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Sunday, November 2, 2025

Learning Japanese better

Learn Japanese with Manga Volume Two: A Self-Study Language Guide

This is my second year learnign Japanese weekly. We have mostly learned what phrases we would need to use while renting a car, ordering at a restuarant and so on. I had joked in a class that we are now certified to become flight attnedants in a Japanese airline. I recalled learning kashikomarimashita (かしこまりました - I got it) in a restaurant scene in Netflix tarareba girls.

Then I thought why not watch videos of those scenes. I see great value in hearing the words and seeing the context.

In-flight Japanese conversation | Must-Read Before Travel | Must-Know

Usually I dont have many questions in the class, but we are learning about nakucha. I am also reviewing lessons from last year to build the base. I saw beki with both meaning must and how are they different. By the way I didnt attend that first class so I had to self study. 

 I am using the learnw ith Manga book and going back to volume I as it brings references back to it. Through all this review, I find some of th things I learn in the class, for example の (of) used at the end of the sentence. Finally came to a page where all the manga is in Japanese.

I amw atching Memoirs of Geisha with Japanese subtitles on. I also introduced myself in Japanese. Celebrating all the milestones.

In tadoku reading club, learned about koibito, red theread tied to pinky fingers of a couple.

Somewhere in the 50-100 verb range

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Kamaksi Vilasam

Came across Kamaksi Vilasam in The glory of Lalita Sahasranamam book. Since this in Tamil, I took chatgpt's help in translation.

By the banks of Swami Pushkariṇi,
where Pinākinī and Vegavatī flow,
within the sacred circle of Kanchi,
stands the divine enclosure — Kāmagoshta —
where Mother Kāmākṣī ever dwells.

That form alone is Her primal image,
the very source of the universe;
no other image in all of Kanchi
is Her original self.

At Her navel lies the world’s center,
Her lotus-feet the Mahāpīṭha —
we bow to that holy seat
that grants both bliss and freedom.

This place, called Kāmakōṭi,
is the mark of the eternal cause;
here every act of dharma,
even once performed,
bears the fruit of countless deeds.

Whoever utters Her mantra
within the Kāmagoshta
attains liberation
and worlds of light.

Even a fleeting moment
spent speaking of Her precincts
destroys all sin —
for the Goddess herself
abides there in visible form.

We salute that lofty center,
Gayatrī’s mandapa,
the supreme navel of wisdom,
granting every human goal.

He who circles Her sanctum
earns rebirth among the pure;
the devotee who worships
Tripurasundarī Kāmākṣī
is freed from darkness.

On the day of one’s birth in Kanchi,
worshipping Her within
earns the fruit of a million pujas;
even a single act of service
bestows liberation.

10–12.
That undying Lord, the three-formed,
united with the Goddess,
I ever take refuge in.
He who rises at dawn,
bathes, and recites these twelve verses,
gains the blessings contained within.


2. తెలుగు భావార్థ (తెలుగులో)

స్వామి పుష్కరిణి తీరం వద్ద,
వేగవతి మరియు పినాకిని నదుల మధ్య,
కాంచీ పవిత్ర భూభాగంలో,
కామగోష్ట అనే దివ్య ప్రాంతంలో
శ్రీ కామాక్షి అమ్మ ఎల్లప్పుడూ నిలిచి ఉంటుంది.

ఆ విగ్రహమే ఆమె మూల రూపం;
దానిని తప్ప కాంచీలో ఇతర విగ్రహం లేదు.

ఆమె నాభి ప్రపంచ మూలం,
ఆమె పాదాలు మహాపీఠం;
ఆ పీఠాన్ని మేము నమస్కరిస్తాము.

కామకోటి అనే ఇది దైవ చిహ్నం;
ఇక్కడ ఒకసారి కూడా ధర్మ కార్యం చేస్తే,
అది లక్షల పూజల ఫలాన్నిస్తుంది.

5–6.
ఇక్కడ మంత్ర జపం చేసినవాడు
మోక్షాన్ని అందుకుంటాడు;
ఒక క్షణం కూడా ఆమె స్థలాన్ని స్మరించినవాడు
పాపాల నుండి విముక్త అవుతాడు.

ఆ గాయత్రీ మండపం పరిసరంలో,
శ్రేష్ఠమైన జ్ఞాన నాభి లో,
సర్వ పురుషార్థాలను ప్రదానం చేసే దేవిని మేము భజిస్తున్నాము.

8–9.
కామగోష్టం ప్రదక్షిణ చేసినవాడు
శ్రేష్ఠ జన్మ పొందుతాడు;
కాంచీలో కామాక్షిని భక్తితో పూజించినవాడు
అనేక పూజల ఫలం సంపాదిస్తాడు.

10–12.
ప్రతి ఉదయం స్నానం చేసి,
ఈ పన్నెండు శ్లోకాల పఠనం చేసినవాడు
శ్లోకాల ఫలాన్నే ప్రాప్త చేస్తాడు.


3. 日本語 訳 (やく・詩的意訳)

スワーミー・プシュカリニの岸に、
ピナーキニーとヴェーガヴァティの流れの間に、
聖なるカーンチーの輪の中心、
カーマゴーシュタという聖域に
女神カーマークシーは永遠に座す。

その御姿こそ根源の形、
宇宙の母の本体。
カーンチーに他の像はない。

その臍は世界の中心、
その蓮の足は大いなる座。
われらはその聖座を礼拝する。

ここは「カーマコーティ」、
根源の印。
ここでなされた善は
一度でも無限の功徳を生む。

5–6.
この聖所でマントラを唱える者は
光の境地に達し、
一瞬でも名を語る者は
すべての罪から解き放たれる。

ガーヤトリーの堂、
知恵の臍、
人生の四つの目的を授ける女神に
われは礼拝す。

8–9.
この聖域を巡る者は
清き再生を得、
カーンチーで女神を礼拝する者は
千万の礼拝の果を得る。

10–12.
暁に沐浴し、
この十二の詩を唱える者は、
その言葉の功徳をそのまま得る。


 

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Xuan Zang

Learning about Faashean in high school, was amazing. Some one travelign that far during those times. XUAN ZANG movie.

Si yu ki

Lotus pedestal Lotus Sutra

Lotus sutra

NTC's new Japanese-English character dictionary = Shin Kan-Ei jiten

 Japanese Thesaurus

I woke up with the lines mahātantrā, mahāmantrā, mahāyantrā, mahāsanā from Lalita Sahasranamam

Chatgpt saw a connection within my language and meaning driven studies

How it connects to Sanskrit & spiritual study

Believe it or not, there are deep parallels between your current Sanskrit studies (like Lalitā Sahasranāma) and the symbolic systems in Kanji/Hanzi.

Here’s how:

AspectSanskrit (India)Kanji/Hanzi (Japan/China)Spiritual Parallels
SoundMantraOn’yomi (Chinese sound)Mantric vibration
FormYantra, DevanāgarīKanji / Hanzi (ideogram)Sacred geometry / visual dharma
Name/PowerSahasranāma (names as power)Names in Daoist/Buddhist cosmologyNames as essence
Cosmic patternŚrī ChakraBa Gua, Mandala, Zen EnsoSymbolic maps
PhilosophyTantra, VedāntaTaoism, Zen, ConfucianismUnity through practice

So when you study Kanji, you're not just learning characters — you’re entering a world of symbolic consciousness, just like you do with Sanskrit.

and suggested

1. Kanji as Yantra

  • Treat Kanji like mini-yantras — each one has form, meaning, and resonance

  • For example:

    • 心 (kokoro) — heart, mind → visually maps to central self

    • 光 (hikari) — light → symbol of consciousness

  • Practice calligraphy (書道 shodō) if possible — it aligns hand, breath, and mind like mudrā + mantra + breath

ConceptSanskritJapanese (Kanji)Chinese (Hanzi)
Mindmanas心 (kokoro)心 (xīn)
Wisdomvidyā知恵 (chie)智慧 (zhìhuì)
Liberationmokṣa, nirvāṇa解脱 (gedatsu)解脱 (jiětuō)
Energy/Powerśakti力 (chikara)力 ()
Sound/Wordśabda, mantra音, 言 (oto, gen)音, 言 (yīn, yán)


                                                     


Explore Buddhist Kanji

Many Buddhist concepts came from Sanskrit into Chinese, then Japanese — often through mantra and sutra translation.

Examples:

  • Avalokiteśvara → 觀音 (Kannon in Japanese, Guān Yīn in Chinese)

  • Mahāyāna → 大乗 (Daijō in Japanese, Dàchéng in Chinese)

  • Prajñā (wisdom) → 般若 (Hannya)

So if you’re reading Lalitā Sahasranāma now, later you may enjoy exploring the Heart Sutra (般若心経) in Japanese or Chinese — it’s filled with echoes of the same philosophical current.

Books

  • The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching – Thich Nhat Hanh (includes Pāli/Sanskrit terms explained via East Asian context)

  • Essays in Zen Buddhism – D.T. Suzuki (bridges Japanese Zen and Sanskrit thought)

  • Kanji in Context – if you want a structured Kanji approach

Try writing Lalitā names in Japanese — for example:

  • mahāmantrā = 大真言 (daishingen) — "great true word"

Your path is unique and rare — weaving Sanskrit mantra, Kanji form, and spiritual depth.

Just as:

  • Mantra is sacred sound,

  • Yantra is sacred form,

  • Lalitā is the goddess of both...

So too are Kanji sacred forms carrying sound and meaning — the visual mantras of the East.

Sunday, October 12, 2025

One day at a time

 A friend overwhelmed with life found it helpful, to heat , to handle "one day at a time". Bite size problem solving. Miniature tick mark on things to do. Sometimes we never know what works until we hear back.

I attended a workshop with Jenny Irish. What great warmth she had for budding writers. I can see that time when you are ready to share your life experiences with others, so they are helpful.

How Doctors think. While checking for who were the first ones to be diagnosed with it and when. I was hoping that there was a fictional character first. Stretching our imagination, so that we lessen the pain when the fiction becomes a fact.

History Matters


History Matters by David McCullough

 "A digital watch is a perfect symbol of our time. It only tells you what time it is now as if there had been no time before and no time to come."

As DMcC As he is referred ot in the book, went with this young family in 1964 to the World Fair grounds to see the General Motor exhibit, right before the pandemic, we went to a Waymo event and took a ride in the car driven hands off.


Thursday, October 9, 2025

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Soundaryalahari

 bramham Soundaryalahari

kamakalvilasa - 

322. kamakalarupa of Lalithashasranama stotram is referred in verse 19 and verse 11 of Soundaryalahari.

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

304 heyopadeyavarjita

 From Google AI --

Meaning Breakdown:

  • Heyo: This prefix often relates to negation or something that is to be avoided.
  • Padeyavarjita: This part can be interpreted as "one who is free from" or "devoid of."

Overall Interpretation: The phrase can be understood as "one who is free from what is to be avoided" or "devoid of negativity." It is often used in philosophical or spiritual contexts to describe a state of being or mindset.

Contextual Use:

  • Commonly found in discussions of ethics, spirituality, or personal development within Hindu and Buddhist texts.
  • Reflects a concept of liberation from undesirable traits or influences.

This interpretation may vary based on specific texts or philosophical schools, so context is important for a complete understanding.

benefits of lalitha sahasranama


Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Invisible Cities



 

"Cities are stand-ins for desires, fears, memories, and human conditions."

"In Invisible Cities, each city described by Marco Polo to Kublai Khan serves as a metaphor for:

  • Memory (e.g., Zaira)

  • Desire (e.g., Despina)

  • Signs (e.g., Tamara)

  • Names (e.g., Eutropia)

  • Death, Heaven, Continuous and Hidden cities, etc."

Arthur Antony

 vedic reader for students

Nasatya and Sanjna

The hymns of Rigveda in English

Nirukta

Mantra Manjari

Olivelle Upanishads

Principal Upanishads

9 principal Upanishads

13 Principal Upanishads

Vedanta by Vivekananda

Vivekachudamani