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  • THURSDAY MARCH 15 2007 6:00 AM

Punk Buddhist Priestess Grinds Out the Grudge!

Submitted by Brad_Warner

Edited by Rahodeb

Tags: zen, hardcore punk, buddhism, zazen, buddha, priestess

According to this story in the Mainichi Daily News, an English language paper in Japan, there's a punk rock Buddhist priestess stirring things up in Osaka.

The story references an earlier story from Spa!, a notorious Japanese gossip rag and says:

Osaka's Kakuryoji is headed by a self-professed punk priestess called Rengetsu who has shunned the traditional money oriented path toward Enlightenment, instead using a smidgen of Nirvana-like grunge to guide lost souls toward the path to, well, Nirvana, according to Spa! (3/13).

Rengetsu had long criticized Buddhist priests for charging hefty fees to conduct traditional funerals, so didn't see that path as an option. When her father died, leaving her as the new chief priestess, Rengetsu opted to introduce a little originality, choosing to put on punk funerals. Parishioners were inflamed by the diabolical death rites and cut off financing Kakuryoji. Rengetsu was forced to fund the temple on her savings.

Wow. Sounds like what might happen if one of the SuicideGirls read my column and took the vows! Rengetsu, you go girl!

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Comments
Valeyard

Valeyard

Shreveport, LA
January 2005

MAR 15, 2007 10:20 AM

Damn! That's probably the coolest news I've heard in awhile, Rengetsu rocks!

xokatyxo

xokatyxo

United Kingdom
December 2004

MAR 15, 2007 10:25 AM

"Punk Buddhist Priestess".. biggrin

Cigarette

Cigarette

Cleveland, OH
April 2004

MAR 15, 2007 10:29 AM

xokatyxo said:
"Punk Buddhist Priestess".. biggrin



Patti Smith?

Crooked_Crown

Crooked_Crown

Beverly Hills, CA
April 2005

MAR 15, 2007 10:39 AM

"Rengetsu opted to introduce a little originality, choosing to put on punk funerals"

yes but what makes a funeral "punk rock"?

......and dont say safety pins

Keri

Keri

SUICIDEGIRL

Virginia, USA

MAR 15, 2007 10:59 AM

yeah i was wondering what made it punk rock as well...sounds like a cool idea i guess

Shal

Shal

Los Angeles, CA
October 2002

MAR 15, 2007 11:03 AM

Why do both this write-up and the original article say "Grudge" when they obviously mean "Grunge" (judging from the punk / Nirvana references, anyway). What does "Grinds out the Grudge" mean?

Also, the article says punk rock funerals didn't quite work out so now she operates a "pay what you feel like paying" coffee shop and lays around reading books and playing with her 45 cats all day.

Greybeard

Greybeard

Los Angeles, CA
December 2006

MAR 15, 2007 12:01 PM

Parishioners were inflamed by the diabolical death rites and cut off financing Kakuryoji. Rengetsu was forced to fund the temple on her savings.



"He who pays the piper calls the tune."

Lily

Lily

SUICIDEGIRL

New York, USA

MAR 15, 2007 01:36 PM

very awesome.

divideby

divideby

Hollis, NH
September 2006

MAR 15, 2007 02:30 PM

right on

cupcake

cupcake

I'm lost
July 2002

MAR 15, 2007 04:23 PM

Shalome said:
Why do both this write-up and the original article say "Grudge" when they obviously mean "Grunge" (judging from the punk / Nirvana references, anyway). What does "Grinds out the Grudge" mean?

Also, the article says punk rock funerals didn't quite work out so now she operates a "pay what you feel like paying" coffee shop and lays around reading books and playing with her 45 cats all day.



Well, the word/sound "grunge" in Japanese means "my right nipple is suddenly very tender" while the word/sound "grudge" oddly, means "new music and culture movement arives in the northwest on the continent to the east" so I just think there was some lost in translation thing going down.

As to cats and reading books all day, if the cats will quit putting their butts in the book reader's face so often, it can be very close to Nirvana. My cat smells like Teen Spirit, the deodorant. So, what's wrong with that?

Nokturn

Nokturn

United Kingdom
April 2006

MAR 16, 2007 06:13 AM

I've never understood why any buddhist would worry about/spend money on a funeral, other than as an occasion for other people to have a laugh.
Hopefully this will catch on.
skull

SonOfAPunk

SonOfAPunk

Maple Ridge, BC
January 2006

MAR 16, 2007 07:26 AM

Shalome said:
Why do both this write-up and the original article say "Grudge" when they obviously mean "Grunge" (judging from the punk / Nirvana references, anyway). What does "Grinds out the Grudge" mean?

Also, the article says punk rock funerals didn't quite work out so now she operates a "pay what you feel like paying" coffee shop and lays around reading books and playing with her 45 cats all day.



And her PSP.

ratzaz

ratzaz

Nashville, TN
March 2007

MAR 16, 2007 04:01 PM

Yeah, well, I'm sure Brad likes the concept better than the apparent reality. It's a cool myth, though!

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