Japanese Buddhism

This article asks what religious violence is and why it is relevant. It questions common assumptions by focusing on how monastic violence unfolded in premodern Japan. It argues that there was nothing that set this particular form of violence apart in terms of what the clerics fought for, their ideological justification, who fought, or how they fought. Although myths prevail on the largely fictive figure of the s¯ ohei, or " monk-warriors, " closer scrutiny indicates that their depiction first emerged as a coherent literary concept in the early Tokugawa period. Regarding the ideological framework in which incidents of so-called monastic violence took place, the paper demonstrates that the individuals involved in such conflicts—including the clerics—cannot be dissociated from their own socio-historical context. This is because the medieval Japanese setting was based on rules of cooperation that also implied competition among various elites. The paper further complicates our understanding by showing that the central issue is not why specific violent events involving clerics occurred, but rather what constituted the mental framework—or mentalité—of the age, and how it allowed religious institutions to play such a prominent role.

This essay examines how nikāya traditions and early Mahāyānists understood the bodhisattva path. It makes the point that these traditions shared the understanding that it is only possible to enter the path in the presence of a living Buddha and that it is thus impossible for any person now living to do so. It argues that while Buddhists following nikāya traditions found a few ways to work around this problem, the authors of early Mahāyāna sūtras established a coherent bodhisattva tradition by using a bold approach to attribute bodhisattva status to their followers.

Because it is very helpful for the journal that published this paper to get "clicks", please click the following link: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/716425.

This dissertation deals with the Buddhist dhāraṇī, mainly understood as the term selected by Indian Buddhism to assimilate the non-Buddhist notion of mantra. In the Introduction the two major categories of dhāraṇīs are defined, i.e., the ‘formulaic’
and ‘syllabic’ dhāraṇīs. In Chapter 1 the two sources for the emergence of dhāraṇīs are studied: the non-Buddhist source being focused on the non-Vedic, Vedic and Śaiva Tantric factors, and the Buddhist one being focused on several mainstream Buddhist and Mahāyāna factors. It continues with a study on the Dhāraṇī Scriptures’ emergence and their inclusion within Vajrayāna Tantras. Chapter 2 provides a detailed summary
on the traditional definitions of the dhāraṇī term, its synonyms, compound terms, and its pairing with other Dharma qualities. It is followed by a survey on how the dhāraṇī term is defined and classified according to key Indian Mahāyāna Sūtras and Śāstras,
and the Indo-Tibetan and East Asian Vajrayāna traditions. Chapter 3 is focused on the dhāraṇī practice, first dealing with its ethical basis, its non-ritual and ritual approaches, and its mundane and supramundane accomplishments, and then the main dhāraṇī practices are analysed intended for worldly and soteriological purposes. The dissertation closes with five Appendices including a study on a set of early Vedic mantras appearing within the Buddhist dhāraṇīs, an analysis of the ‘formulaic’ and ‘syllabic’ dhāraṇīs, a survey on mantras/dhāraṇīs accepted by several mainstream Buddhist schools, and another one on mantras/dhāraṇīs within Mahāyāna Scriptures,
and finally, a ‘References’ list providing a comprehensive and updated bibliography in several Western languages mainly focused on Buddhist mantras/dhāraṇīs.

The primary concern of Mind Cure is the broad, diffuse Mindfulness movement that includes Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) developed by the microbiologist Jon Kabat-Zinn and “all the therapeutic derivatives of MBSR, collectively called MBIs [Mindfulness-Based Interventions]” (p. 8). In this timely study Wakoh Shannon Hickey aims to challenge many contemporary psychologists, physicians, and scientists’ presentation of the Mindfulness movement as secular. Drawing on her specialization in American religion, she associates the movement with the American Mind Cure or mind-body healing tradition “to tell a story that begins two centuries earlier, about people who set the stage on which Kabat-Zinn became a star” (p. 3).

"The Hossō-Zuinō 法相髄脳 written by Jiun 慈蘊 (~802-805~) of Kōfukuji Temple is a “core”-book of the early Japanese Hossō school because its postscript shows that it was a Tōketsu 唐決, a questionnaire to the masters in the Tang. But Zōshun 蔵俊 or some person omitted almost the whole text, so that its purpose has not been clear.
The original form of the Hossō-Zuinō is a collection of quotations come from the masters of the Chinese Hossō school, Chi 基, Hui-chao 慧沼, Chih-chou 智周 and Ju-li 如理 or so. The original quotations shows some criticism to the Mādhyamika and Bhāvaviveka, and it may be the criticism to the Japanese Sanron 三論school. Comparing the quotations in detail, they shows the contrast in the attitude toward the Mādhyamika group. So it turns out that one of the purpose of the Hossō-Zuinō was the solution of this contrast."

This is a simple introduction into the basics of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, especially designated for beginers. Those who wish to study more deeply the various topics which are briefly presented in it should follow the indications in the footnotes.
A list of reccomended books is also presented at the end of the article.

「心でどこを探してみても、自分より、愛しい者を見いだすことはできない。
　それと同じく、他の者にとっても、自分のことが愛しい。
　ゆえに、自己を愛する者は、他の者を害さぬように」（マッリカー経）

■ 他人のことを無理やり思いやろうとする必要はありません。ただ正直に自分の心を見つめ、「自分は傷つけられたくない。害されたくない。自分が愛しい」と確認します。さらに、「他人も同じだ。他人にとっても自己が愛しい。だから傷つけてはならない。害してはならない」と、丁寧に理解するだけでよいのです。
このように理解することで、自己を想う「自己愛」から、他者を想う「他者への慈しみ」へと、自然に広がっていくのです。
（本文より）

■ 目　次

はじめに　だらしない自分が嫌い

第１章 「自己を大切にする」とは？
・マリッカー経
　１．自己愛を否定しない
　２．視点を転じて、他人に思いを向ける
　３．自己を想う「自己愛」から、他者を想う「他者への慈しみ」へ

第２章　「自己への慈しみ」を育てる５つのステップ
・自分を思いやる
・怒りではなく、やさしさを選択する
・比べない
・心を前向きに
・定期的に瞑想する

第３章　自分を相手の立場に置き換える
・わが身にひきあてて

第４章　我（attā）から無我（anattā）へ
・「私（attā）」を使って心を育てる
・だれが実践するのか？
・輪廻の苦しみを感じてみる
・なんとかしなければ！
・なぜ、「無我」なのか？
・「我」からスタートして「無我」へ

第５章　自己をよりどころに
・心を育てる３つの詩句
　気づいたときから実践をスタート
　自分を守ってくれるもの
　自分の目的をあきらめない　

第６章　自己改善のための「私（attā）」
・自分をいたわり、他者をいたわる
・心の改革へ

あとがき　心のベクトルの転換

Mallikā Sutta 「マッリカー経」


■ 著者紹介
チャンディマ・ガンゴダウィラ長老　Ven. Dr. Chandima Gangodawila

テーラワーダ仏教長老。
2008年、スリランカの国立スリジャヤワルダナプラ大学で、学士号（優等学位）を取得。最優秀賞受賞。2015年、博士号を取得。
カナダに渡り、ブリティッシュコロンビア大学で４年間、仏教チャプレンを務め、さらにヴィクトリア大学にて教鞭を執る。
現在、カナダのオタワにあるテーラワーダ・ブッディスト・ヴィハーラに在住。
カナダを中心に、イギリスのケンブリッジ大学、アメリカ、マレーシア、タイ、スリランカの大学や寺院で、講演や法話をおこなう。
著書に、『感情の波にのまれない心のトレーニング: ストレスから心を解き放つ』『幸せへの鍵：慈経（Metta Sutta）に学ぶ〈15の善習慣〉と〈10の善行為〉』『妄想の対処法―認識プロセスを観察し、妄想ループを絶ち切る：蜜丸経（Madhupiṇḍika Sutta）』『新しい生き方を切り拓く７つの実践：小業分別経（Cūlakammavibhaṅga Sutta）』『業（カルマ）は直線ではない－生き方を変えられるのは、いま：大業分別経（Mahākammavibhaṅga Sutta）』『涅槃への道を妨げるもの: 老いない経（Na Jīrati Sutta）』『新型コロナウイルスへの不安と恐れを乗り越える８つのポイント』, シンハラ語の著書に『රතන සූත්‍රයේ පදගතාර්ථ සහ විවරණ , Ratana Sutta：Text, Word-to-word Meaning, Translation, and Explanations, 英語の著書に『Papañca to Nippapañca：Mental Proliferation to Mental Non-Proliferation』『8 Buddhist Tips to Overcome COVID-19 Fear』(以上 Sukhī Hotu), 『An Annotated Translation Into English Of Ratnamālāvadāna With A Critical Introduction』『A Critical appraisal of the contribution of Germany and France to Sanskrit studies』などがある。
ブログ：Paṭisota (https://patisota.blogspot.com/)
法話(英語)：Paṭisota YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/Patisota/)


■ 訳　者
出村 佳子　Yoshiko Demura

翻訳家。訳書に、チャンディマ・ガンゴダウィラ長老著『感情の波にのまれない心のトレーニング: ストレスから心を解き放つ』『幸せへの鍵：慈経に学ぶ〈15の善習慣〉と〈10の善行為〉』『妄想の対処法―認識プロセスを観察し、妄想ループを絶ち切る：蜜丸経』『新しい生き方を切り拓く７つの実践：小業分別経』『業（カルマ）は直線ではない―生き方を変えられるのは、いま：大業分別経』『涅槃への道を妨げるもの: 老いない経』『新型コロナウイルスへの不安と恐れを乗り越える８つのポイント』（以上 Sukhī Hotu）, バンテ・Ｈ・グナラタナ著『慈悲の瞑想：慈しみの心』（春秋社）, 『マインドフルネス：気づきの瞑想』『マインドフルネスを越えて』『８マインドフル・ステップス』、アチャン・チャー著『アチャン・チャー法話集　第一巻　戒律』『アチャン・チャー法話集　第二巻　マインドフルネスの原点』『アチャン・チャー法話集　第三巻　智慧への道』, エリーン・スネル著『親と子どものためのマインドフルネス』（以上サンガ）などがある。
ブログ：Sukhī Hotu 智慧と慈悲の実践 (https://sukhi-hotu.blogspot.com/)

VISIT AMAZON TO PURCHASE A COPY
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B08KP1937J/

This chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Japanese Philosophy, ed. Bret W. Davis (NYC: Oxford University Press, 2019) explicates the philosophy of the body of sixth-century Buddhist thinker Kūkai. Kūkai brings together what initially seem to be opposing concepts: body and emptiness. He does this in the context of formulating a system of cosmology inseparable from religious practice. We interact with the rest of the cosmos through our body. Kūkai characterizes the cosmos in turn as the body of the Buddha, who personifies the embodiment of the dharma. This cosmic body is comprised of myriad bodies through their interactivities, in which we ourselves partake. The interdependence obtains both horizontally (among microcosmic bodies) and vertically (between macrocosm and microcosm). But this interdependent nature of bodies also means emptiness. All bodies are empty of substantiality. Enlightenment is to realize this emptiness of all. An additional factor is language because Kūkai conceives the body as the linguistic medium for communicating that dharma of emptiness.

Examining a set of poems exchanged by the monks Saigyō and Jakuzen, the author argues for their importance as records of a crucial moment in the development of religious reclusion imagery in waka. The author focuses on Saigyō, demonstrating how he created a new poetic space marked by a deepening of the tropes of sōan and yamazato, yielding a previously unarticulated realm of expression for his rigorous ideal of mountain seclusion. As “grass huts” and “mountain homes” became more commonly associated with hermits monks such as Saigyō, many of whom in fact spent the majority of their lives in the remote and indigent circumstances of mountain reclusion, the imagery relating to these spaces both shifted and expanded. Saigyō was a key figure in this development in Japanese poetics, and his yama fukami poems played an important role in the deepening and expansion of these topoi in the medieval period.

This article analyses the Gozen rongi, doctrinal disputations held before Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Sunpu castle, and his son Hidetada at Edo, in the 1610s. These events gathered monks from almost all the major schools of traditional Buddhism in order to perform deep doctrinal discussions before the representatives of political power.
Most disputations involved Tendai or Shingon (both Shingi and Koyasan), but Kegon and Hossō monks were also involved. Previous research has well shown how monks such as Tenkai planned and used these disputations both in order to respond to Ieyasu's requests and to benefit the Tendai school. However, this article, by focusing on these events globally, demonstrates not only that a similar process was at work with the Shingon school, and to a lasser extent Kegon and Hossō, but also that the Gozen rongi were important cultural events, which should be understood in the context of the various manifestations of pageantry held at Ieyasu's court.

This article explores a previously unpublished text, found in the library of the Shinpukuji (Osu Kannon), in Nagoya. The Shido-kegyô is an initiation manual for esoteric monks written by the monk Hôren, active in the 14th century. As the closest disciple the famous Monkan, a prominent member of emperor Go Daigo's entourage, Hôren provides invaluable insight on the thought of his master, which combines both Shingon and Ritsu (Vinaya) school elements. The concrete initiation process is deeply anchored in the Shingon tradition, but Hôren's record, probably written in Yoshino right after the creation of the Southern court, also describes accommodations taking into account the difficult context of the time, such as special exemptions for ill or wounded candidates. It thus constitutes a vivid description of the troubled times he and his master lived in, and of the impact of the war between the Northern and Southern courts on monastic life.

This Master’s thesis (SAMPLE) is an analysis of the statue of Shūkongōjin 執金剛神 of the Hokkedō 法華堂 (hall) of Tōdaiji 東大寺 (temple) in Nara, Japan. Information about this dynamic and well-preserved Buddhist icon, a protective divinity, has largely been drawn from stylistic analysis and records that postdate or predate the work, some of which may be spurious. Recent repairs to the clay image and its pigmented surface and subsequent studies have provided new information about the Shūkongōjin. The hall and its statues were examined twice during the periods 1996–99 and 2010–13, providing new evidence about the decorative motifs represented by the pigments on the statue; additionally, new evidence about its physical placement in the hall emerged. The objective of this thesis is to synthesize all available information regarding the statue in order to determine its most likely date and role in the ancient Hokkedō. To reach these conjectures, this thesis analyzes the appearance and iconography of the statue, early and recent scholarly opinions, worship of Henge Kannon 変化観音 (transformed forms
of the bodhisattva Kannon) in the eighth century, and the history of the Hokkedō hall. These aspects were considered as an organic whole in order to propose the most likely scenario for the Shūkongōjin statue's creation, the history of its placement in the hall, and its function therein.

Global Perspectives on Japan (GPJ) is a yearly, Open Access, peer-reviewed multi-disciplinary academic journal on Japanese studies published by FORUM TAURİ Press.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

- Editor’s Note, Erdal Küçükyalçın

Abstracts

ARTICLES

- State, Political Parties, and the Nation: Triangular Political History without a Center of Gravity, Shimizu Yuichirō

- An Ottoman Staff Officer in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905): General Pertev Bey’s Impressions and Evaluations, Doruk Akyüz

- Railroads of the Glorious Empires in the late 19th Century: From the Great Game to the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-5, Semiha Karaoğlu

- Tracing the Royal, Romantic and Demonic Roots of the Nio Warrior Guardian, Jennifer Norris

- Yōkai as the Edge of The World, Kōda Retsu 甲田烈

REVIEWS

- Sinan Levent. Japon Turancılığı (Japanese Turanism) by , Selçuk Esenbel

- Hook, Glenn D. and Gavan McCormack. Japan’s Contested Constitution, Can Öçalan

A complete annotated translation of the Hossō monk Jōkei's (1155–1213) five-part Monju kōshiki (Manjusri Ceremonial). Published in the journal's online supplement, this translation forms a set with my article published in the same issue (print and online versions): “Materializing and Performing Prajñā: Jōkei’s Mañjuśrī Faith and the Kasagidera Restoration.” Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 43, no. 1 (2016): 17-54.

In the early decades of the twentieth century, as Japanese society became engulfed in war and increasing nationalism, the majority of Buddhist leaders and institutions capitulated to the status quo. At the same time, there was a stream of ‘resistance’ among a few Buddhist
figures, both priests and laity. These instances of progressive and ‘radical Buddhism’ had roots in late Edo-period peasant revolts, the lingering discourse of early Meiji period liberalism, trends within Buddhist reform and modernisation and the emergence in the first decade of the twentieth century of radical political thought, including various forms of socialism and anarchism. This essay analyses the roots of ‘radical Buddhism’ in Japan by analysing the life and work of three distinctive figures: Tarui To¯kichi (1850–1922), Takagi Kenmyo¯ (1864–1914), and Uchiyama Gudo¯ (1874–1911). While noting their differences, I argue these three collective represent both the problems and possibilities of radical Buddhism in an East Asian and specifically Japanese context.

Here I try to show, following the Buddha's instructions for study, how the 5 Hindrances match with the 10 Fetters, the 3 Trainings, the 4 Jhāna (which, the Buddha has said in the EBTs IS the Way/Path) and so the Four Stages of Progress on the Path, SE - Stream Enterer, OR - Once Returner, NR - Non-Returner and AO - Accomplished One.

Directly after the Great East Japan disaster of 2011, myriad efforts in the disaster area drew volunteers seeking to help from all over the country. Buddhist priests were only one segment of the volunteer base, but a critical one for the role they play socially in conducting funerals and memorial services. Buddhist priest volunteers were suddenly confronted with horrible stories of suffering, and often did not know how to respond. Several with experience in psychology or spiritual care organized brief training sessions so volunteers would be armed with, at the very least, fundamental concepts of listening skills and ethical care provision. As the months passed, however, many of those leading these temporary endeavors began to realize a deeper need for long-term, recurring programs that provided a more in-depth and comprehensive training.

This dissertation aims to explore how Japanese Buddhists have adapted chaplaincy to the needs of contemporary Japan and how the field has developed within Japan’s particular socio-cultural circumstances. It does so primarily through the lens of training programs around Japan, the institutions that establish the parameters of such training, and the people who lead the programs. This research explores eleven programs identified as training Buddhist chaplains and three certifications that developed to professionally acknowledge their training. Although there is not sufficient space here to explore the full range of sectarian differences in approaches to care, a final part of the dissertation explores the Shingon tradition in more depth as an example of what Buddhist chaplains are actually doing after and outside of training, as well as what sectarian particularities exist.

This dissertation contends that in the case of Japan, Buddhists have developed training and practices for chaplains that maintain much of the image and understanding of the term “chaplaincy” while still attempting to appropriately adapt such roles to their specific cultural milieus. The research thus contributes to an expanded understanding of not only contemporary Japanese Buddhism, but also intercultural chaplaincy and spiritual care.


Contents

Part I
Chapter 1 Introduction - p. 2
Chapter 2 Japanese Buddhist Chaplaincy Awakens - p. 49

Part II
Chapter 3 Tohoku University Training Programs - p. 98
Chapter 4 Buddhist University Rinshōshukyōshi Programs - p. 138
Chapter 5 Further Chaplaincy Programs and Certifications - p. 196

Part III
Chapter 6 Three Mysteries of Care: Shingon Care Background - p. 229
Chapter 7 Contemporary Shingon Care - p. 256

Chapter 8 Conclusions - p. 305

Bibliography - p. 330

[First several pages of dissertation included in document]

I have seen the Golden Hall countless times, but even to me, as I saw it then surrounded by masses of white plum blossoms, it all but seemed to be an enchanted building and not a real structure of this world at all. In a moment, I said to myself, it will disappear, for what appears before my eyes at the moment is far too lovely to be solid and substantial.
Kitagaw Momoo, 'The Murōji' (1958) quoted in 'Murōji: Rearranging Art and History at a Japanese Buddhist Temple' (p.1)

Murōji is one of most impressive temples in Nara, situated approximately in the centre of the Japanese archipelago, in the heart of Kii Peninsula, but it is as yet much less explored by foreign tourists than other more famous neighbours. Constructed in the Enryaku era (780 - 805), Murōji is situated in a mountain valley and is famous for its dramatic location, for the exceptional quality of its ritual objects and art, which date from the ninth and tenth centuries of the Heian period, for the changing seasonal vegetation, which draws crowds in the spring to see its pink rhododendrons and in autumn for the changing colours of the maple leaves, and for its attitude to women. Often known as the ‘female Koya’, Murōji welcomed women worshippers who, until the nineteenth century, were often excluded from other sacred precincts through deep-rooted prejudices about women’s impurity.
        Murōji’s pagoda, Golden Hall and Main Hall have been designated a National Treasure and have been the subject of study by teams of Japanese specialists, but Sherry Fowler, associate professor of Japanese art history at the Center for East Asian Studies, University of Kansas, has in 'Murōji: Rearranging Art and History at a Japanese Buddhist Temple' presented the first major text in English on the temple and has made Murōji’s treasures accessible to a wider audience. Sherry Fowler’s text is based on her PhD dissertation at UCLA and represents a labour of love spread out over many years, during which she has sought to understand through the architecture, artefacts and Japanese texts about Murōji the history of the temple, its changing allegiances and traditions, the reason for the creation of particular statues and images, and why major works of early Heian sculpture were placed in a remote mountain setting. This is an absorbing text for those interested in Buddhism in Japan and Buddhist iconography.

Este documento es una aproximación a la religión sintoísta, revelada a través de la iconografía en elementos del escenario del videojuego Nioh.

This document is an approach to the shinto religion, which is revealed through the iconography in stage elements of Nioh videogame.

Published in video format, together with an accompanying Guidebook (217 pgs) and optional Book Transcript (534 pgs), as part of The Teaching Company's Great Courses series. Also published as an audiobook by Amazon's Audible.
    The twenty-four lectures/chapters offer a thorough and engaging introduction to both the practice and the philosophy of Zen Buddhism. The course/book provides clear and in-depth explanations of the real teachings and practices of this ancient Asian tradition, and it relates those teachings and practices to the real lives of twenty-first century Westerners. It is ideally suited for those who wish to both learn about the philosophical teachings and also engage in the practice of Zen, especially its central practice of meditation. Several of the lectures explain the nature and methods of Zen meditation, and periodic “mediation checkups” offer strategies for dealing with common issues that arise and offer further guidance for developing and deepening a practice of meditation.   
    The first lecture of the course/book reflects on our approach to Zen. It questions some preconceptions and popular images that we may have in order for us to recover what Zen calls “the beginner’s mind.” The second lecture then goes right to the core of Zen as a path of self-discovery that leads, paradoxically, through a process of self-forgetting. The next two lectures then explain Zen meditation and how to practice it. After that, several lectures explain, from a Zen perspective, the basic teachings of Buddhism, including the “Middle Way” between indulging and repressing our desires, and the problem of spiritual suffering that is rooted in our resistance to impermanence, our excessive cravings, and our misunderstanding of the nature of the self.
    The course/book goes on to clarify Zen’s understanding of the nature of the self in relation to other selves and the world as a whole, and also Zen’s teachings with regard to karma, morality, nature, art, language, and spiritual as well as physical death and rebirth. It explains what it means not only to bring your mind into a state of concentration and stillness while on the meditation cushion, but also what it means to dwell in the “Zone of Zen” during your daily activities. It ends with an elucidation of the The Ten Oxherding Pictures, a classic and beloved set of pictures and verses that summarize the stages a practitioner goes through on the path of Zen.

Text je základným prehľadovým úvodom do dejín buddhistického učenia v Japonsku. Sleduje príchod a ďalší vývoj buddhistického myslenia v Japonsku s dôrazom na špecifiká jednotlivých škol, ktoré v Japonsku v priebehu dejín vznikali.
--
The text is a general introduction to the history of Buddhist teaching in Japan. It traces the arrival of Buddhism to Japan, as well as its further development. Special attention is given to the individual characteristics of the various schools that have emerged within the field of Japanese Buddhism.