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If anyone can refute me – show me I’m making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective – I’ll gladly change. It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone.
– Marcus Aurelius
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88 Temples: These are 88 temples and other places designated by Kōbo Daishi for ascetic training. The pilgrimage is a journey through the sites of the master – sacred ground.
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A
Anthropomorphize, anthropomorphizing: attribute human behavior or qualities to anything not human.
Ablutions: the washing of one’s body or part of it.
B
Baadaye: 1. until next time; 2. later (Swahili)
Buen camino: good way; a simple, greeting to wish you and your fellow pilgrims well on the walk. Locals who recognize pilgrims will also shout out buen camino. Gracias is the return greeting.
C
Compagnon: 1. partner; 2. member of a trade guild (French)
Critical Thinking: learning, questioning, and being skeptical, even about your own beliefs.
D
Digestif: after dessert/dinner drink used to stave off drowsiness, as an aid to digestion, or as a family or cultural tradition, ranges from coffee to shots of alcohol
E
Ébéniste: Originally, one who worked with ebony, a favored luxury wood for mid-17th century Parisian cabinets, originating in imitation of elite furniture being made in Antwerp. (loanword)
Ebonics: ebony (black) phonics. (portmanteau)
Eudemonia: The concept of eudemonia comes from Aristotelianism, the philosophy of Aristotle (384–322 b.c.), and it centers on happiness as the result of an active life governed by reason. It is the term for the highest human good in older Greek tradition.
G
Groupthink: The practice of thinking or making decisions as a group such that it discourages creativity or individual responsibility.
H
Hatimaye: finally; at last; ultimately; destiny (Swahili)
Helve: the handle of a weapon or tool; haft
I
Ikigai: reason to get out of bed; life’s purpose; it can be about the joy a person finds living day-to-day, without which their life as a whole would not be a happy one.
K
Kōhai: (Japanese), student of the master (sensei); the amused admonishment that Sean Connery made to Wesley Snipes at the end of the film, Rising Sun (1993).
Kukai: tba
L
Lee Jun-fan: 李振藩; Bruce Lee (李小龍) November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist, martial arts instructor, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines.
M
Mala: a simple string of beads used in meditation to count mantras, prayers, or intentions. Malas can also be used to count breaths or used in a gratitude meditation. Mala is a Sanskrit word meaning garland or rosary. Malas are a type of meditation or prayer beads – ancient tools that were developed to keep the mind focused and clear from thoughts.
Mata Ne: (Japanese) またね – see you later (casual)
P
Peak Experience: involves a heightened sense of wonder, awe, or ecstasy over an experience. It is
a highly valued occurrence which is characterized by such intensity of perception, depth of feeling, or sense of profound significance as to cause it to stand out in the subject’s mind. The event is more or less a permanent contrast to the experiences that surround it in time and space.
There is a sense of fulfillment, significance of the moment, a feeling of a turning point in life, and a spiritual sense of being unaware of time.
Pensée: (fr.) a reflection or thought
S
Self-Awareness: conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives, and desires.
Shikoku: tba
Sister(s): japanese – shimai – 姉妹 (しまい)
T
Thus Spoke Zarathustra: the doctrine of the eternal recurrence, which claims that all events will repeat themselves again and again forevermore. It is something that Zarathustra accepts at the end with some cheer. – from the novel, Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None, (1883), by Friedrich Nietzsche.
W
Wabi-Sabi: the Japanese art of finding beauty in things that are imperfect.
Welt: a strip of leather that follows the outer edges of a leather sheath. Inserted between the layers of leather, it gives a place for the blade to rest on and to glide against as it is removed. The welt guards against cutting the stitches on the sheath. Also, if rivets are used, it prevents the sharp blade edge from hitting the metal.
Womanist: is a black woman feminist. According to Alice Walker, it encompasses all the factors that oppress women of color – race, gender, and class.
Y
YOLO: an acronym for “you only live once“.
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Sj
