history of japanese buddhism lecture notes

7/28/2019 History of Japanese Buddhism Lecture Notes

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History of Japanese Buddhism


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Timeline of Japanese History


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Buddhism was not entirely welcomed by everyone in Japan. The Nihon Shoki records the initial hesitation on the part of some nobles and laterhostility towards Buddhism during the reign of Emperor Kinmei (509-571), resulting in the destruction of the first official Buddhist icons and temple inJapan in 552. After accepting Buddhism from Paekche the following incident is

recorded:

Later the country was subject to pestilence from which thepeople died prematurely. The longer it went on the worse itbecame. They were unable to remedy it. Mononobe murajiOkoshi and Nakatomi Muraji Kamako together stated, In days

past you did not require our counsel, which had lead to thisplague. Now should you recover things before it is too far therewill certainly be blessings. We should promptly cast [the image]

away and diligently pursue future fortune. The emperor said,As you say! The officials then abandoned the Buddha image inthe Naniwa Canal and then set fire to the temple and burnt it toashes until nothing remained. Thereupon there was neither windnor cloud in the sky and suddenly the great palace was aflame.


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- Two years later two new statues were crafted.

- In 585 Buddhism was again suppressed.

- These early incidents probably represent a conflictbetween the immigrant clans from the mainland whosupported Buddhism and the native clans who supported

kamiworship (i.e., Shint).

- In 593 Empress Suiko had the throne and was in fullsupport of Buddhism.


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Prince Shtoku's Seventeen Article Constitution

In 604 Prince Shtoku (572-622) draftsthe Seventeen Article Constitution ,effectively declaring Buddhism the official religionof the court.


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Article #2 of the constitution:

II. With all our heart, revere the threetreasures. The three treasures, consisting ofBuddha, the Doctrine, and the Monastic

Order, are the final refuge of the four

generated beings, and are the supremeobjects of worship in all countries. Can anyman in any age ever fail to respect theseteachings? Few men are utterly devoid of

goodness, and men can be taught to followthe teachings. Unless they take refuge in the

three treasures, there is no way of rectifyingtheir misdeeds.


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Prince Shtoku'shandwritten

manuscript.Commentary onthe Lotus Stra.


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Bank of Japan Yen Note


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Asuka-dera Oldest temple in Japan, initially built in late 6th century.


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Ritsury

- In an attempt to consolidate the power and administrative abilities of the central state and

court, a system of rigorous and well-defined law was introduced starting from 645 onward.

- The Ritsury system was based largely on the legal codes of the Tang court.

- Buddhism came to have a special function in the state apparatus. Monks and nuns were

effectively made bureaucrats while Buddhist institutions became a wing of the state.

- Buddhism helped to protect the country and in a sense functioned as part of the self-defense strategy and budget.

- In the 660s there was a joint Silla-Tang conquest of the Korean penninsula. The Yamato

court (Japan) had attempted to assist the Korean kingdom of Paekche, but ultimately failed

and suffered catastrophic losses (42,000 troops and 800 ships at the Battle of Baekgang in

663).

- This loss likely prompted Japan towards further intensive sinicization policies, including

further introduction of Chinese Buddhism.


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Nara Period (710 to 794)

- 710 Capital moved from moved from Fujiwara-ky to Heij-ky (Nara).

Fujiwara-ky

H ij k


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Heij-kyBuilt based on the city plan of Chang'an in China.


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Tdai-ji

- In 752 the eye-opening ceremony of the Vairocana Buddha image is carried out by Indianmonk Bodhisena (704-760).


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Virpka

Cintmai Cakra Avalokitevara


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Vairavaa

The Six Schools of the South Capital


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p

- These schools were the primary schools of the Nara Period.

1. Hoss-sh. Citta-mtraor mind only. Based primarily on the workstranslated by Xuanzang (602664).

2. Gusha-sh. Study of the Abhidharma-koa by Vasubandhu.

3. Sanron-shStudy of Madhyamaka.

4. Jjitsu-sh. Study of the Satyasiddhi stra.

5. Kegon-sh

6. Rissh. Study of the Vinaya.

Jianzhen / Ganjin (688-763)


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j ( )

- In 742 asked by Japanese monks in China to transmit full properprecepts to Japan. At the time there were many self-ordained monks inJapan. They came looking for ten fully ordained monks to ordain new

monks in Japan.

- Initially nobody but Jianzhen was willing to go, but after announcinghe would go, 21 disciples agreed to accompany him. They attemptedto cross over to Japan five times, but failed.

- Finally arrives in Japan in 753. Starts administering precepts.

- 759 builds Tshdai-ji.

- Also conveys his deep understanding of sculpture and medicinalplants.


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Kyasan


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Mahvairocana


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Siddha (Sanskrit) script used in Shingon:


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Saich (767-822)


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- Ordained at the age of 19 at Tdai-ji ,then moved to Mount Hiei , where hepracticed meditation while studying Huayan.

He took a greater interest in Tiantai teachings.

- In 804 in the same fleet carrying Kkai hewent to China, where he studied NiutouChan, Tiantai teachings and Vajrayna.

- In 806 he returned to Japan. He advocatedmonastic reforms whereby ordination would becarried out primarily with bodhisattva preceptsbased on the Brahma Net Stra and notthe Vinaya.

- Died shortly before the court officiallyapproved his ordination reforms. EffectivelyJapanese Buddhism came to recognizeordination without the Vinaya.

Eisai (1141-1215)


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- Considered to be the founder of the Rinzai sect inJapan.

- Born into a family of the Shinto priesthood, Eisai studiedBuddhism at a young age, primarily the Tendai teachings ofMount Hiei . He was disillusioned with the politics thereand traveled to Song China. He stayed less than a year, but wasdeeply influenced before returning to Mt. Hiei with many Tiantaitexts.

- Again traveled to China at age of 47 (1187). He wanted to go toIndia, but was unsuccessful due to political hindrances. He metXuan Huaichang , a master of the Huanglong school of Linji Chan, studying under him. In 1191 havingreceived certification of his enlightenment from Huaichang, Eisaireturned to Japan, where he established the first Zen temple inJapan. He later moved to Kamakura where the new Shogun

government welcomed a new tradition. Thereafter he builtseveral temples.

- Credited with the introduction of tea cultivation in Japan. Wrotea book on tea ().

Dgen (1200-1253)


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g ( )

- Founder of the St school of Japanese Buddhism.

- Ordained at Mount Hiei as a novice at the age ofthirteen, staying for about two years. Had doubts and visitedKin the abbot of Onjji who represented adifferent branch of Tendai school. Kin advised Dgen tostudy at Kenninji , an early Zen temple in Japan,where he is said to have had a chance to meet with Eisai shortly before his death.

- In 1223 traveled to Song China together with Eisai'ssuccessor Myzen . Initially dissatisfied, but in 1225experienced a casting off of body and mind basedon his experience with Caodong master Rujing atTiantong shan . Returned to Japan in 1227.

- His form of Zazen is called shikantaza or just sitting . Also emphasized that menial tasks like cooking couldbe spiritually enhancing.

- Founded Eihei-ji and wrote his famous work theShbgenz .

Eihei-ji


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Shinran (1173-1262) - Considered to be the founder of the Jdo Shin school .


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- Became a monk at 9, trained at Mt. Hiei until age of 29.

- After leaving Mt. Hiei he did a solitary 100 day 'prayer' retreat

near Kyoto. Having visions of Prince Shtoku he soughtout Hnen (a Pure Land priest) who taught him the 'other-power' path of the Root Vow of Amitbha Buddha .

- In 1207, his school was suppressed. Shinran, Hnen, andothers were exiled to separate parts of Japan. In his exile in

present-day Nigata prefecture he spread his Pure Land doctrineamongst common people. The Jdo Shin school became one ofthe largest schools in Japan.

-At the time there was widespread belief in the Dharma EndingAge . Believed people could not achieve enlightenment,therefore need to rely on the vow of Amitbha. Nenbutsu

encouraged by Pure Land school, whereas Shinran emphasizedfaith and gratitude as the proper cause for rebirth in the pure land.

- Shinran was the first eminent priest to marry and producechildren.

Nichiren (1222-1282)


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- Founder of Nichren school , otherwise called the LotusSchool .

- Born into a fisherman's family. Became a monk at age 7 and

studied in various places in Kamakura, Kyoto and Mt. Hiei. Heconcluded that the Lotus Stra was the ultimate Buddhistteaching.

- 1253 declares the invocation nam-myh-renge-ky 'Devotion to the Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma' as thetrue and only path to liberation in the present 'latter age' or

mapp period. He propagated this message to all levels ofsociety.

- Extremely critical of existing schools. Survived two exiles andan attempted execution. His teachings came to include arevelation of him being a champion of the 'Great Dharma', i.e.,nam-myh-renge-ky, which would be spread overseas and

lead the world. Social unrest and the Mongol invasions of the1270s encouraged his thinking that the country would be ruinedif it did not take heed of his ominous warnings.


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Go-honzon

Ed P i d (1603 1868)


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Edo Period (1603-1868)- Long period of cultural digestion and relative stability. Literature and the arts flourish.Buddhism is playfully mocked:

Bodhidharma and hiscourtesan.

Meiji Period (1868-1912)


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- Along with modernization efforts were also made to create a Shint-oriented state model.

- 1868 the government issues an order declaring the separation of Buddhism and Shint (). Alongside this was a movement to destroy Buddhism and force monks backto lay life ().

- 1872 Meiji government government issues proclamation 133 on April25th:


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25 :

Hereafter monks may freely eat meat, marry and keep hair.Furthermore, there will be no penalty if they wear ordinary clothingwhen not engaged in religious activities.

- Buddhist clergy initially protested this and resisted. The governmentrefused to accommodate them.

- Eventually it became quite normal and expected for Buddhist prieststo marry and their sons to inherit property and responsibilities.

- With the introduction of western scholarship, secular academicstudies of Buddhism commences.


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Japanese Buddhism: 21st Century


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Declining numbers of priests in recent decades.

General disinterest in Buddhism amongstJapanese people.

Some traditions have spread overseas, mostnotably St Zen and SGI, and to a lesser

extent Tendai, Nichiren and the Jd-shinschool.

Hereditary priesthood has meant many temple

holding priests are forced into the position. Tibetan Buddhism and Theravada exist in

Japan, but are extremely small.

history of japanese buddhism lecture notes

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