🚶‍♂️ Interview with a Japanese Zen Buddhist priest - Walking in Japan 日本の禅仏教の僧侶 - 日本でのウォーキング

[@Royberg]

man this priest seems incredibly happy and free spirited. he reminds me a lot of the dalai lama

[@ericgutierrez1973]

Such a pleasant man. You are quite fortunate to have had a chat with him.

[@nhungtran-uo2ud]

Very clean, neat, tidy, beautiful and green temple. Gigantic trees. A great ambassador for Buddhism.

[@softypapa]

I agree that this man is an excellent ambassador to Buddhism. Thank you for watching my video and sharing your thoughts. Have a great day! :-)

[@ajadrew]

This video has made my day! I've watched a lot of your Japanese videos where you walk, explore & share the mountains & trails & villages & people. But this video brings back my first memories of why I, for some unknown reason, became fascinated with Japanese ways. I heard the word 'Zen' when I was 14 or so & immediatly was hooked with a desire to 'understand'.... And now I'm 57. I've almost given up trying to 'describe the taste of an orange'....:-))

[@yolier]

This men is amazing. My highest respect.

[@ssjdaley]

Zen Buddhism is amazing as well as Tibetan Buddhism. I would spend hours listening to Zen and Tibetan Buddhist chanting while I studied.

[@neverunprepared]

Me too! haha KZbin has some great video tracks for it...I have listened to some Shamanic too to mix things up!

[@diogeneslantern18]

Have you seen the documentary "Amongst white clouds"?

[@MissPickletoes]

I truly believe it was not luck. It was meant to be. It was a joy!

[@BoopShooBee]

The internet is a wonderful thing. A spontaneous conversation with a Buddhist monk is simply unavailable with any other media.

[@akompsupport]

What a fantastic bow he gives at the end! Such poise!

[@kyohei231]

What a friendly priest, nice interview!

[@kk2m]

In Buddhists' practice, smiling is a gift because it relieves fears and make others happy. So let us smile at this video in return.

[@AbandonedMaine]

Random encounters with English speaking zen Buddhist priest during a rain storm. Who would have thought. :) Now that's a positive outlook on life.

[@MrGeneralpooh]

I'm from Shizuoka of the country side. I haven't ever know there are such a beautiful scenery and nature in Shizuoka until I watched your videos. Thank you so much for showing me them.

[@sergiomura1613]

I watched this video years and years ago...I felt the need to watch it again today..glad I found it. This monk is marvellous ❤️

[@softypapa]

Thank you for watching, and then watching again. I really appreciate your support and feedback. Have a great day! :-)

[@logburner2009]

A very special moment, tears of happiness in my eyes for you and all who have shared this with you. That experience will stay with you forever. The last shot of him walking away was beautiful.

[@madcow2424]

Kurt, I just wanted to tell you that this video is awesome. I've been interested in buddhism lately. Even though I don't really practice any religion, the philosophy(I think that's the word I'm looking for) behind it all is really interesting to me. To see something like this so up close, even though it is in a video, is just really cool to me.

[@incyphe]

Ah... so perfect. Serendipity, beautiful zen temple, sound of rain, inspiring stories... we are all surrounded by amazing people. This is a priceless video!

[@Jackwagon]

One of my favorite KZbin vids of all time :) I come back to it often.

[@diogeneslantern18]

This conversation is beautiful to watch, my heart swells with happiness with the spontaneity of this interview and the charismatic monk :) I found you channel today and I am pleased with everything I have seen :) thank you so much for sharing your perspectives Softypapa :)

[@Jackwagon]

One of THE coolest vids I've seen in a long time! Thanks for posting.

[@Queenbooker]

WOW! He has done a lot so far in his life! Very fascinating, caring man! Beautiful shot of him walking back in. Thank you!

[@TommyBrisbane]

What an absolute joy & honor for us (your viewers) to be able to share that amazing experience with you. Thank you.

[@kvatchero]

Coming back to this video in 2021! Its very relaxing conversation, with the rain and quietness around. Take care Kurt!

[@softypapa]

Thank you for watching this video again and for your nice feedback. This is one of my favorites for sure. I hope you are well. I'm sorry it took me more than two years to respond. Have a great day! :-)

[@tbone1143]

A precious man with a heart to help other people. I can tell that you were very touched by this chance meeting and interview Kurt. =)

[@sweetphil4670]

What a very fortunate and lucky experience you had there, Softypapa. It's amazing how language can break down so many barriers between different cultures.

[@resetter]

That was simply awesome, not to mention his English, a special man indeed no wonder he became a priest, humble and life experiance. Just the perfect guy for you to meet Kurt.

[@antoniocarlostlima6736]

Kurt, thx a lot for this share!!! Very, very special!!! All the best!

[@fejiobbdo]

Softypapa, I'm starting to consider you to be one of the best people on KZbin. I'm subscribed to most of your channels and it's always exciting to see your new uploads.

[@sweetphil4670]

SweetPhil 45 seconds ago What a very fortunate and lucky experience you had there, Softypapa. It's amazing how language can break down so many barriers between different cultures, and I'm sure he felt the same about your conversation, as well.

[@douglassiqueira2347]

Thank you for sharing that special moment with us.

[@BuckeyeBoyz]

That was most wonderful!

[@YukariPeerless]

What a pleasant surprise for you to run into this monk! Such interesting chat. Beautiful temple too. Thank you for posting.

[@io_usagi]

Wow, that was magical! Thanks for Sharing, Kurt!

[@SuperMr30]

I have an idea for your videos kurt. WHen you go out on adventures or when you show us temples in a city, is it possible for you to show us on a map where you are or where you are thinking of going? I would like to be able to search it up on google maps. Have a great day!

[@PropagandaBuster]

This is a very delightful video. Thank you for sharing it with us.

[@chansiewlin3863]

Wow, that was sweet. Omorshiroi desta. Very warm and kind priest. Beautiful temple. Wish l was there. I hope he could teach us some zen. Thanks Kato san. Arigato gozaimasta.

[@softypapa]

You are very welcome. I'm glad you found this video interesting. I'm sorry for my very late response.

[@mrbatista666]

Very nice video, two happy men! Thank you for sharing it with us!

[@fritzonvespa]

What a nice video. Such a serendipitous meeting and always lovely to experience that human to human contact cutting through all the veneers of societal armor plating. A very Zen encounter. Chris.

[@shamdhala]

Mysteriously extremely soothing to my Emptiness,Deep Bow to this entire video,more please.

[@softypapa]

Thank you for watching and your thoughtful comment.

[@AvaFayIliza]

What a lovely person! Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed the video very much.

[@sweetphil4670]

What a very fortunate and lucky experience you had there, Softypapa. It's amazing how language can break down so many barriers between different cultures, and I'm sure he felt the same about your conversation, as well.

[@sunsetgradient]

This video is really fascinating. It captures a very nice feeling with the rain and whatnot. I was astonished by how well the monk speaks English, it is very impressive!

[@DysmasTheGoodThief]

That’s great. Eiheiji is beautiful. This monk was very nice

[@softypapa]

Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts. I’m sorry it took me so long to respond.

[@MissPickletoes]

You had a lovely chance encounter with a man who seems to be a fascinating person! I was enchanted by this video, Kurt! It was very informative!

[@DannyCro9009]

What a cool guy! This guy + Kurt = Awesome! Plus the temple itself is quite beautiful.

[@MrKhanhnd]

Thank you so so much, Kurt! It's really interesting...

[@automaton626]

i loved the part where you find out he speaks english haha... what a great video.

[@Gwaerendes]

What an amazing man! Thank you for sharing this, Kurt. :)

[@blatz66]

oh wow, he's saying he's soto sect of zen buddhism, dogen zenji, roshi suzuki.....thats why his english is so good also...soto has a lot of western out reach. so over whelming for me, i am a westerner who follows dogen and soto style zen. what a random awesome video to find.

[@newfoundartproductions2082]

This was a delightful video......thankyou for posting.....He made time to speak with you ....wonderful to see....made my day!!!

[@JustMeShaun1]

I really want to visit this place now and meet that wonderful Priest.

[@fuzzypaws17]

My first and present wife and myself have always found our relationship with Buddhism so rewarding. Being a Westerner I never thought I would, but I do. Great vid Kurt!

[@neonshoji]

What a nice, friendly guy! Thank you for sharing this great conversation, Kurt!

[@JapaneseAmericanGuy]

Thanks for the upload! Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@maggieandbart1]

Another great video Kurt, Thank you.

[@otorishingen8600]

how nice .. thx for sharing

[@SuperMr30]

This was a really cool experince kurt, hope you meet more priests like him when you go visit more temples. Nice video

[@firebirdnewt]

This is the best video you have ever uploaded. This video made me feel happy for some reason

[@patio87]

Something really amazing about this video. You're in this very relaxing setting, the wooden temple, the garden in the front, the down pouring rain, an interview with a very nice priest who just happens to speak English and the comfort in that. Is this Zen?

[@Oveneise]

Wow. Seemed like a really nice guy, and spoke english really well! Awesome video, Kurt!

[@JapaneseGardensJP]

I was so excited to find this video - a very interesting, spontaneous conversation, that made me smile all day. In Japan, Zen has the image of being a very rigid, old Buddhist sect, but this priest really proves otherwise - more like the Dalai Lama. Shared it on LinkedIn and our Facebook page!

[@carey1012]

That priests smile is contagious, such an awesome video.

[@DistractedWhiteDude]

I want to move to japan now, Everything and everyone there seems so cool.

[@astroboy3507]

great vid kurt that man was very nice and his english was great when he started talking more i bet u were way shocked . such a nice man !

[@xenvive]

This video made me really happy ^^ i always herd that most japanese are kind of introvert especially thorwards gaijin so the fact that this monk spoke almost fluent english and actually talked about his life suprised me.

[@AJBrewsky]

This man you have met is very enlightened. If at all possible, be involved with this guy you will not regret it.

[@MoonRegolith]

Eihei Dōgen , who this Head Monk talks about at 3:07 is kind of the Zen version of Martin Luther (the founder of Protestant Christianity in the west). It would be like when Luther was teaching that a relationship with Jesus was more important than formal religious practice inside the Catholic church. Dōgen did similar in his time, mainly that "Dōgen often stressed the critical importance of zazen, or sitting meditation, as the central practice of Buddhism. He considered zazen to be identical to studying Zen. " This was at a time where many monks did far more studying than individual meditation. Dōgen is both very easy to understand and very difficult to fully comprehend. Many monks only start teaching him after they reach 60 years old (there are jokes among Japanese monks about this saying 'You can't really teach Dogen until after 60.)" The lady Zen Master in my area, Judith Ragir of *Clouds in Water Zen Center* in St. Paul, Minnesota gave a talk I heard on how, now that she is passing 60 she finds herself always studying Dōgen and is going to start teaching him soon. Both her and nearly all the Zen masters I've met in America are kind, joyful, and unusually real. That's not to say there is not real discipline to Soto Zen practice, as there can be and as it is with any serious religion, especially those that are monastically-based. It's just that they are trying to cultivate a very open-hearted approach to life. That involves attempting to be full of spontaneous wisdom and a willingness to let go of all the unrealized assumptions that often make us angry, defensive, judgmental, or protective. One of the most loving people I've met, a man named Bart in Minneapolis, Minnesota is a Soto Zen practitioner as well and quotes Dogen all the time as the source of so much of his day-to-day spirituality. He was an influence to my own examining of Zen literature (though I'd still mainly identify as a Vineyard-Movement oriented Christian). A great Dogen quote and something Bart always stresses which shows the Soto Zen approach to Buddhism is about how Enlightenment is just merely the same thing as meditation, not something fancy that one has to climb up a mountain to find: "Thinking that practice and enlightenment are not one is no more than a view that is outside the Way. In buddha-dharma [i.e. Buddhism], practice and enlightenment are one and the same. Because it is the practice of enlightenment, a beginner's wholehearted practice of the Way is exactly the totality of original enlightenment. For this reason, in conveying the essential attitude for practice, it is taught not to wait for enlightenment outside practice." Blessings all! ~Judah

[@jizobosatsu1]

+Judah Johansen Thank you for your comment! Just one thing: ...I've always thought that the Japanese version of Martin Luther was Nichiren...

[@mokuho]

I practice in eiheiji temple in japan, its amazing, dogen zenji left to japan the lesson to live a espiritual life, dogen is similar to mahatma gandhi in india,

[@jizobosatsu8052]

+Miguel Martinez What do you mean that you practice there? Are you a novice to become a zen priest? I've never been to Japan yet but Eiheiji is a place that I'd like to visit...

[@mokuho]

+jizo bosatsu, i stay in eiheiji for a week, my dream come true, its amazing! You can go there, there is a international program one time in a year..check the soto zen web page for schedule..in gasshó

[@Trainsforlife89]

Hello, there Kurt, from the distant land of Greece! I firstly discovered you through the AbandonedJapan channel. I love Japan as a culture, a means of life, for the beautiful landscapes, the language and for the speciality of railways it offers, as i am a railfan. Your videos are inspiring, creative, unique, Watching your adventures i feel like having a friend, someone i know in Japan, a country i love. Many greetings from me and may all be well for you and your family. Panos.

[@neverunprepared]

Very endearing! It is the first of your videos I have watched, your Japanese is very good! As was the monks English! How long have you been living in Japan?

[@stalepixel]

very uplifting video, thank you, its the first thing i did today and its put me in a great mood!

[@mojosydable]

You speak Japanese beautifully!

[@321Banzai]

Fascinating video! I studied in Thailand for a semester and took some classes on Thai Buddhism and culture. I've read a little about Zen but it was interesting to see how nearly everything was exactly the same as in Thailand. The Monk also reminded me of my professor who was a former monk/doctor/scholar. You even mentioned specifically that you should never step on the threshold. Even the beautiful mountain temples you show remind me of temples I saw in the mountains of Thailand. Thanks

[@coreyj555]

This is great! I love the different cultures, and this priest is an amazing man very humble.

[@tekitouningen011386]

素敵な動画ですね。見ていて癒されました。

[@VanBruening]

I am so glad I am off this semester. I'm on a softy papa bender

[@madcow2424]

Thank you, I'm going to check it out right now!

[@brunoyama]

Thank you so much Kurt!! You've made my day! Your channel is my favorite one for sure!!

[@Skrawled]

Woah that guys cool! Very interesting, I bet he can tell many stories lol The temple looks good the trees and such. Great video Softypapa! lol

[@junsay9605]

It was a very brilliant day for you.　素晴らしい出会いですね。

[@mtdeezy]

Two absolutely amazing people! I love this video.

[@HolyManta]

I loved listening to this conversation, picking up little differences with japanese culture and european culture... and yet so much is the same.

[@MGSGeneral]

Wow, that video took quite some unexpected turns! Very interesting. Such a kind, humble man. Quite an honor to meet him. I can't help but wonder what he could tell in a 1-hour interview.

[@heitortremor]

This one is definitely one to add to my favorites! It's amazing to see someone who has done so much and now continues a family legacy. I would love to know the intricacies of the Buddhist religion. I've always been interested in Shinto and Buddhism.

[@1Souleater11]

really interesting video its awesome to learn how people who have completely different cultures than you live

[@pudge4645]

KZbinでこれほど感銘を受けるとは思わなかった。 カートさんのように素晴らしい出会いに興奮してしまったよ thx for posting amazing video :)

[@ilovetheusers]

The monk sounds like he was born in the USA, no accent at all, except for the pauses. Amazing. That said, I watched this because of you tube recommendations but stayed for the initial Japanese and then the English. Both of you are dead on with the accents, very cool.

[@HarveyBettlesHall]

Wow he is so nice imagine all the stories he could tell.

[@neslock]

This really seemed like one of those moments where the universe offers you a special experience, if you just keep your eyes and your heart open to what's around you.

[@comex2milky]

いいね！撮影者がテンション上がってくのが伝わってくる。いい映像。

[@oswaldphills]

Beautiful meeting.

[@WakeUpBunny]

素晴らしい!! Very special indeed. I enjoyed it very much. Thank you!

[@AbsurdistMatt]

I love this video

[@12thpanzerHJ]

wow very cool video! Its always amazing meeting interesting people. I know its a lot different, but I speak with a lot of ww2 veterans both german and US, and I sometimes get this "special" warm feeling after/when Im speaking with someone that I feel privileged to meet. Some people just leave you in awe at what they have experienced

[@brianswtz1]

Very modest about his English. That was nice

[@mla37184]

良い出会いでしたね。こちらにも嬉しさが伝わってきました。

[@Corbycrafting]

You just earned a new subscriber

[@TheLoreSeeker]

That was an incredibly interesting interview.

[@UchihatheGamer]

I'm surprised by how fast you can speak japanese Kurt your amazing

[@michaelfournier4996]

I enjoy your videos a lot.

[@k45g]

Extremely interesting, hooked since the beggining..Thanks for sharing!