tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36773120.post6607806312097937712..comments2023-09-16T19:12:43.147+09:00Comments on The Hired Tongue: Kyoto, Reprise: Hall of the Rice Goddess, Rocks of InsanityJoe Streckerthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13848690885706346774noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36773120.post-91341817397957891082007-06-22T22:52:00.000+09:002007-06-22T22:52:00.000+09:00from talking with students, i.e. real live Japanes...from talking with students, i.e. real live Japanese people brought up in Shinto/Buddist traditions, they generally explain the gaudiness of Buddist temples and pavilions as being a purely secular display of wealth. So basically, some one so rich that they want to build something bling-y in the name of religion.<BR/><BR/>Generally I find the shinto shrines, with their strong influence from nature and often requiring climbing many flights of stairs, more inspiring. but that's just the hippy in me really.<BR/><BR/>hey man, let's check out that big tree...kbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07668413343349859041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36773120.post-57340175109348179972007-06-22T08:47:00.000+09:002007-06-22T08:47:00.000+09:00Yeah, religions seem to have no sense of taste whe...Yeah, religions seem to have no sense of taste when it comes to important buildings. I remember being more than a little put off by a lot of the famous churches in Jerusalem when I lived there -- the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is particularly bad. I suppose there are few religions that promote their devotees based on their design sense (except, of course, for the Church of Ikea). So maybe gold-plated buildings (a popular choice!), shiny censers, and chandeliers are an inevitable byproduct of religious upbringing. Now there's a depressing thought...Sephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16950623837896169505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36773120.post-59501469181311043362007-06-22T02:31:00.000+09:002007-06-22T02:31:00.000+09:00I think every culture/country must have its own Ki...I think every culture/country must have its own Kinkakujin. In Lyon, there was <A HREF="http://www.lyon.fr/vdl/sections/en/tourisme/fil_quartier/fourviere/" REL="nofollow">Fourvière</A>. Fourvière is the gaudiest, neobyzantine basilica imaginable. There is not a surface that is not covered in some kind of rococo flourish. In fact, the flourishes have flourishes! Everything is gilded and the walls are covered in mosaics. It's kind of what I imagine having a <I>petit mal</I> seizure acid would be like. You said that Kori mentioned something about Kinkakujin being a white elephant, the tacky gift that nobody wants. Fourvière is actually called "the white elephant of Lyon," but not because it's tacky. It's because it's white, it has a large tower in each corner, and it sits on a hill with it's apse thrust out over the city. In short, it looks like a huge white elephant lounging over the city on it's back. I could never accurately determine whether the Lyonnais we secretly proud of their <I>éléphant blanc</I> or what. <BR/><BR/>Digression: I wanted to check the gender of "éléphant" - my brain decided it was a trick word, secretly feminine despite its obvious masculinity - so I typed "the white elephant" into babelfish. The translation? "L'objet superflu." Huh!Sydneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17360198761136198922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36773120.post-66960428647426990212007-06-21T10:25:00.000+09:002007-06-21T10:25:00.000+09:00You left after reaching 14 rocks?!? You were just...You left after reaching 14 rocks?!? You were just ONE stone away from Nirvana. Think about playing guitar while Kurt Cobain helps you along and Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic hit up the drums and bass. Sweet!Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04307182227850370924noreply@blogger.com