ArtsBOOKS: 'My Heart Sutra,' by Frederik L. Schodt
A superficially nihilistic Buddhist vision may be perfect for our confused times
As Frederik L. Schodt explains in his book "My Heart Sutra," the Heart Sutra -- a core Buddhist teaching -- is everywhere in modern Japan, from towels to T-shirts to TV shows. Right: A statue of Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion and the narrator of the Heart Sutra. (Courtesy of Frederik L. Schodt)
PETER TASKER, Contributing writer
November 13, 2020 08:00 JST
In December 1980, just days before his murder, John Lennon took part in a photo shoot in New York City. In one image, captured by photographer Bob Gruen, Lennon wears a jacket with a sleeve embroidered with the kanji (Chinese characters) that form the opening of the Heart Sutra, a core Buddhist teaching.