Originally Posted by
Nagasaki Joe
Perhaps you knew this and were just offering other alternatives to Zazen, but since the OP is asking about Zen Buddhist meditation, I should mention that Tenrikyo is not a Buddhist sect, so they would not offer Zazen mediation courses or retreats. It is classified as a “New Religion” in Japan and was originally considered a sect of Shinto, but today, it is organizationally separate from it. Years back, there used to be numerous palm reading stands in Ginza (and around Tokyo and in other cities as well) and some of these palm readers are members of Tenrikyo, as palm reading was one way they recruited new members by telling them they could reverse any bad fortune revealed in their palm by practicing this religion.
Not offered as an alternative to Zazen but as a reflection on what does it actually mean (in the phrasing of the OP) when one seeks out “
one of the most authentic things that can be done in Japan culture-wise”.
Occasionally in London I get to hear about how a school or institution invited/accepted someone to discuss the religious practices of their Japanese students/members as part of “culture day” or similar. The school/institution assumes it will be an introduction to Buddhism or Shinto and are wholly blindsided by this aspect of cultural diversity.