A Japanese Buddhist man and Saint Paisios of Holy Mount Athos, Greece (+1994)

Saint Nicholas Kasatkin of Japan (+1912) and the conversion of the Samurai

Saint Nicholas Kasatkin of Japan (+1912) and the conversion of the Samurai

Despite Saint Nicholas’ fondness for Japanese culture, the Japanese were quite xenophobic at that time and it was very difficult being a foreigner. At one point, while Nicholas was still studying, the samurai Sawabe Takuma came to the Saint’s home and pulled his sword, telling him he was going to kill him before he could start his preaching. St Nicholas Kasatkin responded to this threat of violence with peace. He asked the samurai why he was going to kill him before he knows what he will preach. Saint Nicholas proposed that the two sit together so that he might explain his message to Sawabe. Then at the end, if Sawabe does not like it, he may kill Saint Nicholas. The honourable samurai agreed. By the end of the

Japanese fighter baptized Orthodox Christian

Japanese fighter baptized Orthodox Christian

September 29, 2012

From his childhood years he focused on the martial arts, which led him to study traditional Eastern religions, especially Buddhism.

After a period of many years, Tokashi Kishi came to know Christianity, the result of having read very many books. Christianity for Tokashi was another ethical teaching and appeared to him something like Buddhism.

After a visit to Russia he felt an inner desire to learn more about Orthodoxy. His desire to become a

Ksenia Kim, Korea: The Greatest Gift in the World

Ksenia Kim, Korea: The Greatest Gift in the World

Orthodox Korean Ksenia Kim Talks About Her Path To The Church

Today we are publishing an English translation of Fr. George Maximov’s interview with Ksenia Kim, an Orthodox Korean missionary. She talks about her difficult personal choice of faith, the history of Orthodoxy among the Korean people as well as the life of Korean Orthodox community in Moscow and their hopes and expectations.

Fr. George Maksimov: Hello. You are watching My Path To God, a program about people who during their journey to Orthodoxy had to give up many things and re-consider their ways. We will talk to our guests about things that motivate them and give them strength.

Today our guest is Ksenia Kim, a descendant of Korean people who settled in the Russian Empire more than 150 years ago and seamlessly integrated into the family of peoples of our country. Even before the revolution of 1917, hieromartyr John (Vostorgov) wrote that every year many Japanese, Chinese and

Saint Nicholas Kasatkin of Japan (+1912) on Buddhism, continued (Part 2)

 

Saint Nicholas Kasatkin of Japan (+1912) on Buddhism, continued (Part 2)

Excerpts from his diary supplement our understanding of how St. Nicholas related to Buddhism. Here observations are also marked by the fact that they were made by a practicing missionary.

Thus it is with, for example, the theme of the Buddhist priests’ resistance against Christianity. The saint calls them outright “enemies of Orthodoxy”, who “do not miss any opportunity to take advantage of existing circumstances in order to trouble the Orthodox and weaken Orthodoxy—which, however, they

Saint Nicholas Kasatkin of Japan (+1912) on Buddhism (Part 1)

 

Saint Nicholas Kasatkin of Japan (+1912) on Buddhism (Part 1)

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Archbishop Nicholas (Kasatkin; 1836-1912), an outstanding missionary to Japan where he labored for over fifty years, was the founder of the Japanese Orthodox Church. Of the tens of thousands of Japanese converted to Orthodoxy thanks to his labors, a significant portion were former Buddhists, and amongst his assistants were former Buddhist monks (Bhikkhu), for example, Paul Savabe. The saint studied Buddhism during the first eight years of his time in Japan, when, in his words, he “strove