Books to read in the new year of 2018
~Monosus' "Reading Club" #21~

"Dance Even After Death" was one of the most interesting books I read last year. It is a critical biography of the Kamakura period monk Ippen Shonin, and I brought it with me because I wanted to read it again in the new year.

I learned about Ippen Shonin from a history textbook as a dancer, but even back then I wondered, "What is dancer nembutsu?" So I picked up this book and it was so interesting. It's written in a very easy-to-read style, following the story from his early life to dancer nembutsu.

Ippen said, "Buddhism is about abandoning everything," so he abandoned his family and possessions and became a monk. His wife and children followed him and became monks with him. So they all decided to go together, and as they traveled, more and more people joined them, and they became a large group. Normally, one would think that an organization would be formed at this point, but Ippen hated hierarchical relationships and didn't create an organization or have a temple, and instead traveled around the country for the rest of his life with his dancing nembutsu.

He treats women, children, and sick people equally, and says it's wrong for people to receive different benefits depending on the amount of donation or the number of times they chant the Nembutsu, breaking down the traditional boundaries of Buddhism with his dancing Nembutsu. The titles in his books are also interesting, like "Throw it away, throw it away, don't do it" (laughs).

I think it's great that she lives her life with nothing but her body. I've been transferred to a new department and I think there will be more new challenges this year, but I want to do things simply without overthinking it. This book gives me that push.

What sect is it? It's amazing that the teachings remain even though there is no temple.

It's "Jishū", and it was apparently given to him by his disciples after he passed away.

Is the author a researcher?

His main job is as a political scientist and anarchist? Apparently, he was so moved by the statue of Kukai (a Heian period monk who influenced Ippen) in Kyoto that he cried, and from then on he became interested in Ippen. I think he sympathized with his attitude of "living life the way you want to."

I brought along Taro Okamoto's "Have Poison Within You," which has a big impact right from the cover. I first read it a few years ago, and at the time I only knew about the murals in Shibuya and the Tower of the Sun, but it was so shocking that it completely overturned the common sense I had lived by up until then.

Anyway, Taro's way of speaking is really cool. For example, if there is a safe path and a dangerous path, most people would choose the former, but Taro always chooses the dangerous path. He says that it's more interesting and makes you feel truly alive. I'm the type of person who always checks things carefully, so this really hit home (laughs).

Also, when it comes to Taro Okamoto, he is famous for saying that "art is an explosion," but this book also describes the true meaning of that. When we think of an explosion, we generally imagine a loud noise and things flying all over the place, but it's not like that. A real explosion doesn't make a sound or break anything, it's when your whole body and soul opens up to the universe. He says that this is the true way people should be and how they should live.

Maybe everything I thought was "right" up until now was wrong... This book will shake you up so much that you'll think so. I think it's perfect for the new year, so please give it a read.

What does the "poison" in the title mean?

Is what everyone thinks is "good" really good? Is it a poison that means freeing yourself from those values? Instead of piling up values, you should "reduce them," otherwise your perspective will become narrow.

I guess it's about always having a new perspective.

Taro also drew the illustrations for the book, which are simple, powerful, and tasteful. His house in Aoyama has been turned into a memorial museum, so I'd like to go there sometime soon.

This is a new book by pha, who I introduced last time . As the title suggests, "How to organize your knowledge to create more space in your life," it's a book that introduces how-to tips, but it's written in a light and easy-to-read style. It's not condescending, and it's easy to accept. I think that's pha's charm.

The good thing about books is that they can put into words the things that are bothering you, and this book is no exception. It's not something important that will affect your life, but it puts into words the things that have been on your mind for a long time.

At last year's New Year's party , we introduced Saito Takashi's "Reading Ability," and this time around pha's book also contains information on reading methods and how to absorb knowledge, so I hope to be able to consider it from a different perspective than Saito's.

I've only read about half of it so far, but it's written from a modern perspective, with advice such as only reading the parts that interest you and hoping to gain something from even 1 or 2 of the 10 books, and it also contains some slightly nerdy material, such as the four main methods that are important when studying. I think it will be easy for young people to read.

The illustrations are also cute.

He used to be the most famous NEET in Japan. But maybe not now.

I'm always saying "I feel tired" on Twitter (laughs).

It makes me feel like I'm forgiven, that I don't have to think of myself as no good. It makes me feel like I'm with friends.

I found this book at SPBS in Shibuya, called "My Art of Living" by Andre Mauroy. The author is a French novelist who studied under the philosopher Alain. I've been interested in philosophy recently, and thought it looked interesting, so I bought it.

It is written from five perspectives: "1. The skill of thinking," "2. The skill of loving," "3. The skill of working," "4. The skill of leading people," and "5. The skill of growing older." It quotes words from philosophers and has many difficult parts, so if you read it absent-mindedly, you won't understand the meaning. You have to read it while thinking, so I thought I bought a great book (laughs).

I've only just started reading it, but to give you a brief introduction, it says that there are two types of thinking skills: "body skills" and "word skills." It tells us that athletes think with their bodies, that leaders of great nations can start a war with just one word, and that primitive tribes once believed that words contained magic...it's all very interesting.

The title says "Life Skills," but I've been thinking for the past few years that I want to live a proper life. Rather than making money or becoming famous, I want to focus on living a life that makes me feel good. This book seems like it will be useful in that sense, so I'd like to take my time to read it carefully.

Why are you interested in philosophy?

I somehow wanted to become able to understand philosophy and mathematics. I majored in sociology in my student days and had some experience with philosophy. I like thinking.

This book originally had no cover. The binding is strange.

It's an interesting publisher called Doyosha . I'm the type of person who removes the cover when I buy a book, so I'm grateful. It's wonderful (laughs).