#weekendstories — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #weekendstories, aggregated by home.social.
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In #inmo, #Dōgen explores the immediacy of reality, emphasizing that each phenomenon is an ungraspable "something" that has thus come. Through stories of ringing bells and moving flags, he illustrates the inseparability of ground and emptiness, challenging dualistic notions of self and object. Here's a brief exploration of this profound #Zen concept:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2026/2026-08-23-inmo/
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In #KeiseiSanshiki, #Dōgen explores how natural phenomena (valleys, mountains, & peach blossoms ...) can express the #Dharma. #Awakening arises relationally, through #practice and #ethical orientation, rather than automatically. Here's a brief overview of the text along with a discussion of its philosophical arguments:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2026/2026-08-15-keisei_sanshiki/
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In #Sansuikyō, #Dōgen discusses the dynamic nature of #Dharmas (he exemplifies this with mountains ⛰️ & waters 🌊), emphasizing that they are not fixed entities but relational, self-expressing realities. Mountains move, waters see themselves & all beings perceive differently. This challenges human-centered views & highlights the active, interpenetrating nature of reality in #Buddhist thought. Here is a brief summary and discussion of the text:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2026/2026-08-08-sansuikyo
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There’s currently a special exhibition on #Chinese #lacquer art at the #Museum for #EastAsianArt here in #Cologne, covering works from the #Song, #Yuan, and #Ming dynasties. I visited it today, and the exhibition is surprisingly large and broad in scope. Definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in the area:
"Layers and Cuts: Chinese Lacquer Art"
📆 until 31 January 2027
🌍 https://www.museum-fuer-ostasiatische-kunst.de/Layers-and-Cuts -
What does it mean to study the #Way with body and mind? In #ShinjinGakudō, #Dōgen refuses both intellectualism and spiritual passivity. Mind is not a private inner substance, and body is not mere biological matter. In this post, we briefly examine how Dōgen understands practice through body, mind, world, and life-and-death.
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2026/2026-07-26-shinjin_gakudo/
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The #Mahayāna teaching of #BuddhaNature is one of the most profound & controversial doctrines in #Buddhism. #Dōgen's #Busshō offers a radical reinterpretation that avoids both spiritualist & materialist extremes. BuddhaNature is not a hidden essence, but the whole of existence as concrete, empty, non-abiding activity. Here is brief interpretation of Dōgen's Shobogenzo fascicle & its implications for understanding BuddhaNature in a non-essentialist way:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2026/2026-07-12-bussho/
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Sunday reflections
#Cologne #July 2026 #WeekendStories #Nofusion -
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Yesterday, we made a quick detour to the University Hospital of #RWTHAachen during our trip to #Aachen. Officially opened in 1985, it is one of Germany’s largest hospital buildings. Its striking high-tech #architecture 🛸🏛️ may divide opinion, but I find it quite impressive.
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#MariaLaach is a stunning #Romanesque #abbey, rich in #history and #culture. Founded in 1093, it has evolved through #medieval, #Jesuit, and modern phases. Today, it tries to find a balance between its religious heritage and its commercial presence. Here' s a short personal reflection after several visits to the abbey:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2026/2026-05-24_maria_laach/
#WeekendStories #Christianity #ChurchHistory #Rheinland #LaacherSee
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#Frankfurt's #Archaeological #Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the #AncientWorld through its collection of #antiquities. From #Luristan bronzes to #Achaemenid metalwork, the exhibition highlights the interconnectedness of #ancient cultures and the material traces of human life, practice, and exchange. I've summarized my visit in this blog post:
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I finally managed to visit the #Archaeological #Museum of #Frankfurt again, and this time I was able to see the recently discovered #Christian amulet presented one year earlier. I've updated my post on the amulet with some photos I took during my visit. The amulet is now part of the permanent collection. If you are in the city, I highly recommend visiting it.
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2025/2025-01-16-christian_amulet_in_nida/
#WeekendStories #ChristianCulture #HistoryAsAScience #Archaeology #Nida #RomanEmpire #EarlyChristianity
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The #SenckenbergMuseum in #Frankfurt offers a deep dive into #NaturalHistory, showcasing life emerging, diversifying, adapting, and disappearing. It highlights the intertwined #history of life and scientific knowledge, while also prompting reflection on #ethical considerations in scientific collections. Here's a short summary of my visit last year:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2026/2026-05-17_senckenberg_museum/
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#Lucy is one of the most famous fossils in #paleoanthropology. Discovered in 1974 in #Ethiopia, she is a partial skeleton of an early #hominin species, #Australopithecus afarensis, dating back around 3.2 million years. Her anatomy reveals a mix of ape-and human-like traits, providing crucial insights into the evolutionary path that led to modern #humans. I was lucky enough to see her replica at the #SenckenbergMuseum in #Frankfurt:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2026/2026-05-17_lucy
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I once again visited the #Kolumba Museum in #Cologne, a place where #architecture, light, and art come together to create a unique atmosphere for slow and attentive viewing. In this post, I've summarized some visual impressions from my visit:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2026/2026-05-16_kolumba_revisited/
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The #Museum for #EastAsianArt in #Cologne is currently also running a special exhibition called "Living Images. #Buddhist rituals in #Chinese, #Japanese, and #KoreanArt". Unlike many #museum presentations that treat Buddhist objects primarily as stylistic or iconographic achievements, this show puts religious practice first. Here's a short report on what I found most interesting about it:
#WeekendStories #ChineseArt #JapaneseArt #BuddhistArt #Buddhism
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In Jan. this year, I visited the #Museum for #EastAsianArt in #Cologne, where I have seen the the exhibition "Celebrating the #LunarYear of the #horse". The exhibition brings together works from #China, #Tibet, #Korea, and #Japan to explore the cultural history of the horse in #EastAsia, coinciding with the Lunar Year of the Horse. In this post, I summarize my impressions and insights from the exhibition:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2026/2026-05-09_year_of_the_horse/
#WeekendStories #ChineseArt #KoreanArt #JapaneseArt #TibetanArt
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The #BimaranReliquary, an early #Buddhist artifact that challenges our understanding of the origins of #Buddha imagery. This object, found in #Gandhara, features a sophisticated depiction of the Buddha alongside deities, suggesting that #anthropomorphic representations were already well-established by the early CE. I put some thoughts on this fascinating object in my latest post:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2026/2026-05-03_bimaran_reliquary/
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In June 2025, we had a lab retreat at Kloster #Steinfeld in the #Eifel. Chosen for practical reasons, the place itself turned out to be quietly striking: a #medieval monastery balancing sacred heritage and everyday use, from basilica to seminar rooms. I wrote a short reflection with photos on architecture, history, and transformation:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2026/2026-01-01-kloster_steinfeld/
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It's a curiosity of #history that the life of #Siddhartha #Gautama, the historical #Buddha, found its way into #medieval #Christian #hagiography as #Barlaam and #Josaphat. The tale shows how #Buddhist themes such as #renunciation, #moral transformation, and spiritual #awakening, were reframed across languages and faiths. Find out more about this fascinating cross-cultural transmission:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2025/2025-11-13-barlaam_and_josaphat/
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#Avalokiteśvāra, the #bodhisattva of compassion, embodies the #Mahāyāna ideal of boundless #empathy and #ethical engagement. Revered across Buddhist cultures, Avalokiteśvāra's adaptability and commitment to alleviating #suffering (#dukkha) highlight #Buddhism's unique fusion of #wisdom (#prajna) and #compassion (#karuna).
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2025/2025-09-20-avalokitesvara/
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#Buddhism integrates semi-divine beings like #yakṣas and #nāgas from local traditions, reframing them as protectors and moral agents within its #cosmology. This approach highlights Buddhism’s #adaptability and its emphasis on #ethical transformation for all sentient beings. Here's a short overview:
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#Bodhicitta, the "#awakening mind", is central to #Mahāyāna #Buddhism. It unites #compassion (#karuna) and #wisdom (#prajna), motivating practitioners to seek #enlightenment for all beings. Unlike conventional #ethics, bodhicitta is rooted in #interdependence and non-dual awareness, making Buddhist #altruism unique.
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2025/2025-08-31-bodhicitta/
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In #Mahāyāna #Buddhism the #bodhisattva ideal shifts the goal from personal liberation to universal #awakening. Liberation is not escape from #saṃsāra but compassionate return through #bodhicitta, where #wisdom (#prajna) and #compassion (#karuna) act together for all beings. In this post, I have composed a short overview of how the bodhisattva, from #philosophical foundations to #ethical significance, has shaped the trajectory of Mahāyāna practice:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2025/2025-08-30-bodhisattva/
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I just read #RichardCarrier's new article on 'Objective #moral facts exist in all possible #universes', which argues that #morality is rooted in rational agency rather than divine command or cultural constructs. I see some striking parallels with #Buddhism, particularly in the emphasis on #compassion (#karuna) and understanding the consequences of our actions (#karma). I've summarized some key points in this blog post:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2025/2025-08-18-carrier_2025/
#WeekendStories https://sigmoid.social/@pixeltracker/115045140945489759
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#Zanshin (残心) in #Zen and #Japanese #MartialArts denotes a state of sustained, relaxed awareness before, during, and after action. Unlike episodic #mindfulness, zanshin emphasizes continuity and integration, reflecting Buddhist teachings on undivided attention and processual reality.
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2025/2025-08-05-zanshin/
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The Five Houses of #Chán (#Guiyang, #Linji, #Caodong, #Yunmen, #Fayan) mark the diversification of #Chinese #Zen, each developing distinct pedagogical styles and approaches to awakening. Their legacy shaped Zen in #China, #Korea, #Vietnam, and #Japan, forming the foundation for global Zen practice. Here is a brief exploration of their origins, teachings, and lasting influence on the #Buddhist tradition:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2025/2025-07-11-five_houses_of_chan/
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Dajian #Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of #Chinese #Chán (#Zen), catalyzed a shift from gradual to sudden #enlightenment, emphasizing direct realization over scriptural study. His teachings on no-thought, non-abiding, and the inseparability of #meditation and #wisdom remain foundational in #EastAsian #Buddhism.
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2025/2025-06-29-huineng/
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#Upekkhā (#equanimity) is a core virtue in #Buddhism, balancing #compassion (#karuna) and #wisdom (#prajna). As one of the Four #Brahmavihāras, it enables impartial engagement with all beings, transcending attachment and aversion. Its cultivation is central to meditative and ethical development on the path to liberation. This post explores its philosophical foundations, #meditative significance, and #ethical implications across Buddhist traditions:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2025/2025-06-08-upekkha/
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Buddhist #ethics centers on intentionality, virtue cultivation, and the transformation of character, rather than obedience to external rules or #dogmas. Through frameworks like the #FivePrecepts, #Brahmavihāras, and #Bodhisattva vows, it offers a unique path to liberation rooted in #compassion (#karuna) and #wisdom (+#prajna). I just summarized the key aspects of Buddhist ethics in this post:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2025/2025-06-08-buddhist_ethics/
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We had a fun and very productive lab retreat this week at the #Steinfeld monastery in #Kall✌️👌
#WeekendStories #June 2025
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👼 #Angels, as mythological figures, are seen as intermediaries between the divine and the mortal in #Judaism, #Christianity, and #Islam. However, similar intermediary beings can also be found in other cultures and religions, such as #devas, #nāgas and #bodhisattvas in #Buddhism and #Hinduism, reflecting shared human quest for connection with the transcendent. This post briefly explores their cross-cultural roles and connections:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2024/2024-12-14-mythology_of_angels/
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🌟 The #ThreeMagi: Unraveling the history and symbolism behind the iconic figures who visited the infant #Jesus. This post explores their Zoroastrian roots, misconceptions, and their cultural significance in Christian tradition:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/weekend_stories/told/2024/2024-12-08-the_three_Magi/
#WeekendStories #ChristianCulture #ChristmasTraditions #MerryChristmas #Christmas #AncientTimes #histodons #Zoroastrianism