Today I asked Google Gemini, "If I were to die and be reincarnated as a raccoon, should I feel happy?" Gemini said, "You should be reincarnated as a pampered puppy or kitten relaxing with their kind owner." Do you agree with Gemini?

I am delighted to add a scroll by Japanese Zen monk Sessou Soueki (1776–1859) to my collection. It was written around the 1850s, during his tenure as abbot of Daitokuji Temple. Interestingly, many art dealers dismissed it as a forgery, simply because the quote comes from the Book of Rites instead of popular Chinese Zen texts. They were unaware that the exact phrase was actually recorded by a Chinese Zen monk of the Yuan-Ming era, who had originally referenced the book.

The phrase reads, 'Tiān wú sī fù'—'Heaven overspreads all without partiality.' The Chinese monk had incorporated this teaching of Confucius into his own Zen verse (January 1372) to mourn the victims of the wars during the Yuan-Ming transition: 'Tiān wú sī gài, dì wú sī zài, shān hé dà dì, jìn bèi ēn guāng, cǎo mù kūn chóng, xián zī huà lì'—'Heaven covers all without partiality, and Earth sustains all without partiality. The mountains, rivers, and the vast lands are completely bathed in nature's grace. Every plant, tree, and tiny insect relies on this universal, life-giving power to thrive and transform.'

It's 97.7°F, which is 36.5°C. The humidity is at nearly 70%. This is the reality of the crazy weather in the Greater Tokyo Area. Would you still come here if it weren't for business?

Now that all the clutter is wiped out, let's get back to work, folks!

My paternal grandfather told me that he was almost killed in the Great Earthquake in Tokyo and its surroundings before the war. The day before the quake, he had a huge fight with his friend. The reason was very childish: they argued over who should play with a certain wooden toy first. Because of the fight, my grandfather decided not to visit his friend's villa the next day, which saved his life. However, his friend was tragically killed in the earthquake at the age of five. Looking back, I believe he was a true friend to my grandfather. Later, I found his friend's name in a record book about the earthquake; he was the second son of the Prime Minister who served immediately after the time of Japan's surrender, and was himself an Imperial prince.

Surprisingly, AI search has identified exact excerpts that I need from the teachings of famous Chinese Zen monks. I searched for a phrase in the records of Jìtán Zōnglè, who lived during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties (1318–1391). 

I first tried Kyoto University's database, where it was difficult to find the specific title. However, the AI search found the exact same excerpt from the original anthology of Zen records published in China. 

Mixed Japanese script—specifically the use of kana and kanji—remains a significant obstacle for various AI models handling classical texts.

The phrase that I need is originated from Chapter 29 of 'Lǐjì' or Book of Rites, and Zen monks often refer to its 'kǒng zǐ xián jū piān' or 'Confucius at home at leisure' in their records. Anyway, it's nice to step forward for my investigation. 

A friend emailed me to say that a Buddhist temple 'Konji chou in' in Kamakura, Japan, was destroyed by fire. The temple is famous for its fire-protection talismans. What?! Are you kidding me? I guess the priest wasn't carrying one! No way.