text:
Buddhism in Japan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Part of a series on
Buddhism in Japan
Schools[show]
Jōjitsu
Hosso
Sanron
Kegon
Ritsu
Kusha
Tendai
Shingon
Pure Land
Zen
Nichiren
Founders[show]
Saichō
Kūkai
Hōnen
Shinran
Dōgen
Eisai
Ingen
Nichiren
Sacred texts[show]
Avataṃsaka Sūtra
Lotus Sūtra
Prajñāpāramitā
Heart Sūtra
Infinite Life Sūtra
Mahāvairocana Sūtra
Vajraśekhara Sūtra
Glossary of Japanese Buddhism
v
t
e
Part of a series on
Mahāyāna Buddhism
Transmission[show]
General
India †
Eastern Transmission
Xinjiang (original) †
Han
Japan
Korea
Vietnam
Indonesian Chinese
Malaysia
Singapore
Northern Transmission
China
Tibet
Neo-Xinjiang
Gansu Uyghur
Inner Mongolian
Bhutan
Mongolia
Nepal
Russia
Western Transmission
Western countries
USA
Reintroduction to India
Teachings[show]
Bodhisattva
Samādhi
Prajñā
Śūnyatā
Trikāya
Mahāyāna sūtras[show]
Prajñāpāramitā sūtras
Lotus Sūtra
Vimalakīrti Sutra
Avataṃsaka Sūtra
Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra
Tathāgatagarbha sūtras
Śūraṅgama Sūtra
Mahāyāna schools[show]
Mādhyamaka
Yogācāra
Tiantai
Huayan
Zen
Pure Land
Esoteric Buddhism
Nichiren
Other traditions[show]
Hinayana
Theravāda
Vajrayāna
Tibetan
Newar
Navayana
Mahayana Buddhism portal
v
t
e
Part of a series on
Buddhism
History[show]
Timeline
Gautama Buddha
Councils
Later Buddhists
Dharma
Concepts
[show]
Four Noble Truths
Five Aggregates
Impermanence
Suffering
Non-self
Dependent Origination
Middle Way
Emptiness
Karma
Rebirth
Saṃsāra
Cosmology
Buddhist texts[show]
Buddhavacana
Tripiṭaka
Mahayana Sutras
Pāli Canon
Tibetan canon
Chinese canon
Practices[show]
Three Jewels
Buddhist Paths to liberation
Morality
Perfections
Meditation
Philosophical reasoning
Mindfulness
Wisdom
Compassion
Aids to Enlightenment
Monasticism
Laity
Nirvāṇa[show]
Four Stages
Arhat
Buddha
Bodhisattva
Traditions[show]
Theravāda
Pāli
Mahāyāna
Hinayana
Chinese
Vajrayāna
Tibetan
Navayana
Newar
Buddhism by country[show]
India
China
Thailand
Japan
Myanmar
Sri Lanka
Laos
Cambodia
Korea
Taiwan
Tibet
Bhutan
Mongolia
Russia
Outline
Buddhism portal
v
t
e
Buddhism in Japan has been practiced since its official introduction in 552 CE according to the Nihon Shoki[1] from Baekje, Korea, by Buddhist monks.[2][3] Buddhism has had a major influence on the development of Japanese society and remains an influential aspect of the culture to this day.[4]
In modern times, Japan's most popular schools of Buddhism are Pure Land Buddhism, Nichiren Buddhism, Shingon Buddhism and Zen. As of 2008, approximately 34% of the Japanese identify as Buddhists and the number has been growing since the 1980s, in terms of membership in organized religion. However, in terms of practice, 75% practice some form of Buddhism (compared with 90% practicing Shinto, thus most Japanese practice both religion to some extent (Shinbutsu-shūgō)).[5] About 60% of the Japanese have a Butsudan (Buddhist shrine) in their homes.[6]
Contents
[hide]
1 History of Japanese Buddhism
1.1 Arrival of Buddhism in China along the Silk Road
1.2 Kofun period (250 to 538)
1.3 Asuka Period (538 to 710) and Nara Period (710–794)
1.3.1 Six sects
1.3.2 Tangmi
1.4 Heian Period (794 to 1185)
1.5 Kamakura Period (1185–1333)
1.6 Muromachi Period (or Ashikaga) (1336–1573)
1.7 Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573–1600) and Edo Period (or Tokugawa)(1600–1868)
1.8 Meiji Restoration (1868–1912)
1.9 Japanese Imperialism (1931–1945)
1.10 Post-war (1945–present)
2 Japanese Buddhist schools
2.1 The Six Nara Schools
2.1.1 Jōjitsu
2.1.2 Hossō
2.1.3 Sanron
2.1.4 Kegon
2.1.5 Risshū
2.1.6 Kusha-shū
2.2 Esoteric Schools
2.2.1 Tendai
2.2.2 Shingon Buddhism
2.3 Kamakura Buddhism
2.3.1 Amida (Pure Land) Schools
2.3.1.1 Jōdo-shū
2.3.1.2 Jōdo Shinshū
2.3.1.3 Ji-shū
2.3.1.4 Yūzū-Nembutsu School
2.3.2 Zen Schools
2.3.2.1 Rinzai
2.3.2.2 Sōtō
2.3.2.3 Ōbaku School
2.3.2.4 Fuke-shū
2.3.3 Nichiren Buddhism
3 Cultural influence
3.1 Societal influence
3.2 Artistic influence
3.2.1 Deities
3.2.2 Artistic motifs
3.3 Temples
4 Buddhist holidays
4.1 Obon (お盆)
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References
7.1 Bibliography
8 Further reading
History of Japanese Buddhism[edit]
Arrival of Buddhism in China along the Silk Road[edit]
Main article: Silk Road transmission of Buddhism
The arrival of Buddhism in China is ultimately a consequence of the first contacts between China and Central Asia, where Buddhism had spread from the Indian subcontinent. These contacts occurred with the opening of the Silk Road in the 2nd century BCE, following the travels of Zhang Qian between 138 and 126 BCE. These contacts culminated with the official introduction of Buddhism in China in 67 CE. Historians generally agree that by the middle of the 1st century, the religion had penetrated to areas north of the Huai River in China.[7]
Kofun period (250 to 538)[edit]
Daibutsu, Kamakura.
According to the Book of Liang, which was written in 635, five Buddhist monks from Gandhara traveled to Japan in 467. At the time, they referred to Japan as Fusang (Chinese: 扶桑; Japanese pronunciation: Fusō), the name of a mythological country to the extreme east beyond the sea:[8]
Fusang is located to the east of China, 20,000 li (1,500 kilometers) east of the state of Da Han [大漢, "China"] (itself east of the state of Wa in modern Kansai region, Japan). (...) In former times, the people of Fusang knew nothing of the Buddhist religion, but in the second year of Da Ming of the Song Dynasty (467), five monks from Kipin [Kabul region of Gandhara] travelled by ship to Fusang. They propagated Buddhist doctrine, circulated scriptures and drawings, and advised the people to relinquish worldly attachments. As a result the customs of Fusang changed.
—  the monk Hui Shen (慧深), Book of Liang, 7th century[a]
Asuka Period (538 to 710) and Nara Period (710–794)[edit]
Pagoda of Yakushi-ji in Nara (730)
Main article: Nanto Rokushū
Although there are records of Buddhist monks from China coming to Japan before the Asuka Period, the "official" introduction of Buddhism to Japan is dated to 552 in Nihon Shoki[9] when King Seong of Baekje (聖明王, now western Korea) sent a mission to the Emperor Kinmei that included Buddhist monks or nuns together with an image of Buddha and a number of sutras to introduce Buddhism.[3][10] The powerful Soga clan played a key role in the early spread of Buddhism in the country. Initial uptake of the new faith was slow, and Buddhism only started to spread some years later when Empress Suiko openly encouraged the acceptance of Buddhism among all Japanese people.
According to legend, in Japan in 552, there was an attempt to destroy a tooth relic, one of the first of Buddha’s to arrive in the country; it was hit by a hammer into an anvil; the hammer and anvil were destroyed but the tooth was not.[11] On January 15, 593, Soga no Umako ordered relics of Buddha deposited inside the foundation stone under the pillar of a pagoda at Asuka-dera.[12]
In 607, in order to obtain copies of sutras, an imperial envoy was dispatched to Sui China. As time progressed and the number of Buddhist clergy increased, the offices of Sōjō (archbishop) and Sōzu (bishop) were created. By 627, there were 46 Buddhist temples, 816 Buddhist priests, and 569 Buddhist nuns in Japan.
Six sects[edit]
The initial period saw the six great Chinese schools, called Nanto Rokushū (南都六宗, lit. the Six Nara Sects) in Japanese, introduced to the Japanese archipelago:
Ritsu (Vinaya-focused Nikaya Buddhism)
Jōjitsu (Tattvasiddhi, a sect of Nikaya Buddhism)
Kusha-shū (Abhidharma-focussed Nikaya Buddhism)
Sanronshū (East Asian Mādhyamaka)
Hossō (East Asian Yogācāra)
Kegon (Huayan)[13]
These schools centered around the ancient capitals of Asuka and Nara, where great temples such as the Asuka-dera and Tōdai-ji were erected respectively. These were not exclusive schools, and temples were apt to have scholars versed in several of the schools. It has been suggested that they can best be thought of as "study groups". The Buddhism of these periods, known as the Asuka period and Nara period – was not a practical religion, being more the domain of learned priests whose official function was to pray for the peace and prosperity of the state and imperial house. This kind of Buddhism had little to offer the illiterate and uneducated masses, and led to the growth of "people’s priests" who were not ordained and had no formal Buddhist training. Their practice was a combination of Buddhist and Daoist elements and the incorporation of shamanistic features of indigenous practices. Some of these figures became immensely popular, and were a source of criticism towards the sophisticated academic and bureaucratic Buddhism of the capital.
Tangmi[edit]
The Late Nara period saw the introduction of Tangmi (Esoteric Buddhism, Japanese mikkyō) to Japan from China by Kūkai and Saichō, who founded Shingon Buddhism and the Tendai school, respectively.
Heian Period (794 to 1185)[edit]
Byōdō-in (Pure Land sect), located in Uji, Kyoto
During the Heian period the capital was shifted from Nara to Kyoto. Monasteries became centers of powers, even establishing armies of Sōhei, warrior-monks.[14]
Shinto and Buddhism became the dominant religions, maintaining a balance until the Meiji-restoration.[14]
Kamakura Period (1185–1333)[edit]
The Kamakura period was a period of crises in which the control of the country moved from the imperial aristocracy to the samurai. In 1185 the Kamakura shogunate was established at Kamakura.[15]
This period saw the introduction of the two schools that had perhaps the greatest impact on the country: the schools of Pure Land Buddhism, promulgated by evangelists such as Genshin and articulated by monks such as Hōnen, which emphasize salvation through faith in Amitābha and remain the largest Buddhist sect in Japan (and throughout Asia); and Zen, promulgated by monks such as Eisai and Dōgen, which emphasize liberation through the insight of meditation, which were equally rapidly adopted by the upper classes and had a profound impact on the culture of Japan.
Additionally, it was during the Kamakura period that the influential monk Nichiren began teaching devotion to the Lotus Sutra. Eventually, his disciples formed their own school of Nichiren Buddhism, which includes various sects that have their own interpretations of Nichiren's teachings. Nichiren Buddhism established the foundation of Japanese Buddhism in the thirteenth century. The school is known for its sociopolitical activism and looks to reform society through faith.[16]
Muromachi Period (or Ashikaga) (1336–1573)[edit]
Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Shōkoku-ji sect of the Rinzai school, located in Kyoto. It was built in Muromachi period.
See also: Higashiyama period
In the Muromachi period, Zen, particularly the Rinzai school, obtained the help of the Ashikaga shogunate and the Emperor of Japan, and accomplished considerable development.
Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573–1600) and Edo Period (or Tokugawa)(1600–1868)[edit]
After the Sengoku period of war, Japan was re-united in the Azuchi–Momoyama period. This decreased the power of Buddhism, which had become a strong political and military force in Japan. Neo-Confucianism and Shinto gained influence at the expense of Buddhism, which came under strict state control.[17] Japan closed itself off to the rest of the world. The only traders to be allowed were Dutchmen admitted to the island of Dejima.[18]
New doctrines and methods were not to be introduced, nor were new temples and schools. The only exception was the Ōbaku lineage, which was introduced in the 17th century during the Edo period by Ingen, a Chinese monk. Ingen had been a member of the Linji school, the Chinese equivalent of Rinzai, which had developed separately from the Japanese branch for hundreds of years. Thus, when Ingen journeyed to Japan following the fall of the Ming dynasty to the Manchu people, his teachings were seen as a separate school. The Ōbaku school was named after Mount Huangbo (Chinese: 黄檗山; pinyin: Huángbò shān; Japanese pronunciation: Ōbaku shan), which had been Ingen's home in China. Also notable during the period was the publication of an exceptionally high quality reprint of the Ming-era Tripiṭaka by Tetsugen Doko, a renowned master of the Ōbaku school.[17]
Meiji Restoration (1868–1912)[edit]
With the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the new government adopted a strong anti-Buddhist attitude, and a movement to eradicate Buddhism and bring Shinto to ascendancy arose throughout the country due to the strong connections of Buddhism to the Shoguns.
During the Meiji period (1868–1912), after a coup in 1868, Japan abandoned its feudal system and opened up to Western modernism. Shinto became the state religion. Within the Buddhist establishment the Western world was seen as a threat as well as a challenge to stand up to.[19][20] Buddhist institutions had a simple choice: adapt or perish. Rinzai and Soto Zen chose to adapt, trying to modernize Zen in accord with Western insights, while simultaneously maintaining a Japanese identity. Other schools, and Buddhism in general, simply saw their influence wane. The edict of April 1872 ended the status of the buddhist precepts as state law and allowed monks to marry and to eat meat.[21] This "codification of a secularized lifestyle for the monk coupled with the revival of the emperor system and development of State Shinto were fundamental in desacralizing Buddhism and pushing it to the margins of society".[22]
Japanese Imperialism (1931–1945)[edit]
See also: Buddhism and violence, Criticism of Buddhism § War and violence, Ahimsa § Buddhism, and Noble Eightfold Path
Japanese identity was being articulated in Nihonjinron, the "Japanese uniqueness theory". A broad range of subjects was taken as typical of Japanese culture. D. T. Suzuki contributed to the Nihonjinron by taking Zen as the distinctive token of Asian spirituality, showing its unique character in the Japanese culture.[23] Nichirenism was one particular expression of Japanese Buddhist nationalism.
During World War II, almost all Buddhists temples strongly supported Japan's militarization.[24][25][26][27][28][29] In contrast, a few individuals such as Ichikawa Haku,[30] and Girō Seno’o were targeted, and the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai, a Nichiren lay believers' organization, was ultimately banned by military authorities. During the 1940s, "leaders of both Honmon Hokkeshu and Sokka Gakkai were imprisoned for their defiance of wartime government religious policy, which mandated display of reverence for state Shinto."[31][32][33]
Post World War II, there was a high demand for Buddhist priests who glorified fallen soldiers, and gave funerals and posthumous names, causing a strong revival.[34][citation needed] However, due to secularization and materialism, Buddhism and religion in general, continued to decline.[need quotation to verify]
Post-war (1945–present)[edit]
Japan has seen a growth in post war movements of lay believers of Buddhism[citation needed] and a decline in traditional Buddhism in the 20th century, with roughly 100 Buddhist organizations disappearing every year.[35][36] As of 2008 approximately 34% of the Japanese identify as "Buddhists" and the number has been growing since the 1980s, as Buddhists were 27% in 1984.
Still, around 90% of Japanese funerals are conducted according to Buddhist rites.[37] "In 1963 Tamamuro Taijo coined the term Funeral Buddhism that came to be used to describe traditional Buddhism in Japan as the religion engaged in funerary rites and removed from the spiritual needs of people".[38]
Contrary to the ritualistic practice of traditional Buddhism, a revived modern form of Nichiren Buddhism led by lay believers Soka Gakkai “…grew rapidly in the chaos of post war Japan’ [33] from about 3000 members in 1951 to over 8 million members” in 2000,[39] and has established schools, colleges and a university, as well as cultural institutions.[40] A study about the reason for the growth in lay believers and increased engagement in society attributes the cause to Nichiren teachings of ‘social responsibility’: “In the tradition of Nichiren Buddhism, however, we find the Lotus Sutra linked to a view of social responsibility that is distinctive”.[41] According to an academic study, lay believers of Buddhism “… offer an alternative view of Japan where their form of Buddhism would form the religious foundation of a peaceful and psychologically and materially enriched society” [42]
Japanese Buddhist schools[edit]
In the post-Meiji, pre-WWII period, there were officially 13 schools and 56 branches (ja:十三宗五十六派) of traditional Buddhism (i.e., those not established in modern times). The official schools included three from the Nara period, two from the Heian period (Tendai and Shingon), four Pure Land schools, three Zen schools (Rinzai, Sōtō and Obaku), and Nichiren. During the war, this was halved to 28 branches, but the law enforcing this was repealed following the end of the war, allowing former branches to return. Further, since then, many groups have split off from existing branches.[citation needed]
The Six Nara Schools[edit]
Main article: Nanto Rokushū
Jōjitsu[edit]
625: Introduced into Japan. The Tattvasiddhi school (成實宗, Jōjitsu-shū)[43] (formerly known as the *Sātyasiddhi) is considered to be an offshoot of the Bahuśrutīya, an Indian Sautrāntika school of Nikaya Buddhism; however, the Tattvasiddhi's position was also close to that of the Sthavira nikāya. They were distinguished by a rejection of abhidharma as not being the words of the Buddha. It was introduced to Japan as Jōjitsu in 625 by the monk Ekwan of Goryeo. In Japan, it was classified as one of the three approaches of East Asian Mādhyamaka instead of a separate lineage.[44] East Asian Mādhyamaka (三論宗, Sanron-shū) was one of the six Nara sects (南都六宗, Nanto Rokushū).[43]
Temple tiles from the Nara period, 7th century, Tokyo National Museum.
Hossō[edit]
654: Dōshō introduces East Asian Yogācāra (法相宗, Hossō). Yogācāra is based on an early Indian philosophy by masters such as Vasubandhu. Practices of this lineage are also known as "consciousness-only" since they teach that all phenomena are phenomena of the mind. The East Asian Yogācāra school of Buddhism was founded by Xuanzang (玄奘, Jp. Genjō) in China c. 630 and introduced to Japan in 654 by Dōshō, who had travelled to China to study under him.[45] The Discourse on the Theory of Consciousness-Only (成唯識論, Jōyuishiki-ron) is an important text for the Hossō school.
Sanron[edit]
This school was transmitted to Japan in the 7th century. Literally: Three-Discourse School; a Madhyamaka school which developed in China based on two discourses by Nagarjuna and one by Aryadeva. Madhyamaka is one of the two most important Mahayana philosophies, and reemphasizes the original Buddhist teachings that phenomena are neither truly existent or absolutely non-existent, but are characterized by impermanence and insubstantiality.
Kegon[edit]
Tōdai-ji, the head temple of the Kegon school
736: Bodhisena introduces the Kegon (Huayan or Avataṃsaka) school to Japan. The Kegon school was founded by Dushun (杜順, Dojun) c. 600 and was introduced to Japan by the Indian monk Bodhisena in 736. The Avatamsaka Sutra (Kegon-kyō 華厳経) is the central text for the Kegon school. The Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki is an early Japanese annotation of this sūtra.
Risshū[edit]
753: Jianzhen (Chinese: 鑑真) introduces the Risshū (Ritsu or vinaya school) to Japan. Founded by Dàoxuān (道宣, Jp. Dosen), China, c. 650
First Introduction to Japan: Jianzhen, 753. The Ritsu school specialized in the Vinaya (the monastic rules in the Tripitaka). They used the Dharmagupta version of the vinaya which is known in Japanese as Shibunritsu (四分律)
Kusha-shū[edit]
The Kusha-shū (倶舎宗) was one of the six schools of Buddhism introduced to Japan during the Asuka and Nara periods.[46] Along with the Tattvasiddhi school (Jōjitsu-shū) and the Risshū, it is a school of Nikaya Buddhism, which is sometimes derisively known to Mahayana Buddhism as "the Hinayana".
A Sarvastivada school,[47] Kusha-shū focussed on abhidharma analysis based on the "Commentary on the Abhidharmakośabhaṣya" (倶舎論) by the fourth-century Gandharan philosopher Vasubandhu. The school takes its name from that authoritative text.[46]
Esoteric Schools[edit]
Tendai[edit]
807: Saichō introduces the Tendai (Tiantai) school to Japan. Known as Tiantai (天台) in China, the Tendai school was founded by Zhiyi (智顗, Jp Chigi) in China, c. 550. In 804 Saichō (最澄) traveled to China to study at the Tiantai teachings, at Mount Tiantai. However, before his return he also studied, and was initiated into, the practice of the Vajrayana, with emphasis on the Mahavairocana Sutra. The primary text of Tiantai is Lotus Sutra (Hokke-kyō 法華経), but when Saichō established his school in Japan he incorporated the study and practice of Vajrayana as well.
Shingon Buddhism[edit]
816: Kūkai founds Shingon Buddhism (真言宗, Shingon-shū). One of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan today and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asia, it originally spread from India to China through traveling monks such as Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra. Known in Chinese as the Tangmi, these esoteric teachings would flourish in Japan under the auspices of a Buddhist monk named Kūkai (空海), who traveled to Tang China in 804 as part of the same expedition as Saichō. In the capital he studied Tangmi and Sanskrit and received initiation from Huiguo. On returning to Japan, Kūkai eventually managed to establish Shingon as a school in its own right. Kūkai received two lineages of teaching—one based on the Mahavairocana Tantra (大日経, Dainichikyō) and the other based on the Vajrasekhara Sutra (金剛頂経, Kongōchōkyō).
The word "Shingon" is the Japanese pronunciation of Zhēnyán "True Words",[48] which in turn is the Chinese translation of the Sanskrit word "mantra".[49]
Kamakura Buddhism[edit]
Amida (Pure Land) Schools[edit]
1175: Hōnen introduces Pure Land Buddhism to Japan.
Jōdo-shū[edit]
Chion-in, the highest temple of Jōdo-shū.
Jōdo-shū was founded by Hōnen (法然), 1175
Japanese name: 浄土, "Pure Land"
Major Influences: Chinese Jingtu Zong (净土宗 "Pure Land school"), Tendai
Doctrine: Nianfo
Primary Text: Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra (Muryōju-kyō 無量壽経)
Jōdo Shinshū[edit]
Jōdo Shinshū was founded by Shinran (親鸞), 1224
Japanese name: 浄土真, "True Pure Land"
Major Influences: Jōdo-shū, Tendai
Doctrine: nembutsu no shinjin ("nianfo of true entrusting", that is, saying nianfo is a declaration of faith in Amida's salvation plan for the individual rather than a plan for salvation.)
Primary Text: Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra (Muryōju-kyō 無量壽経)
Ji-shū[edit]
Ji-shū was founded by Ippen (一遍), 1270
Japanese name: 時宗 or 時衆, "Time"
Major Influences: Jōdo-shū
Doctrine: Nembutsu
Primary Text:
Yūzū-Nembutsu School[edit]
The Yūzū-Nembutsu school was founded by Ryōnin (良忍), 1117
Japanese name: 融通念仏
Doctrine: sokushitsu ōjō (速疾往生,)
Primary Text: Avatamsaka Sutra (Kegon-kyō 華厳経)・Lotus Sutra (Hokke-kyō 法華経)
Zen Schools[edit]
Several variants of Zen's practice and experiential wisdom (禅宗) were separately brought to Japan. Note that Zen influences are identifiable earlier in Japanese Buddhism, esp. cross-fertilization with Hosso and Kegon, but the independent schools were formed quite late.
Rinzai[edit]
1191: Eisai introduces the Rinzai school to Japan. Founder: Linji Yixuan (臨済義玄), China, c. 850
Chinese name: Linji school (臨済宗), named after founder
First Introduction to Japan: Eisai (栄西), 1191
Major Influences: East Asian Yogācāra, Kegon
Doctrine: zazen (坐禅, "sitting meditation"), especially kōan (公案, "public matter") practice
Primary Texts: Transcendental Wisdom Sutras aka Prajnaparamita (般若波羅蜜経), incl. Heart Sutra
Sōtō[edit]
Eihei-ji, the highest temple of Sōtō.
Japanese Buddhist priest c.1897
1227: Dōgen introduces the Sōtō (Caodong school) to Japan. Founders: Caoshan (曹山, Jp. Sosan) and Dongshan Liangjie (洞山, Jp. Tosan), China, c. 850
Chinese name: Caodong (曹洞), named after its founders
First Introduction to Japan: Dōgen (道元), 1227
Major Influences: Tendai, East Asian Yogācāra, Kegon
Doctrine: zazen (坐禅, "sitting meditation"), especially shikantaza
Primary Texts: Transcendental Wisdom Sutras aka Prajnaparamita (般若波羅蜜経), incl. Heart Sutra
Ōbaku School[edit]
1654: Ingen introduces the Ōbaku (Huangbo) school to Japan.
Founder: Ingen (隠元), Japan, 1654
Japanese name: 黄檗, named for the mountain where the founder had lived in China
Major Influences: Rinzai school
Doctrine: kyōzen-itchi (経禅一致, "Unity of Sutras and Zen")
Primary Texts: Transcendental Wisdom Sutras aka Prajnaparamita (般若波羅蜜経), incl. Heart Sutra
Fuke-shū[edit]
The Fuke-shū was founded by Puhua (普化)
First introduction to Japan: Shinchin Kakushin (心地覚心), 1254
Major Influences: Rinzai school
Abolished: 1871
Nichiren Buddhism[edit]
1253: Nichiren (日蓮: "Sun-Lotus") expounds his teachings. Nichiren Buddhism split into several denominations after the death of Nichiren in 1282. The Nichiren Fuju-fuse-ha sub-sect of Nichiren Buddhism was abolished in 1669 and legalised again in 1876.
Today's Nichiren Buddhism is represented by traditional-oriented schools such as Honmon Butsuryū-shū, Nichiren-shū and Nichiren Shōshū and more recent movements like the Soka Gakkai, Risshō Kōsei Kai, Reiyūkai and Nipponzan-Myōhōji-Daisanga. See Nichiren Buddhism for a more complete list.
Major Influences: Tendai
Primary Texts: Lotus Sutra (妙法蓮華經: Myōhō Renge Kyō; abbrev. 法華經: Hokke-kyō), treatises and letters by Nichiren.
Mantra: Nam(u) Myōhō Renge Kyō (南無妙法蓮華經)
Cultural influence[edit]
Japanese culture maintained an uneasy relation to Buddhist culture. While the Chinese culture was admired, Buddhism was also regarded as a strange influence.
Societal influence[edit]
During the Kamakura (1185–1333) and Muromachi (1336–1573) Buddhism, or the Buddhist institutions, had a great influence on Japanese society. Buddhist institutions were used by the shogunate to control the country. During the Edo (1600–1868) this power was constricted, to be followed by persecutions at the beginning of the Meiji-restoration (1868–1912).[18] Buddhist temples played a major administrative role during the Edo period, through the Danka or terauke system. In this, Japanese citizens were required to register at their local Buddhist temples and obtain a certification (terauke), which became necessary to function in society. At first, this system was put into place to suppress Christianity, but over time it took on the larger role of census and population control.
Artistic influence[edit]
Iconographical evolution of the Wind God.
Left: Greek wind god from Hadda, Afghanistan, second century.
Middle: wind god from Kizil Caves, Tarim Basin, 7th century.
Right: Japanese wind god Fūjin, 17th century.
In Japan, Buddhist art started to develop as the country converted to Buddhism in 548. Some tiles from the Asuka period (shown above), the first period following the conversion of the country to Buddhism, display a strikingly classical style, with ample Hellenistic dress and realistically rendered body shape characteristic of Greco-Buddhist art.
Buddhist art became extremely varied in its expression. Many elements of Greco-Buddhist art remain to this day however, such as the Hercules inspiration behind the Nio guardian deities in front of Japanese Buddhist temples, or representations of the Buddha reminiscent of Greek art such as the Buddha in Kamakura.[b]
Deities[edit]
Iconographical evolution from the Greek god Heracles to the Japanese god Shukongōshin. From left to right:
1) Heracles (Louvre Museum).
2) Heracles on coin of Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius I.
3) Vajrapani, the protector of the Buddha, depicted as Heracles in the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara.
4) Shukongōshin, manifestation of Vajrapani, as protector deity of Buddhist temples in Japan.
Various other Greco-Buddhist artistic influences can be found in the Japanese Buddhist pantheon, the most striking being that of the Japanese wind god Fūjin. In consistency with Greek iconography for the wind god Boreas, the Japanese wind god holds above his head with his two hands a draping or "wind bag" in the same general attitude.[c] The abundance of hair has been kept in the Japanese rendering, as well as exaggerated facial features.
Another Buddhist deity, Shukongōshin, one of the wrath-filled protector deities of Buddhist temples in Japan, is also an interesting case of transmission of the image of the famous Greek god Heracles to East Asia along the Silk Road. Heracles was used in Greco-Buddhist art to represent Vajrapani, the protector of the Buddha, and his representation was then used in China and Japan to depict the protector gods of Buddhist temples.[d]
Artistic motifs[edit]
Vine and grape scrolls from Nara, 7th century.
The artistic inspiration from Greek floral scrolls is found quite literally in the decoration of Japanese roof tiles, one of the only remaining element of wooden architecture throughout centuries. The clearest ones are from the 7th century Nara temple building tiles, some of them exactly depicting vines and grapes. These motifs have evolved towards more symbolic representations, but essentially remain to this day in many Japanese traditional buildings.[e]
Temples[edit]
Main article: List of National Treasures of Japan (temples)
Soga no Umako built Hōkō-ji, the first temple in Japan, between 588 to 596. It was later renamed as Asuka-dera for Asuka, the name of the capital where it was located. Unlike early Shinto shrines, early Buddhist temples were highly ornamental and strictly symmetrical. The early Heian period (9th–10th century) saw an evolution of style based on the mikkyō sects Tendai and Shingon Buddhism. The Daibutsuyō style and the Zenshūyō style emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century.
Buddhist holidays[edit]
Obon (お盆)[edit]
Although its date and practices vary region to region, the Bon Festival is celebrated primarily in Japan and in communities with large Japanese diaspora communities. It is believed that the spirits of the dead return to earth for three days and visit the family shrines or graves. It is customary to clean the graves and to hold family reunions.
See also[edit]
Buddhist modernism
Buddhist philosophy
History of Buddhism
Ichibata Yakushi Kyodan
Kaichō
Kanjin
Nara National Museum
Religion in Japan
Shinbutsu-shūgō
Zen at War
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ In the original Chinese: "扶桑在大漢國東二萬餘里,地在中國之東(...)其俗舊無佛法,宋大明二年,罽賓國嘗有比丘五人游行至其國,流通佛法,經像,教令出家,風 俗遂改"
Jump up ^ Katsumi Tanabe: "Needless to say, the influence of Greek art on Japanese Buddhist art, via the Buddhist art of Gandhara and India, was already partly known in, for example, the comparison of the wavy drapery of the Buddha images, in what was, originally, a typical Greek style" (Katsumi Tanabe, "Alexander the Great, East-West cultural contacts from Greece to Japan", p19)
Jump up ^ >Katusmi Tanabe: "The Japanese wind god images do not belong to a separate tradition apart from that of their Western counter-parts but share the same origins. (...) One of the characteristics of these Far Eastern wind god images is the wind bag held by this god with both hands, the origin of which can be traced back to the shawl or mantle worn by Boreas/ Oado." (Katsumi Tanabe, "Alexander the Great, East-West cultural contacts from Greece to Japan", p21)
Jump up ^ Katsumi Tanabe: "The origin of the image of Vajrapani should be explained. This deity is the protector and guide of the Buddha Sakyamuni. His image was modelled after that of Hercules. (...) The Gandharan Vajrapani was transformed in Central Asia and China and afterwards transmitted to Japan, where it exerted stylistic influences on the wrestler-like statues of the Guardian Deities (Nio)." (Katsumi Tanabe, "Alexander the Great, East-West cultural contacts from Greece to Japan", p23)
Jump up ^ The transmission of the floral scroll pattern from West to East is presented in the regular exhibition of Ancient Japanese Art, at the Tokyo National Museum.
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Bowring, Richard John (2005). The religious traditions of Japan, 500–1600. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 16–17. ISBN 0-521-85119-X.
Jump up ^ Bowring, Richard John (2005). The religious traditions of Japan, 500–1600. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 15–17. ISBN 0-521-85119-X.
^ Jump up to: a b Dykstra, Yoshiko Kurata; De Bary, William Theodore (2001). Sources of Japanese tradition. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 100. ISBN 0-231-12138-5.
Jump up ^ Asia Society Buddhism in Japan, accessed July 2012
Jump up ^ [Japan, Destination Detectives, Jen Green, Capstone Classroom, 2006, p. 20]
Jump up ^ [Japanese Saints: Mormons in the Land of the Rising Sun, John Patrick Hoffmann, Lexington Books, 2007 p. 37]
Jump up ^ Hoffman, Michael, "Buddhism's arrival, Shinto's endurance", Japan Times, March 14, 2010, p. 7.
Jump up ^ Leland, Charles G. (2009). Fusang Or the Discovery of America by Chinese Buddhist Priests in the Fifth Century. iblioBazaar, LLC. ISBN 978-1-110-85078-5.
Jump up ^ Bowring, Richard John (2005). The religious traditions of Japan, 500–1600. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 16–17. ISBN 0-521-85119-X.
Jump up ^ Bowring, Richard John (2005). The religious traditions of Japan, 500–1600. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 15–17. ISBN 0-521-85119-X.
Jump up ^ Strong, John S. (2007). Relics of the Buddha. Motilal Banarsidass Publishe. ISBN 978-81-208-3139-1. , page 192
Jump up ^ Aston, W. G. (2008). Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times. New York: Cosimo, Inc. ISBN 978-1-60520-146-7.
Jump up ^ Powers, John (2000). "Japanese Buddhism". A Concise Encyclopedia of Buddhism. 1. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. pp. 103–107.
^ Jump up to: a b Snelling 187, p. 178.
Jump up ^ Snelling 1987, p. 181.
Jump up ^ Cathy Cantwell and Hiroko Kawanami, "Buddhism." Religions in the Modern World: Traditions and Transformations, Third Edition. Edited by Linda Woodhead, Christopher Partridge, and Hiroko Kawanami. Routledge, 2016, Location 2254 in Kindle Cloud reader edition
^ Jump up to: a b Japan Buddhist Federation, Buddhanet "A Brief History of Buddhism in Japan", accessed 30/4/2012
^ Jump up to: a b Snelling 1987.
Jump up ^ McMahan 2008
Jump up ^ Victoria 2006
Jump up ^ Jaffe, Richard (1998). "Meiji Religious Policy, Soto Zen and the Clerical Marriage Problem". Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. 24 (1-2): 46. Archived from the original on November 19, 2014.
Jump up ^ Yoshiharu Tomatsu, The Secularization of Japanese Buddhism: "The Priest as Profane Practitioner of the Sacred". Presented at the American Academy of Religion, Philadelphia, U.S.A., November 16, 1995
Jump up ^ Sharf 1993
Jump up ^ Gier, Nicholas, F. Buddhism and Japanese Nationalism: A sad chronicle of complicity
Jump up ^ Victoria, Brian Daizen (2006), Zen at war (Second ed.), Lanham e.a.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Jump up ^ Victoria, Brian Daizen (2010), "The "Negative Side" of D. T. Suzuki's Relationship to War" (PDF), The Eastern Buddhist, 41 (2): 97–138 *
Jump up ^ Stone, Jaquelin (2000). Japanese Lotus Millennialism. In: Wessinger, Catherine, Millennialism, Persecution and Violence, Syracuse University Press, p.265
Jump up ^ Otani Eiichi, "Missionary Activities of Nichiren Buddhism in East Asia", in: "Modern Japanese Buddhism and Pan-Asianism", The 19th World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions, Tokyo, March 28, 2005, pp.21–22 PDF
Jump up ^ Kawase Takaya, "The Jodo Shinshu Sectś Missionary Work in Colonial Korea"; in: "Modern Japanese Buddhism and Pan-Asianism", The 19th World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions, Tokyo, March 28, 2005, pp.6–7 PDF
Jump up ^ Ives, Christopher (2009). Imperial-Way Zen, University of Hawaiì Press
Jump up ^ Stone, Jaqueline I. (2003). In: Buswell, Robert E. ed. Encyclopedia of Buddhism, New York: Macmillan Reference Lib. ISBN 0028657187, p. 598
Jump up ^ Métraux, Daniel A. (1986). The Sōka Gakkai’s search for the realization of the world of Risshō ankokuron, The Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 13 (1), 40
^ Jump up to: a b Religion and American Cultures, An Encyclopedia, vol 1 p. 61 ISBN 157607238X
Jump up ^ Onishi, Norimitsu. "In Japan, Buddhism May Be Dying Out". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
Jump up ^ In Japan, Buddhism, long the religion of funerals, may itself be dying out by Norimitsu Onishi, International Herald Tribune, 14 July 2008
Jump up ^ Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (2013). Japan Statistical Yearbook 2014 (in Japanese). Tōkyō: Nihon Tōkei Kyōkai.
Jump up ^ "Japanese funeral". traditionscustoms.com.
Jump up ^ Nika Efanova (2013), Funeral Buddhism: A Religion in Crisis, B.A. Thesis, University of Iceland, School of Humanities, Japanese Language and Culture
Jump up ^ "A Sect's Political Rise Creates Uneasiness in Japan". kenyon.edu.
Jump up ^ "SOKA UNIVERSITY - Discover your potential 自分力の発見". soka.ac.jp.
Jump up ^ When Disobedience is Filial, Dr.J. Stone p.262 Princeton University "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-01-04. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
Jump up ^ The Soka Gakkai and Human Security, D. Metraux , p. 49, Virginia Review of Asian Studies, Mary Baldwin College
^ Jump up to: a b Lopez 2013, p. 547.
Jump up ^ Takakusu 2002, p. 76.
Jump up ^ Heinrich Dumoulin, James W. Heisig, Paul F. Knitter, Zen Buddhism : a History: Japan, p5. World Wisdom, Inc, September 25, 2005
^ Jump up to: a b Lopez 2013, p. 574.
Jump up ^ "Kusha". Encyclopædia Britannica.
Jump up ^ "Zhēnyán".
Jump up ^ Kiyota, Minoru (1987). "Shingon Mikkyō's Twofold Maṇḍala: Paradoxes and Integration". Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies. 10 (1): 91–92. Archived from the original on January 25, 2014.
Bibliography[edit]
Buswell, Robert; Lopez, Donald S. (2013). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-15786-3.
Rahder, Johannes. "Harivarman's Satyasiddhi-sastra". Philosophy East & West, V. 5 (January, 1956) p. 348.
Shi, Zhangqing (2004). The Two Truths in Chinese Buddhism. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-2035-7.
Takakusu, Junjirō (2002). The Essentials of Buddhist Philosophy. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-1592-6.
Sharf, Robert H. (August 1993), "The Zen of Japanese Nationalism", History of Religions, 33 (1): 1–43
Snelling, John (1987), The Buddhist handbook. A Complete Guide to Buddhist Teaching and Practice, London: Century Paperbacks
Yoshiro Tamura (2005), Japanese Buddhism, A Cultural History, Kosei Publishing Co., ISBN 4-333-01684-3
Victoria, Brian Daizen (2006), Zen at war (Second ed.), Lanham e.a.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Further reading[edit]
Asakawa, K., and Henry Cabot Lodge (Ed.). Japan From the Japanese Government History.
Eliot, Sir Charles. Japanese Buddhism. London: Kegan Paul International, 2005. ISBN 0-7103-0967-8. Reprint of the 1935 original edition.
Bunyiu Nanjio (1886). A short history of the twelve Japanese Buddhist sects, Tokyo: Bukkyo-sho-ei-yaku-shupan-sha
Covell, Stephen (2001). "Living Temple Buddhism in Contemporary Japan: The Tendai Sect Today". Comparative Religion Publications. Paper 1. (Dissertation, Western Michigan University)
Covell, Stephen G. (2006). "Japanese Temple Buddhism: Worldliness in a Religion of Renunciation", Univ of Hawaii. ISBN 0824829670
Horii, Mitsutoshi (2006). Deprofessionalisation of Buddhist Priests in Contemporary Japan. A Socio-Industrial Study of a Religious Profession, Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies 6 (1), unpaginated
Kawanami, Hiroko: Japanese Nationalism and the Universal Dharma, in: Ian Harris (ed.): Buddhism and Politics in Twentieth-Century Asia. London/New York: Continuum, 1999, pp. 105–126. ISBN 978-0-8264-5178-1
Matsunaga, Daigan; Matsunaga, Alicia (1996), Foundation of Japanese buddhism, Vol. 1: The Aristocratic Age, Los Angeles; Tokyo: Buddhist Books International. ISBN 0-914910-26-4
Matsunaga, Daigan, Matsunaga, Alicia (1996), Foundation of Japanese buddhism, Vol. 2: The Mass Movement (Kamakura and Muromachi Periods), Los Angeles; Tokyo: Buddhist Books International, 1996. ISBN 0-914910-28-0
Matsunami, Kodo (2004), A Guide to Japanese Buddhism (PDF), Tokyo: Japan Buddhist Federation, archived from the original (PDF) on February 2, 2013
[show]
v
t
e
Buddhism in Asia
Sovereign states
Afghanistan
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Cambodia
China
Cyprus
East Timor (Timor-Leste)
Egypt
Georgia
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
North Korea
South Korea
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
Oman
Pakistan
Philippines
Qatar
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Syria
Tajikistan
Thailand
Turkey
Turkmenistan
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Yemen
States with
limited recognition
Abkhazia
Artsakh
Northern Cyprus
Palestine
South Ossetia
Taiwan
Dependencies and
other territories
British Indian Ocean Territory
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Hong Kong
Macau
[show]
v
t
e
Buddhism topics
Glossary
Index
Outline
Foundations
Three Jewels
Buddha
Dharma
Sangha
Four Noble Truths
Noble Eightfold Path
Nirvana
Middle Way
The Buddha
Tathāgata
Birthday
Four sights
Physical characteristics
Footprint
Relics
Iconography in Laos and Thailand
Films
Miracles
Family
Suddhodāna (father)
Māyā (mother)
Mahapajapati Gotamī (aunt, adoptive mother)
Yasodhara (wife)
Rāhula (son)
Ānanda (cousin)
Devadatta (cousin)
Places where the Buddha stayed
Buddha in world religions
Key concepts
Avidyā (Ignorance)
Bardo
Bodhicitta
Bodhisattva
Buddha-nature
Dhamma theory
Dharma
Enlightenment
Five hindrances
Indriya
Karma
Kleshas
Mind Stream
Parinirvana
Pratītyasamutpāda
Rebirth
Saṃsāra
Saṅkhāra
Skandha
Śūnyatā
Taṇhā (Craving)
Tathātā
Ten Fetters
Three marks of existence
Impermanence
Dukkha
Anatta
Two truths doctrine
Cosmology
Ten spiritual realms
Six realms
Deva (Buddhism)
Human realm
Asura realm
Hungry Ghost realm
Animal realm
Hell
Three planes of existence
Practices
Bhavana
Bodhipakkhiyādhammā
Brahmavihara
Mettā
Karuṇā
Mudita
Upekkha
Buddhābhiseka
Dāna
Devotion
Dhyāna
Faith
Five Strengths
Iddhipada
Meditation
Mantras
Kammaṭṭhāna
Recollection
Smarana
Anapanasati
Samatha
Vipassanā (Vipassana movement)
Shikantaza
Zazen
Kōan
Mandala
Tonglen
Tantra
Tertön
Terma
Merit
Mindfulness
Satipatthana
Nekkhamma
Pāramitā
Paritta
Puja
Offerings
Prostration
Chanting
Refuge
Satya
Sacca
Seven Factors of Enlightenment
Sati
Dhamma vicaya
Pīti
Passaddhi
Śīla
Five Precepts
Bodhisattva vow
Prātimokṣa
Threefold Training
Śīla
Samadhi
Prajñā
Vīrya
Four Right Exertions
Nirvana
Bodhi
Bodhisattva
Buddhahood
Pratyekabuddha
Four stages of enlightenment
Sotāpanna
Sakadagami
Anāgāmi
Arhat
Monasticism
Bhikkhu
Bhikkhuni
Śrāmaṇera
Śrāmaṇerī
Anagarika
Ajahn
Sayadaw
Zen master
Rōshi
Lama
Rinpoche
Geshe
Tulku
Householder
Upāsaka and Upāsikā
Śrāvaka
The ten principal disciples
Shaolin Monastery
Major figures
Gautama Buddha
Kaundinya
Assaji
Sāriputta
Mahamoggallāna
Mulian
Ānanda
Mahākassapa
Anuruddha
Mahākaccana
Nanda
Subhuti
Punna
Upali
Mahapajapati Gotamī
Khema
Uppalavanna
Asita
Channa
Yasa
Buddhaghoṣa
Nagasena
Angulimala
Bodhidharma
Nagarjuna
Asanga
Vasubandhu
Atiśa
Padmasambhava
Nichiren
Songtsen Gampo
Emperor Wen of Sui
Dalai Lama
Panchen Lama
Karmapa
Shamarpa
Naropa
Xuanzang
Zhiyi
Texts
Tripiṭaka
Madhyamakālaṃkāra
Mahayana sutras
Pāli Canon
Chinese Buddhist canon
Tibetan Buddhist canon
Branches
Theravada
Mahayana
Chan Buddhism
Zen
Seon
Thiền
Pure Land
Tiantai
Nichiren
Madhyamaka
Yogachara
Navayana
Vajrayana
Tibetan
Shingon
Dzogchen
Early Buddhist schools
Pre-sectarian Buddhism
Basic points unifying Theravāda and Mahāyāna
Countries
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Cambodia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Korea
Laos
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
Pakistan
Philippines
Russia
Kalmykia
Buryatia
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Thailand
Tibet
Vietnam
Middle East
Iran
Western countries
Argentina
Australia
Brazil
France
United Kingdom
United States
Venezuela
History
Timeline
Ashoka
Buddhist councils
History of Buddhism in India
Decline of Buddhism in India
Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution
Greco-Buddhism
Buddhism and the Roman world
Buddhism in the West
Silk Road transmission of Buddhism
Persecution of Buddhists
Banishment of Buddhist monks from Nepal
Buddhist crisis
Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism
Buddhist modernism
Vipassana movement
969 Movement
Women in Buddhism
Philosophy
Abhidharma
Atomism
Buddhology
Creator
Economics
Eight Consciousnesses
Engaged Buddhism
Eschatology
Ethics
Evolution
Humanism
Logic
Reality
Secular Buddhism
Socialism
The unanswered questions
Culture
Architecture
Temple
Vihara
Wat
Stupa
Pagoda
Candi
Dzong architecture
Japanese Buddhist architecture
Korean Buddhist temples
Thai temple art and architecture
Tibetan Buddhist architecture
Art
Greco-Buddhist
Bodhi Tree
Budai
Buddharupa
Calendar
Cuisine
Funeral
Holidays
Vesak
Uposatha
Magha Puja
Asalha Puja
Vassa
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi
Kasaya
Mahabodhi Temple
Mantra
Om mani padme hum
Mudra
Music
Pilgrimage
Lumbini
Maya Devi Temple
Bodh Gaya
Sarnath
Kushinagar
Poetry
Prayer beads
Prayer wheel
Symbolism
Dharmachakra
Flag
Bhavacakra
Swastika
Thangka
Temple of the Tooth
Vegetarianism
Miscellaneous
Abhijñā
Amitābha
Avalokiteśvara
Guanyin
Brahmā
Dhammapada
Dharma talk
Hinayana
Kalpa
Koliya
Lineage
Maitreya
Māra
Ṛddhi
Sacred languages
Pali
Sanskrit
Siddhi
Sutra
Vinaya
Comparison
Bahá'í Faith
Christianity
Influences
Comparison
East Asian religions
Gnosticism
Hinduism
Jainism
Judaism
Psychology
Science
Theosophy
Violence
Western philosophy
Lists
Bodhisattvas
Books
Buddhas
named
Buddhists
Suttas
Temples
Category
Portal
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Buddhism_in_Japan&oldid=816989381"
Categories:
Buddhism in Japan
Zen
Nara period
Heian period
Buddhism by country
Japanese culture
History of Japan
Hidden categories:
CS1 Japanese-language sources (ja)
Articles containing Chinese-language text
Articles containing Japanese-language text
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from August 2013
Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from October 2013
Articles with unsourced statements from December 2013
Articles with unsourced statements from August 2012
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Languages
Azərbaycanca
བོད་ཡིག
Буряад
Čeština
Deutsch
Eesti
Español
Esperanto
Français
한국어
Bahasa Indonesia
Italiano
עברית
ქართული
Magyar
Bahasa Melayu
မြန်မာဘာသာ
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk
Português
Română
Русский
Slovenčina
Српски / srpski
ไทย
Türkçe
Українська
اردو
Tiếng Việt
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 25 December 2017, at 07:07.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

value: a

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

value: td

value: th

value: img

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

attrs: href class

attrs: class id href

values: NavToggle NavToggle1 #

attrs: class style

value: li

values: /wiki/Hosso mw-redirect Hosso

values: /wiki/Sanron mw-redirect Sanron

values:
/wiki/Kusha-sh%C5%AB_(Buddhism)
mw-redirect
Kusha-shū (Buddhism)

values: font-size: 105%; padding: 0.2em 0px 0.4em; text-align: center; display: none;

values:
/wiki/Infinite_Life_Sutra
mw-redirect
Infinite Life Sutra

values: padding:0.3em 0.4em 0.3em;font-weight:bold;border-top: 1px solid #aaa; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa;

values: float:right;clear:right;width:22.0em;margin:0 0 1.0em 1.0em;background:#f9f9f9;border:1px solid #aaa;padding:0.2em;border-spacing:0.4em 0;text-align:center;line-height:1.4em;font-size:88%

values:
/wiki/File:Buddha-flower-color.svg
image
Buddha inside lotus

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_Korea
mw-redirect
Buddhism in Korea

values:
/wiki/Inner_Mongolian
mw-redirect
Inner Mongolian

values:
/wiki/Wisdom_in_Buddhism
mw-redirect
Wisdom in Buddhism

values:
/wiki/Vimalak%C4%ABrti_Sutra
mw-redirect
Vimalakīrti Sutra

values: International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration

values:
/wiki/Huayan_school
mw-redirect
Huayan school

values: font-size: 105%; padding: 0px 0px 0.4em; text-align: center; display: none;

values:
/wiki/Mahayana_Sutras
mw-redirect
Mahayana Sutras

values:
/wiki/Three_Jewels
mw-redirect
Three Jewels

values: Edit section: History of Japanese Buddhism

values: Edit section: Arrival of Buddhism in China along the Silk Road

values: Edit section: Asuka Period (538 to 710) and Nara Period (710–794)

values: Edit section: Heian Period (794 to 1185)

values: Edit section: Kamakura Period (1185–1333)

values: Edit section: Muromachi Period (or Ashikaga) (1336–1573)

values: Edit section: Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573–1600) and Edo Period (or Tokugawa)(1600–1868)

values: Edit section: Meiji Restoration (1868–1912)

values: Edit section: Japanese Imperialism (1931–1945)

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2013)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

values: Quotation needed from source to verify. (October 2013)

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (December 2013)

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2012)

values: List of National Treasures of Japan (temples)

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: lower-alpha;

values:
/wiki/Japan_Times
mw-redirect
Japan Times

values:
nofollow
external text
http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/2645

values:
/wiki/International_Herald_Tribune
mw-redirect
International Herald Tribune

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.soka.ac.jp/en/index.html

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_Asia
mw-redirect
Buddhism in Asia

values: Buddhism in Armenia (page does not exist)

values: Buddhism in Azerbaijan (page does not exist)

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_Bahrain
mw-redirect
Buddhism in Bahrain

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_China
mw-redirect
Buddhism in China

values: Buddhism in Cyprus (page does not exist)

values: Buddhism in East Timor (page does not exist)

values: Buddhism in Georgia (country) (page does not exist)

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_India
mw-redirect
Buddhism in India

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_Israel
mw-redirect
Buddhism in Israel

values: Buddhism in Jordan (page does not exist)

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_Kazakhstan
mw-redirect
Buddhism in Kazakhstan

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_North_Korea
mw-redirect
Buddhism in North Korea

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_South_Korea
mw-redirect
Buddhism in South Korea

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_Kuwait
mw-redirect
Buddhism in Kuwait

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_Kyrgyzstan
mw-redirect
Buddhism in Kyrgyzstan

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_Lebanon
mw-redirect
Buddhism in Lebanon

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_Oman
mw-redirect
Buddhism in Oman

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_Qatar
mw-redirect
Buddhism in Qatar

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_Tajikistan
mw-redirect
Buddhism in Tajikistan

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_Turkey
mw-redirect
Buddhism in Turkey

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_Turkmenistan
mw-redirect
Buddhism in Turkmenistan

values: Buddhism in Abkhazia (page does not exist)

values: Buddhism in the Republic of Artsakh (page does not exist)

values: Buddhism in Northern Cyprus (page does not exist)

values: Buddhism in the Palestinian territories (page does not exist)

values: Buddhism in South Ossetia (page does not exist)

values: Buddhism in the British Indian Ocean Territory (page does not exist)

values: Buddhism in Christmas Island (page does not exist)

values: Buddhism in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (page does not exist)

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Iconography of Gautama Buddha in Laos and Thailand

values: List of places where Gautama Buddha stayed

values: Basic points unifying Theravāda and Mahāyāna

values: Decline of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible collapsed navbox-inner

values: Category:CS1 Japanese-language sources (ja)

values: Category:Articles containing Chinese-language text

values: Category:Articles containing Japanese-language text

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from August 2013

values: Category:Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from October 2013

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from December 2013

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from August 2012

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Buddhism_in_Japan
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

values:
uls-settings-trigger
Language settings
0
button
true

values: ཉི་ཧུང་གི་ནང་ཆོས། – Tibetan

values: Японой Буддын шажан – Russia Buriat

values: 일본의 불교 – Korean

values: בודהיזם יפני – Hebrew

values: ბუდიზმი იაპონიაში – Georgian

values: ဂျပန်နိုင်ငံ၌ ကျင့်သုံးသောဗုဒ္ဓဘာသာ – Burmese

values: Буддизм в Японии – Russian

values: ศาสนาพุทธในประเทศญี่ปุ่น – Thai

values: Буддизм у Японії – Ukrainian

values: جاپان میں بدھ مت – Urdu

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Buddhism_in_Japan rootpage-Buddhism_in_Japan skin-vector action-view