The Decline Of Buddhism In Modern Japan By Gerald Cooke

During the post classical period, 650 C.E to 1450 C.E, Japanese leaders were confronted with several issues that threatened political order in Japan. The problems that arose during that time included a lack of respect for Buddhism, for example, monks were not taking their vows seriously. Another problem included the division between classes in the social structure, one instance was when the lady-in-waiting in the temple showed disdain for the peasants in a lower class than her. Ultimately, one last problem was the lack of overall respect for the government. Samurais were not being properly trained and the Daimyo were fighting among themselves simply for power. The issues that presented themselves during this time period can be solved in many ways. Buddhism, a unified religion, reestablishing Confucian values and relationships, and properly training the Samurai are just

Throughout the Novel Silence, Shusako Endo depicts the cultural clash between Christianity and Japan. We feel the frustrations that this brings, and are provoked to ask questions such as, why is God silent in the midst of his people’s suffering? But the greater question it begs is what cultural implications have we placed on Christ? Do we expect him to act as a hero in our culture would? He transcends time and culture, but do our expectations and experiences cast a shadow on our impression of God? The theme of the silence of God, suggested by the title is brought to light throughout the novel, and perhaps the reader can see this as one cultural expectation placed on Christ by a particular group of people based on their perceptions or experiences. Their experiences in life cast a shadow on their impression of God, and Jesus is to be a cultural hero in their frame.

In this paper it will discuss the influence of the Buddha and how Buddhism came to America and the impact it had upon its arrival. How the American culture westernized Buddhism in their own way and how it looks today. It will also cover the difference of ethnic Buddhism and convert Buddhism in America. More specifically the objective of this paper is to explain descriptively and analytically and go over the historical time line of

Buddhism was a powerful force in politics and in everyday life. It was a tool of the ruling class to appease the people in times of hardship - such as the political disunity in between dynasties. However, when the times changed, Buddhism was also blamed for much of the trouble, and for edging out the much more strict doctrine of Confucianism. Most of the documents presented indicated a spread nonetheless of Buddhism among the people. Additional documents needed to further evaluate the response to Buddhism should be from a source of a slightly lower class, such as a merchant, or a view from a convert to Buddhism - since most views seem to be from Confucian

The role of Buddhism in Japan was greatly amplified during the life and reign of Prince Umaydo, known better by his Buddhist name, Prince Shotoku. Shotoku, meaning “Sagely” and “Virtuous,” was born into a family that had been importing foreign Buddhist images for nearly 20 years, and had begun to embrace the religion.

On October 24, 2015 the New York Buddhist Church was holding an Autumn Festival Service. Amanda and I attended the event from 12-4 pm. This Buddhist Church in particular is Jodoshinshu Buddhism which originated in Japan. This type of Buddhism is also called Shin Buddhism for short, within the school of True Pure Land Buddhism, which is based on Mahayana Buddhism. The main temple is in Kyoto, Japan and was founded by Shinran Shonin. This type of Buddhism is practiced widely in Japan. The New York City location in particular was established in 1938 by Reverend Hozen Seki and his wife, Satomi.(NYBC)

Whenever I thought of Buddhist I saw bald men or women with orange robes, white socks, and brown sandals. Obviously, not the older woman with gray hair that was now facing me and the other twenty congregants in the meditation room. She was obviously the leader.

Shinto and Buddhism are two different traditions that have flourished in Japan for hundreds of years. Generally, followers from one of the traditions tend to follow the guidance of the other as well, which makes the relationship between Shinto and Buddhism very rare in world religions. At first, when these two traditions contacted each other in ancient Japan, there was a lot of confusion, but eventually they were able to coexist. However, even though Buddhism and Shinto share similarities regarding flexibility and independence, there are more differences between them proven by Buddhism’s spread to ancient Japan, their contrasting practices and beliefs and the different outlooks on the afterlife.

In relation to the observation made by Reid, the concept of “Confucianism” is often observed as one of the major Chinese religions alongside Taoism as well as Buddhism. The religion has been emerged in the Japanese culture during the period of 285 AD. A few of the major principles of this religion such as humanity, morality, trustworthiness along with the consideration of developing an individual have been widely witnessed to provide significant influence within the Japanese culture (Reid 67-90). The principles and beliefs within the facet of “Confucianism” had played an imperative part particularly for Japan which eventually strengthened its political philosophies as well as ethical code of conducts by a considerable level. In relation to the political phenomenon, the notion of “Confucianism” had played an essential role for the Japanese culture in terms of developing morality along with increasing individual potentials of achieving their desired goals and objectives. Moreover, the religion had also been widely observed to create significant loyalty among the Japanese communities through increasing the amount of

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.

“Japan has been alternatively receptive or closed to outside influences.” (Irving, Richard, & A.Stanley, Thomas, 2017). For centuries Japan was closed off from

Cultural exchanges between India and Japan began early in the 6th century with the introduction of Buddhism to Japan from India. The Indian monk Bodhisena arrived in Japan in 736 to spread Buddhism and performed eye-opening of the Great Buddha built in Tōdai-ji, and would remain in Japan until his death in 760. Buddhism and the intrinsically linked Indian culture had a great impact on Japanese culture, still felt today, and resulted in a natural sense of amiability between the two nations. As a result of the link of Buddhism between India and Japan, monks and scholars often embarked on voyages between the two nations. Buddhist monks from India had been visiting Japan from the 8th century.

In the first part of the book, titled « Origin, Traces, Nonorigin », the author focuses on the early career of Kūkai (Chapter 1), his attempt to differentiate himself from the traditional ritsuryō state expressed through his first major piece of writing (Chapter 2), his studies in China under Hui-Kuo, a journey during which he was introduced to the Esoteric Buddhis (Chapter 3), and his assessment of the Japanese society’s religious conditions at the time (Chapter 4). Kūkai entered the prestigious Daigakuryō college as a scholar along Confucian lines; however, he soon discovered that he had gradually lost interest in the classics and in following the norm dictated by the ritsuryō system, which is the system incorporating « the administrative and penal codes of Sui and Tang China » (Shōhachi 145). Therefore, Kūkai abandoned the college and became a self-ordained mendicant with the justification found in his first work Demonstrating the Goals of the Three Teachings (Sangō shiiki), in which he elevates Buddhism over Confucianism through the use of an « unorthodox format of fiction » (Abé 8). During his studies in China, Kūkai was able to realize the distinction between Esoteric and Exoteric Buddhism, an important development, since Nara Buddhists failed to grasp the difference between somatic practices and scholastic studies

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.

During the eighteenth century, Buddhist temples had significant political power. The political and social classes are closely correlated with those of religious ranks. The higher up one may be up in the hierarchy of social classes, it is more likely that that person is an important figure religiously, such as a monk or monasteries. Likewise, “the temple’s attestation was required for marriage, employment, change of residence, and travel permits” (Jansen), therefore the Buddhist temple acted as a sort of government administration, according to emeritus professor of Japanese history at Princeton University, Marius B. Jansen. Unlike the Yamatai-Koku, men became rulers in each kingdom that existed within Japan. The gender equality that was present in ancient Japan had changed and had evolved into a male-dominant society. Although Buddhism had a great amount of political and social power in Japan, it lost its religious followers due to the amount of political powers it attained after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, as religious ideas were less significant in the socio-political system. Buddhism was veering off into more of a government than it was a religion to guide people away from suffering. Due to these reasons, many began following a folk religion, Shintoism, “that pierced together ancestor worship, portents, directions, and concern with a beneficent through capricious nature.” (Jensen), unlike what Buddhism had become by the eighteenth