Ash Buddhas

This is one of hundreds of 60-second radio spots created by the Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) for Kansas Public Radio (KPR). The purpose of this outreach program is to introduce the people of Kansas to the culture and current issues of East Asia.Broadcast Transcript: In at least one Buddhist temple in Japan, ancestor worship is way more substantive than you might imagine. The temple is called Isshinji and it is in Osaka which is located in the western part of Honshu. The Isshinji temple is the home of okotsubutsu, that is, statues of Buddha that are made entirely out of the ashes of the dearly departed. You heard that right. Since 1887, the cremated remains of many an ancestor have been formed into larger-than-life sized statues of Buddha that are described in the temple's brochure as "easily felt to be friendly" . Leave it to the Japanese, a culture that was into reuse long before it became eco-chic, to come up with this, the ultimate form of recycling. #ceas #hacker #japan #tsutsu