Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Lion's Roar

    Otagaki Rengetsu

    Jan 21, 2020 2 minutes

    OTAGAKI RENGETSU (1791–1875) was known as the “Bodhisattva Nun” of Kyoto. She was the love child of a high-ranking samurai and a geisha, but when she was ten days old, she was adopted by a lay official at Chion-in, headquarters temple of Jodo Shu Buddhism.

    In her teenage years, Rengetsu was called to serve as an attendant at Kameoka Castle. (sickle and chain). Since Kameoka Castle was home to a ninja brigade, she naturally absorbed ninjutsu, the art of stealth.

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from Lion's Roar

    Lion's Roar2 min read
    Determination
    I’m deeply moved by the image the great poet Shantideva gives of the courageous bodhisattva who glides down into the sufferings of samsara “as swans sweep down upon a lotus lake.” As he described it, there’s such joy and ease in the bodhisattva’s det
    Lion's Roar2 min read
    Renunciation
    Renunciation, the third parami, is often spoken of or looked upon as harsh and restrictive. Whenever we are in some difficulty where we need support, harshness and restrictiveness don’t resonate. But what we should know is that renunciation actually
    Lion's Roar4 min read
    Good Food
    What drew you to Buddhist practice? Daily sitting practice helped me feel more connected to something greater than myself. In 2005, I spent a week at Deer Park, Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastery in Escondido, California. The woman who is now my wife and I

    Related