Can We Appreciate Death with Kazuaki Tanahashi

As Kaz turns ninety, he has a heightened awareness of the imminence of death. He is collaborating with his daughter Karuna Tanahashi on a film, “Can We Appreciate Death?” “What is the positive side of our own death? If we are given three months or three weeks we can try to complete our life. I don’t have a terminal illness. But I plan to complete my life by the end of 2023. I’m signing all my paintings and throwing away what I don’t need. I feel happy about it, being peaceful, joyous, and grateful every moment. I’m full of love—more so than if I didn’t have a finish line. I see death as a beautiful friend whom I greet: ‘Hi, nice to see you.’

The Circle in the Zen Tradition - Kazuaki Tanahashi

An excerpt of the Interview with Kazuaki Tanahashi featured in the SAND Anthology vol. 5. May 2015
Kazuaki Tanahashi, born in Japan and active in the United States since 1977, is an artist, writer, and worker for peace and the environment. Kaz’s one-stroke paintings, multi-color Zen circles, and calligraphy have been in solo exhibitions throughout the world. His publications include Brush Mind, Penetrating Laughter: Hakuin’s Zen and Art, Lotus, and Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dogen’s Shobo Genzo. Also, The Heart Sutra: Exploring Wisdom Beyond Wisdom is forthcoming from Shambhala Publications. He is the founding director of A World Without Armies and a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science.

Write your peace songs - Kazuaki Tanahashi

“Songs uplift your spirit and the spirits of all others. Write poems for peace, love and a bright future.” Write Your Peace Songs by Kaz, produced by O lugar, Brazil May, 2021

Miracles of Each Moment - Kazuaki Tanahashi

Kazuaki Tanahashi Sensei's Dharma talk given at Upaya Zen Center on Wednesday, February 7th, 2018, in which he urges us to each find our own miracle to help to prevent Nuclear War with North Korea.

PAINTING PEACE - The Art & Life of Kazuaki Tanahashi

PAINTING PEACE - The Art & Life of Kazuaki Tanahashi
Directed by Babeth Vanloo; Cinematography by Ashley James. PAINTING PEACE is a feature documentary portrait of Kazuaki Tanahashi, artist, zen master, writer, calligrapher and peace-activist. His translations of Dogen, the 13th century Japanese philosopher, are honoured worldwide. He exhibits internationally and created the Foundation ‘A World Without Armies.The film explores the driving force of Tanahashi’s art and peace work, the relation with his father, an leading officer in the WW II Japanese Imperial Army and his teacher Morihei Ueshiba Osensei, the founder of Aikido.

FILMS

Painting Peace: Art and Life of Kazuaki Tanahashi.
Film by Babeth Van Loo. 2014. 90 minutes. Streaming: www.buddhistfilmchannel.com; DVD, $20; Blue-ray, $25: www.zenbrush.net.

Reflection and Remorse: Sino-Japanese War. Film by JR Sheetz. 2008. 6 minutes. Click Here: www.aworldwithoutarmies.org.

Dear Los Alamos Worker. Film by Martijn Robert. 2015. 7 minutes. Click Here: www.aworldwithoutarmies.org.

Brush Tango/Ranbow Waltz. With Aenea Mizukima Keys and Music a Eterna. Produced by Karuna Tanahashi. DVD, $15: www.zenbrush.net.

Imagining Peace: Peace poems by Kazuaki Tanahashi, set to music and performed by West Coast composers. CD, $15: www.zenbrush.net.