download! Wow, I’m speechless! This is the coolest gift ever! Enjoy! So what are you waiting for?! Check out our newest Carving the Divine TV episode “The History of Busshi (Japanese Buddhist sculptors)” Let’s go on our incredible journey of 1400 years! Mark Schumacher is an independent researcher who moved to Kamakura (Japan) in 1993 and still lives there today. His website, The A-to-Z Photo Dictionary of Japanese Religious Statuary, has been online since 1995. It is widely referenced by universities, museums, art historians, Buddhist practitioners, and lay people from around the world. The site's focus is medieval Japanese religious art, primarily Buddhist, but it also catalogs art from Shintō, Shugendō, Taoist, and other traditions. As of August 2018, it contained 400+ deities and thousands of annotated photos of statuary from Kamakura, Nara, Kyoto, and elsewhere in Japan. The site is searchable. LINK TO A-TO-Z PHOTO DICTIONARY = http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/buddhism.shtml Support the show

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism, the history of Buddhism and of course Buddhist sculptures/sculptors (bustuzo/busshi) so that when viewers finally watch the documentary Carving the Divine - Buddhist sculptors of Japan, they will get the maximum value of the documentary. This is a special episode about categories of Butsuzo (Japanese Buddhist Statuary/Statues/sculptures). We will have an art historian/scholar Mark Schumacher to discuss the category "Ten-bu (Celestial Beings)." * To fully enjoy the visual presentation of the slides, please go to our YouTube video: https://youtu.be/vUH3msgBmZ8 Mark Schumacher is an independent researcher who moved to Kamakura (Japan) in 1993 and still lives there today. His website, The A-to-Z Photo Dictionary of Japanese Religious Statuary, has been online since 1995. It is widely referenced by universities, museums, art historians, Buddhist practitioners, and lay people from around the world. The site's focus is medieval Japanese religious art, primarily Buddhist, but it also catalogs art from Shintō, Shugendō, Taoist, and other traditions. As of August 2018, it contained 400+ deities and thousands of annotated photos of statuary from Kamakura, Nara, Kyoto, and elsewhere in Japan. The site is searchable. LINK TO A-TO-Z PHOTO DICTIONARY = http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/buddhism.shtml Support the show

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism, the history of Buddhism and of course Buddhist sculptures/sculptors (bustuzo/busshi) so that when viewers finally watch the documentary Carving the Divine - Buddhist sculptors of Japan, they will get the maximum value of the documentary. This is a special episode about categories of Butsuzo (Japanese Buddhist Statuary/Statues/sculptures). We will have an art historian/scholar Mark Schumacher to discuss the category "Myo-o (Wisdom Kings)." * To fully enjoy the visual presentation of the slides, please go to our YouTube video: https://youtu.be/rctbIuhA0f8 Mark Schumacher is an independent researcher who moved to Kamakura (Japan) in 1993 and still lives there today. His website, The A-to-Z Photo Dictionary of Japanese Religious Statuary, has been online since 1995. It is widely referenced by universities, museums, art historians, Buddhist practitioners, and lay people from around the world. The site's focus is medieval Japanese religious art, primarily Buddhist, but it also catalogs art from Shintō, Shugendō, Taoist, and other traditions. As of August 2018, it contained 400+ deities and thousands of annotated photos of statuary from Kamakura, Nara, Kyoto, and elsewhere in Japan. The site is searchable. LINK TO A-TO-Z PHOTO DICTIONARY = http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/buddhism.shtml Support the show

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism, the history of Buddhism and of course Buddhist sculptures/sculptors (bustuzo/busshi) so that when viewers finally watch the documentary Carving the Divine - Buddhist sculptors of Japan, they will get the maximum value of the documentary. This is a special episode about categories of Butsuzo (Japanese Buddhist Statuary/Statues/sculptures). We will have an art historian/scholar Mark Schumacher to discuss the category "Bosatsu (Bodhisattvas)." * To fully enjoy the visual presentation of the slides, please go to our YouTube video: https://youtu.be/bQYd8LkZSxs Mark Schumacher is an independent researcher who moved to Kamakura (Japan) in 1993 and still lives there today. His website, The A-to-Z Photo Dictionary of Japanese Religious Statuary, has been online since 1995. It is widely referenced by universities, museums, art historians, Buddhist practitioners, and lay people from around the world. The site's focus is medieval Japanese religious art, primarily Buddhist, but it also catalogs art from Shintō, Shugendō, Taoist, and other traditions. As of August 2018, it contained 400+ deities and thousands of annotated photos of statuary from Kamakura, Nara, Kyoto, and elsewhere in Japan. The site is searchable. LINK TO A-TO-Z PHOTO DICTIONARY = http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/buddhism.shtml Support the show

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism, the history of Buddhism and of course Buddhist sculptures/sculptors (bustuzo/busshi) so that when viewers finally watch the documentary Carving the Divine - Buddhist sculptors of Japan, they will get the maximum value of the documentary. This is a special episode about categories of Butsuzo (Japanese Buddhist Statuary/Statues/sculptures). We will have an art historian/scholar Mark Schumacher to discuss the category "Nyorai (Buddhas)." * To fully enjoy the visual presentation of the slides, please go to our YouTube video: https://youtu.be/8b1q1zxLGxM Mark Schumacher is an independent researcher who moved to Kamakura (Japan) in 1993 and still lives there today. His website, The A-to-Z Photo Dictionary of Japanese Religious Statuary, has been online since 1995. It is widely referenced by universities, museums, art historians, Buddhist practitioners, and lay people from around the world. The site's focus is medieval Japanese religious art, primarily Buddhist, but it also catalogs art from Shintō, Shugendō, Taoist, and other traditions. As of August 2018, it contained 400+ deities and thousands of annotated photos of statuary from Kamakura, Nara, Kyoto, and elsewhere in Japan. The site is searchable. LINK TO A-TO-Z PHOTO DICTIONARY = http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/buddhism.shtml Support the show

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism, the history of Buddhism and of course Buddhist sculptures/sculptors (bustuzo/busshi) so that when viewers finally watch the documentary Carving the Divine - Buddhist sculptors of Japan, they will get the maximum value of the documentary. In this special episode, we will have an art historian/scholar) Mark Schumacher to discuss History/transmission of Buddhism to Japan and Common Characteristics of Deity Classes, including Nyorai (Buddhas) Bosatsu (Bodhisattvas) Nyorai (Wisdom Kings) and Ten (Celestial Beings). * To fully enjoy this content, please go to our YouTube video: https://youtu.be/M2LPT5yG8fY Mark Schumacher is an independent researcher who moved to Kamakura (Japan) in 1993 and still lives there today. His website, The A-to-Z Photo Dictionary of Japanese Religious Statuary, has been online since 1995. It is widely referenced by universities, museums, art historians, Buddhist practitioners, and lay people from around the world. The site's focus is medieval Japanese religious art, primarily Buddhist, but it also catalogs art from Shintō, Shugendō, Taoist, and other traditions. As of August 2018, it contained 400+ deities and thousands of annotated photos of statuary from Kamakura, Nara, Kyoto, and elsewhere in Japan. The site is searchable. LINK TO A-TO-Z PHOTO DICTIONARY = http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/buddhism.shtml Support the show

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism, the history of Buddhism and of course Buddhist sculptures/sculptors (bustuzo/busshi) so that when viewers finally watch the documentary Carving the Divine - Buddhist sculptors of Japan, they will get the maximum value of the documentary. Years ago, when I first came to the US as an exchange student from Japan, I knew very little about the country. I read a book about living in America that stated, “In the US, you have to believe in one thing. You have to be affiliated with one religion. If you believe in multiple things or nothing at all, people will not respect you.” I have no idea if that statement was entirely true or not, but I did feel that the majority of Americans I met at that time saw religion very differently from the way Japanese people saw religion. It was difficult for me to understand that statement because believing in multiple things or nothing at all is a common practice in Japan. Well, I do not think there is a right or wrong way to think, but there is a question of whether a Western religion like Christianity and an Eastern religion like Buddhism can co-exist with each other in a single individual. Yes, today we are talking about religious multiplicity. In other words, we want to ask the daunting and controversial question, “Can we be a Christian and Buddhist at the same time?” Yes! We will be joined by an expert on this subject, Dr. Duane Bidwell, professor of Practical Theology, Spiritual Care, and Counseling at Claremont School of Theology at Willamette University. Well he also happens to be a Christian pastor and Theravada Buddhist practitioner at the same time! We will be asking important questions such as What is the concept of religious multiplicity? In the United States, if you do not believe in one religion, is there something wrong with you? What is your Buddhist affiliation? Please tell us your story. What is your Christian affiliation? Please tell us your story. How can your Buddhist identity and Christian identity work together? Can you show us some examples? Can we be a Buddhist and Christian at the same time? ​ Duane teaches practical theology, spiritual care, and counseling at Claremont School of Theology at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, USA. He is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and practitioner of vipassana (insight meditation) in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. His work has been featured on NPR, CNN, Interfaith Radio, and other media. Since 2014, students have given Duane three teaching and mentoring awards, and he has published several books, including When One Religion Isn't Enough: The Lives of Spiritually Fluid People (Beacon, 2018), which is a Christian Century bestseller and a Library Journal "Best Book 2018." Duane serves on the boards of the Taos Institute and the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies. He is also an advisor to the International Buddhist Chaplains Foundation. Support the show

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism, the history of Buddhism and of course Buddhist sculptures/sculptors (bustuzo/busshi) so that when viewers finally watch the documentary Carving the Divine - Buddhist sculptors of Japan, they will get the maximum value of the documentary. We live in a complex world with countless causes and effects creating our reality. But we have a tendency to try to make things black and white. Personally, I think it is because our culture does not encourage critical thinking as much as it ought to. Racism is one of the issues that people think they have figured out; they say that they are not racists and racism must stop. But do they really understand racism to start with? Do I really understand racism? Just because we don’t believe we are racist, are we immune to racism? Are we free from it? Is it other people’s problems? What is unaware racism? Today, we will be dissecting racism from the ground up. We have an amazing and highly qualified guest, Rev. Myokei Caine-Barrett from Nichiren Order of North America who is not only a benevolent, compassionate priest but a strong advocate against racism for over 30 years! She will help us understand racism not only as a simplistic term but in a profound way. I’m ready for this discussion. I hope you are too! We will be asking important questions such as: In your own words, what is racism? And why should we care about it? What is the brief history of racism in the USA? What has been your own experience of racism? Why did you choose Buddhism instead of other religious paths? Is Buddhism diverse in this day and age? Does racism exist in the Buddhist community? If so, in what form? What is cultural appropriation and how does it affect our culture? So, I often hear people saying that in Buddhism, everyone is equal and race is not the issue. What do you think of this statement? Is it important to have diversity in the Buddhist community? If so why? What can we do as individuals to promote equality in both the Buddhist world and society as a whole? Myokei Caine-Barrett currently holds the position of iBishop of the Nichiren Shu Buddhist Order of North America. She is the first woman and the first American to hold this position. She is also the first American woman and first person of African American-Japanese descent to be fully ordained, having completed this process in 2007 with Archbishop Nissho Uchino in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. She is the guiding teacher and priest at Myoken-ji Temple in Houston, Texas. Myokei Shonin currently volunteers with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as clergy to two prison Sanghas for the past 16 years in keeping with the Lotus Sutra teaching of full equality of all beings. Her writings have been published in a variety of Buddhist magazines and newspapers and is featured in “The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women.” She is currently developing curriculum for (1) the Nichiren Shu tradition and the Lotus Sutra and (2) dealing with the trauma of incarceration and racism. She also supports weekend trainings for Healing Warrior Hearts, a Texas for Heroes project designed to truly welcome veterans home. She is also a licensed Religious Science practitioner. Support the show

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism and the history of Buddhism so that when viewers finally watch Carving the Divine they will get the maximum value of the documentary. In this special episode, we will have a Theravada Buddhist monk, Bhante Ananda Path, to explain to us about the basic concept of Theravada Buddhism. We will ask important questions such as: 1. What is Theravada Buddhism? What is the core teaching of it? 2. Do we have to give up our ordinary life to be a Theravada Buddhist? 3. How is Theravada different from Mahayana? Why is Theravada your choice? 4. Do you live in a monastery? 5. How can you utilize Buddhist teaching in real life? 6. What is the Theravada view of Buddha (Buddhist) statues? Bhikkhu Ananda is a socially engaged Buddhist monk of Nepal who entered the Order of Theravada Buddhism in 1981. He mastered in Oriental and Buddhist Studies. Ananda helped coordinate the “Civic Solidarity for Peace” movement to end a decade of war (1995-2005) between the Maoist Insurgency and the State of Nepal. From 2007 to 2012, as a Member of Constituent Assembly and Legislature Parliament, he secured religious rights and reservations in the new constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. In 2007, the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) of Korea named him an “Ambassador for Peace.” Support the show

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism and the history of Buddhism so that when viewers finally watch Carving the Divine they will get the maximum value of the documentary. In this special episode, we will have a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism and a professor of Buddist Studies, University of San Diego to discuss Tibetan Buddhism. We will be asking important questions such as: What is the Tibetan Buddhism? What’s so special about it? What is Vajrayana? Is it the extension of Mahayana? What is meant by “tantric tradition”? Does it require practitioners to have eccentric sex? What is the brief history of Tibetan Buddhism? What are some of the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism? Who is The Dalai Lama? What are mudras? What are mandalas? How are they used in practice? What is the role of Buddhist sculptures in Tibetan Buddhism? Karma Lekshe Tsomo is a professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of San Diego, where she teaches Buddhist Thought and Culture, World Religions, Death and Dying, Images of Enlightenment, and other subjects. She is a founder and past president of Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women and the founder/director of Jamyang Foundation, an educational initiative that supports study programs for Himalayan nuns in India and Marma girls in Bangladesh. Her publications include Into the Jaws of Yama: Buddhism, Bioethics, and Death; Sisters in Solitude: Two Traditions of Monastic Ethics for Women; and numerous edited works on women in Buddhism. Please visit Karma Kekshe Tsomo's websites for the charitable cause: www.jamyang.org www.sakyadhita.org www.sakyadhita.org/local/branches/hawaii.html Support the show

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism and the history of Buddhism so that when viewers finally watch Carving the Divine they will get the maximum value of the documentary. Carving the Divine is starting the one and only Butsuzo (Buddhist statuary) blog in America and beyond. We call the blog, Butsuzōtion! I am delighted to introduce Sculptor David Bilbrey who is going to be the chief writer of the blog. He will tell us about what he is going to accomplish in our blog! For more information: https://www.carvingthedivine.com/blog​ Support the show

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism and the history of Buddhism so that when viewers finally watch Carving the Divine they will get the maximum value of the documentary. In this special episode, we will have a art historian/scholar) Mark Schumacher to discuss about Busshi (Japanese Buddhist sculptor). * To fully enjoy this content, please go to our YouTube video: https://youtu.be/Kn3ZD-R5_vs Mark Schumacher is an independent researcher who moved to Kamakura (Japan) in 1993 and still lives there today. His website, The A-to-Z Photo Dictionary of Japanese Religious Statuary, has been online since 1995. It is widely referenced by universities, museums, art historians, Buddhist practitioners, and lay people from around the world. The site's focus is medieval Japanese religious art, primarily Buddhist, but it also catalogs art from Shintō, Shugendō, Taoist, and other traditions. As of August 2018, it contained 400+ deities and thousands of annotated photos of statuary from Kamakura, Nara, Kyoto, and elsewhere in Japan. The site is searchable. LINK TO A-TO-Z PHOTO DICTIONARY = http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/buddhism.shtml Support the show

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism and the history of Buddhism so that when viewers finally watch Carving the Divine they will get the maximum value of the documentary. In this special episode, we will have a art historian/scholar) Mark Schumacher to discuss the concept of Butsuzo (Japanese Buddhist Statuary/Statues/sculptures. * To fully enjoy this content, please go to our YouTube video: https://youtu.be/dtgCnOSgT0Q Mark Schumacher is an independent researcher who moved to Kamakura (Japan) in 1993 and still lives there today. His website, The A-to-Z Photo Dictionary of Japanese Religious Statuary, has been online since 1995. It is widely referenced by universities, museums, art historians, Buddhist practitioners, and lay people from around the world. The site's focus is medieval Japanese religious art, primarily Buddhist, but it also catalogs art from Shintō, Shugendō, Taoist, and other traditions. As of August 2018, it contained 400+ deities and thousands of annotated photos of statuary from Kamakura, Nara, Kyoto, and elsewhere in Japan. The site is searchable. LINK TO A-TO-Z PHOTO DICTIONARY = http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/buddhism.shtml Support the show

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV Podcast is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism and the history of Buddhism so that when listeners finally watch the documentary film "Carving the Divine - Buddhist Sculptors of Japan" they will get the maximum value of the documentary. In this episode, we will have a quick survey course of Buddhism Post WWII Japan and Beyond (USA). Support the show