Japanese Buddhism

A slow yet, gradual increase of individuals in the West are coming to terms about the positive efforts of socially engaged Buddhism. Actualizing that modern Buddhism in Asia has transformed into this meditative vehicle for spiritual liberation which includes liberation movements for social and political changes. Engaged Buddhism is a form of dedication through movements committed to addressing social, political, economic and environmental concerns including the spiritual needs of beings. In efforts to solve problems of extreme magnitudes, specifically during times of social crisis. keeping Buddhist philosophy's at the forefront of these movements, they manage to propagate widespread awareness of current asian issues.

There are many aspects of this world such as culture, technology, or art that have been influenced by other things. The way that things influence each other has allowed for new possibilities and ideals to be formed. Religion is no exception; there have been many instances where religions have influenced each other and blossomed due to new ideas being presented. A good example of this the relationship between the two religions: Buddhism and Shinto. Buddhism was brought into Japan during the early 6th century from Korea, and was later institutionalized as the state religion in the late 6th century by Prince Shōtoku. The Prince was a great patron of Buddhism and by having made it the state religion, it would help Buddhism spread. However, Japan was not without its own religion—Shinto—which had been there for many years prior to the arrival of Buddhism. With Buddhism gaining traction in Japan with the help of Prince Shōtoku, what then does it mean for the Shinto religion? However, Shinto was not long forgotten, which leads to the question: how did the two religions, Buddhism and Shinto, interact with each other when Buddhism arrived in Japan? In this essay, I will discuss how both Buddhism and Shinto were closely tied to each other in Japan, and how they would influence each other in different ways that allowed them to grow into new directions.

Over the years, Buddhism has become one of the most popular religions in America. In 2010, the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) estimated that there were approximately 2 millions Buddhist in the US, which is around 0.7% of the population. As Buddhism’s popularity continues to grow, it is not surprise to see a lot of Buddhist’s tradition integrated itself into the American culture. There is already a tremendous amount of Americans who converted themselves into the religion alone. Therefore, certain issues began to arise as this integration continues, one of them being the role of women in Buddhism. Widely known as the religion of peace and kindness, not many people realized that Buddhism is also a religion of gender equality. There

All life is full of suffering. This fateful verity is expressed in the foundational scriptures of the Buddhist religion, and it continues to redefine the promises of alternative religions that argue life is an undeniably joyous privilege. By denying optimism and revealing the true brutality that life has to offer, the morals behind the east Asian religion known as Buddhism, and the Four Noble Truths it is centered around, strike its followers with dread and dejection. These so called “truths” serve as structure for the spiritual beliefs of people who follow Buddhism, as well as a scapegoat that can easily be condemned in a time of misfortune or when one is faced with adversity. These primitive beliefs are reflected through the eyes of many

The Buddha from Japan is from the Asuka period which was around 623 AD and is made from gilt bronze. The Buddha is 35 inches while seated and from top to bottom the statue is 150 inches. In contrast, the Buddha from India is from the Kushan period which was around 82 AD and is made from red sandstone. The height of the statue is about 37 inches in length. The Buddha from India is considerably older than the Buddha from Japan, and that can be seen from the major difference in detail and technology that was used in the Japanese Buddha as compared to the Buddha from India.

Shinto is an ancient Japanese religion practiced by 80% of the Japanese population. Most people practice it casually as a part of the daily routine rather than an active religion, which is why very few people actually call themselves shintoists. The name means “way of the gods”, and it has many generations of gods. Recorded history dates all the way back to 712 AD, but oral history goes back even further. Shinto has a very rich history, but it is not a very widespread religion.

” Another reason that Buddhism became so popular not only in Japan but in most of East Asia is because it did not make the people choose but instead presented itself as a supplement and way to add more to the religion that they already practiced. Zen also furthered the relationship between Japanese citizens and China’s. Zen began in Northern China and eventually traveled to Japan, where they won considerable influence in Kamakura. “In spite of its natural resonances with the requirements of the Japanese warrior-leadership, it is unlikely that Sung Zen would have taken roots as strongly in Japan as it did had it not been for an unstable political situation in China which sent to Japan experienced Ch’an monks who would otherwise have lived out their lives in Chinese monasteries.

Shinto is the native religion of Japan that has been around since 1000 B.C.E and is still practised today. Shinto is a polytheist religion in which they worship many deities known as kami, the word Shinto means 'the way of the gods', and it was derived from Chinese ( shen dao), “shin” meaning kami and “to” meaning a philosophical path.( Honcho 2012)

Alex Estrada, a graduate of San Francisco State University’s Journalism Department who has a passion and interest in studying world religions, expresses in great detail my topic of Buddhist Mysticism. Her writing allows outsiders of the Buddhist religion, to easily comprehend since she frequently compares each point made to that of Christian beliefs. Her contrasts are clear and thought provoking, such as her research of scholar D.T. Suzuki’s book, who she quotes, “crucifixion that most Christians are fixated on, is more than just a bodily sacrifice and crucifixion, but also the crucifixion of egos. Buddhist philosophy rids the ego…”. As well, she enlightens readers through her strong vocabulary and creative writing, such as when comparing Buddhist to the Christian Mysticism experience, “Buddhist philosophy… allows the mystical experience to be more pleasant, joyful and allow those experiencing to be more at the moment, rather than contemplate their soul’s future”.

Shinto refers to a Japanese religion that dates from the early 8th century and incorporates the worship of natural spirits and ancestors and a belief in sacred power called kami. Shanti was the state religion of Japan until 1945 but the religion still has many practices that exist up to date.

People from the spaghetti western world think of Buddhism as a conviction where people take the time to look at one’s self but in contemporary Asia this is not so where the Buddhist liberation movement is working to accomplish equality amongst people and to make available them with basic wishes as much as it means taking the time to think about one’s self. This focus on one’s self is where things such as karma and inexperience is placed second to focus on belongings such as greed loathing and new methods of solving peace, poverty and injustice. This liberation is called everyday emerging and includes every person from villages to nations.

The famous president of united states made a wonderful statement regarding religion. He said: “what I do good I feel good. What I do bad I feel bad. That’s my religion.” This quote highlights that every human being on this planet have the right to transform any ideology or attitude as their personal religion. They are seeking for a spiritual guidance that can help them to accomplish their purpose in this life. That’s why today we have a religion called Buddhism. It’s one of the major religion after christianism, Islam and Hinduism. According to a projection made by The Pew Research Center:“ The number of Buddhists around the world is expected to increase between 2010 and 2030, rising from 488 million to about 511 million.”

In Japan, there are many different religions, some may not be as significant as others, but they are existing there. Some of these religions include Shintoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, etc.. but I have narrowed it down to the two most prominent religions in the nation of Japan: Shintoism and Buddhism. In this research paper, I am going to describe these two religions more in depth, such as the beliefs, the differences, the similarities, how these religions act toward another (Contradict or compliment each other) and I will even show you how these religions has changed Japan in the last 50 years. One of the major religions that have existed in Japan is Shintoism, this religion pretty much as old as Japan itself.

Many religions are popular within the Japanese culture. Two of the most influential religions, Shinto and Buddhism that help shaped a lot of Japanese values are Shinto and Buddhism, played a large role in shaping Japanese values. Numerous similarities and differences run between these two religions; nonetheless, the Japanese often believe in more than one religion at the same time. This is possible due to the polytheistic nature of most popular religions in Japan. It is not hard to say that religion is a big part of Japanese culture because a lot of religious beliefs can still be seen in their everyday lives.

Buddhism in the twenty-first century is still applicable in such a fast paced and confusing world. Despite all of our advanced science and technology, we understand even less our reason for existing and we know more than ever just how big the universe is and how uncaring. These circumstances drive people to seek out spirituality even today in order to achieve the basic comfort required for them to conduct their daily lives. The recent episodes of tremendous violence have placed an unsavory patina of stifling ignorance over the religions of Christianity and Islam as they continue to carry on like demented spinsters in the decaying finery of their former glory with no intention of acknowledging the catastrophe of their current circumstances. Buddhism, with its sterling values of moderation, peace, and detachment from the impermanent things of this world, now appears dignified and splendid as the ancient beauty of Asia to modern seekers. No longer do we seek judgment and rigid, inexplicable rules from our God, with the hellfire and damnation that once drove us onward. We crave logic and sense from our world and in those circumstances, this faith tells us that lusting after expensive cars and clothes which we do not need will make us miserable. That is easy to understand. That makes