75

Bundle 75: Heian Piety and Problems

Religion greatly influenced the Heian era (794–1185), as this bundle shows. Pious types took pilgrimages and carved massive Buddha figures onto rock faces. In one Kyushu city alone, 59 such statues have been deemed national treasures. Those years also gave rise to Shugendo, a mixture of mountain worship, esoteric Buddhism, and Taoism. But not all developments were positive. At remote temples, some monks sodomized boys who were training to be priests, causing countless Japanese to pull away from temples. Many also felt turned off by monks' arrogance and by temples' tax-exempt status. Consequently, several new sects of Buddhism emerged.
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箇
item
JOK: 1054
Have you been confused about -箇 versus -個 as a counter? If so, you're not alone. This problem has existed for millennia! To complicate matters further, the Japanese generally replace -箇 with -か, -カ, -ヵ, -ケ, or -ヶ. And one doesn't even pronounce -ケ as け! This essay sorts out all such muddles and puts 箇 "in its place," showing how to use it to mean "place" and how to count places.
岳
mountain peak
JOK: 1082
See how Mount Fuji connects to a supercomputer that can save Japan. Find out how politicians hobbled science research for years. Discover a legend about how Fuji became taller than its rival. Learn to say, "Mount Yatsugatake is a range with eight peaks," "This dog is trained to save people in the mountains," "Mountain rescue teams are on standby," and "The mountaineer set out for the summit."
稚
immature
JOK: 1576
Although 稚 means 'immature' or 'childish,' this kanji often represents very young people who are no more to blame for their lack of readiness than half-baked bread is. Learn ways of saying things like "They were too naive to understand." Also discover the context behind kids in a festival procession who wear silk costumes and heavy makeup and who may be called "divine children."
崖
cliff
JOK: 1977
Do you know what it means figuratively when the Japanese refer to being on a cliff's edge? Can you say that a car went off a cliff or that a cliff is vertical? Can you refer to a landslide with a compound containing 崖? Do you know where to find giant Buddhas carved from rock faces? Do you know which cliffs are famous in Japan and why? If you read the essay, you'll soon know all this!
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