How did Buddhism come to Japan

今日は日本の仏教について学んでいきましょう。(English) Today we will learn about Buddhism in Japan.

How did Buddhism come to Japan?

1)

Around the 5th century, Indian Buddhist priests began traveling to China, and the Chinese priests started traveling to India.

Buddhist teachings reached the Korean peninsula from China in 372.

The official transmission of Buddhism to Japan is described in the Nihon Shoki, the "Chronicle of Japan."

2)

It says Emperor Kimmei of Japan received an image of the Buddha and sutras from the Korean peninsula sometime between 538 and 552.

Of course, Buddhists from China and Korea had also established places of worship in Japan before that.

3)

Prince Shotoku, Shotoku Taishi(574-622), is credited with promoting Buddhism, supporting the building of Buddhist temples, and writing commentaries on sutras.

4)

How was Buddhism received in Nara and Heian periods?

When Buddhism first arrived in Japan, it was adopted by the imperial court and the nobility.

Priests were not allowed to teach ordinary people.

5)

The first Buddhist priests were city employees.

They received salaries from the government.

Their occupation was to carry out ceremonies and pray for the safety and peace of the nation.

6)

Japanese of that day believed that the Onryo, vengeful spirits caused epidemics.

So these priests were called on to offer Buddhist prayers to appease the spirits that caused epidemics.

Their prayers were also believed to make crops grow and stop uprisings against the imperial court.

7)

In other words, the government used Buddhism to protect itself and strictly controlled Buddhist priests, temples, and teachings.

Buddhism at this time was not a religion for all the Japanese people.

It was only for the elite.

8)

Buddhist priests were not allowed contact with ordinary people.

It prevented a priest from becoming a leader of any popular movement that might oppose the government.

It was only later that priests began to spread Buddhism among the ordinary people.

9)

How did Buddhism change between the Nara and Heian periods?

When Buddhism arrived in Japan, the capital was Nara.

The imperial court sponsored six different teachings, now referred to as "the Six Nara Schools of Buddhism."

10)

They are called schools because students of Buddhism could focus on several forms of teaching instead of just one.

The headquarters for all of them was at Todaiji.

11)

Buddhist priests began to try to influence the imperial court and interfere in politics.

So when the imperial court decided to move the capital city from Nara to Heian, present-day Kyoto. It did not allow the temples to move.

The court wanted to be free from Buddhist priests who had caused trouble.

12)

Once the new capital was established, Emperor Kammu found two devout priests he trusted to establish Buddhist centers in Kyoto: Saicho and Kukai.

Saicho won approval to establish the Tendai sect on Mt. Koya.

These two priests led Buddhism in the Heian period.

13)

How did Buddhism first become associated with death and funerals?

In Shinto tradition, death and corpses were impurities.

*Kegare = unclean:.

A Shinto religious concept describes time, space, objects, bodies, and actions as being in a less than ideal state or nature.

14)

Any contact with either required purification.

However, Buddhism offered a way to eliminate the impurities that the Japanese associated with death.

With chants and rituals performed by priests, Buddhism was able to transform the spirits of the dead.

15)

It could lead these spirits to enlightenment - even after death.

If the living prayed for the deceased's soul, that person could eventually become a Buddha.

16)

The connection between Buddhism and funerals began early.

As early as 685, the imperial court ordered every aristocratic household to have a butsudan, a Buddhist family altar.

The families were supposed to use the altar to worship their ancestors.

17)

The first cremation in Japan was that of a monk.

It took place in 700, and before long, the practice of cremation spread within the imperial court and the noble families.

Later the customs of cremation and family altars spread to other parts of society.

18)

Families called on the Buddhist priests to carry out the rituals that removed the impurities surrounding death.

The cremation rate in Japan is close to 99%.

19)

What is "the afterlife" like in Buddhism?

Buddhism holds that there are Six Realms of Existence(Rokudo).

A person is reincarnated and reborn repeatedly in the cycle of these realms.

The only way to escape this cycle is to gain enlightenment.

20)

Those who have done evil are reborn in one of the hells.

The ruler of hell is Emma, a frightening judge who reviews each person's life and sends him to an appropriate hell.

21)

There are eight great hells and 16 lesser hells.

Those who have achieved enlightenment are reborn in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha.

Few Japanese today believe in the afterlife.

Ref)

A)

What is Buddhism?

Gautama Siddharta is also called the Shakyamuni, "sage of the Sakya clan."

He was born in the 4th or 5th century B.C.

As the son of the king of the Sakya clan, he was raised in luxury.

B)

He was protected from everything depressing, including aging, illness, and death.

Eventually, however, he discovered on his own all of these unpleasant and disturbing facts about human life.

C)

He shaved his head and set off in search of enlightenment.

After years of ascetic practice and study with Hindu masters, he meditated under a bo tree near the Gaya in northeast India and attained enlightenment.

D)

He realized the fundamental truth is that life is suffering.

Our suffering comes from different causes, such as growing old, not having something we want, and parting with someone we love.

E)

Shakyamuni came to be called the Buddha, "the Awakened One," and he began preaching to others.

He preached that to free ourselves from suffering.

We should understand the Four Noble Truths: the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the extinguishing of suffering, and the truth of the method of extinguishing suffering.

F)

To gain this "enlightenment" or "awakening," we should extinguish all desires and attachments to this world.

We can do this by practicing meditation, undergoing spiritual exercise, and following the precepts.

G)

He then preached the Eightfold Noble Path, the varieties of actual practice one can follow to fulfill the Four Noble Truths.

These fundamental teachings came to be known as Buddhism.

H)

Buddhism teaches that all things are impermanent and, therefore, "empty."

By going beyond short attachment to the world and gaining a deep understanding of "emptiness," human beings can achieve true peace of mind.

It is the compassionate message of Buddhism.

I)

What are the main types of Buddhism?

Buddhism began in India. Several centuries after Shakyamuni reached enlightenment and began teaching, Buddhism spread to various parts of Asia.

As it spread, it was influenced differently in each area.

J)

In southeast Asia, Buddhism focused on priests who spent all of their time in religious practices.

Ordinary believers supported them with food and offerings.

This tradition became known as Theravada or Hinayana Buddhism.

It is also called "the Lesser The Vehicle" because salvation is only possible for the community of priests.

K)

Another tradition of Buddhism traveled over the Himalayas into China, eventually reaching Japan.

This tradition became known as Mahayana Buddhism and is called "the Greater Vehicle."

L)

This tradition believes all living beings have "The Bussho," buddha nature, and can become a Buddha.

It also teaches that gaining salvation for oneself is not enough.

One should seek salvation for all living beings.

Ref-2)

M)

Are the Japanese Buddhists?

During the Tokugawa period(1603-1868), every member of every family became "Buddhist."

They were required to do this by the Bakufu, the military government.

N)

The Bakufu felt Christianity was a dangerous religion and suppressed it.

The Bakufu required the Japanese to prove that they were not Christian by having them register as a parishioner of a Buddhist temple.

O)

Without formal registration, people could not register for marriages or get official passes for travel outside the local area.

They would also be suspected of believing in Christianity.

So, each family naturally went to the closest temple, a famous temple not too far away, or a temple with a renowned priest and registered every family member as a parishioner.

P)

The temples received support only from their members.

It came from donations made on occasions such as funerals and memorial services.

This created the idea that Buddhism is primarily a religion related to death.

Q)

This system also turned the Buddhist priests into civil servants.

Their job was not to preach Buddhism, lead people to enlightenment, or help them in times of trouble.

Their job was to register residents and keeping track of them for the government.

As a result, Buddhism lost its vitality, and many resent the priests and temples.

R)

However, the local temple priest did perform a valuable service for members: holding funeral rites.

S)

Japanese today may not know which sent their "Family Temple" belongs to.

It does not matter to them.

They may not know the particular teachings of that sect or other sects.

And they have few occasions or little motivation to learn about Buddhism - until they get closer to the end of their life or until an immediate family member dies.

T)

Why do the Japanese go to both shrines and temples?

Japanese are not exclusive when it comes to religion.

Kami, Buddhas, and other spirits have go-Riyaku - powers and benefits that can be passed on to humans.

U)

So, most Japanese do not hesitate to pray to Shinto Kami for health, visit Buddhist temples on New Year, and be married in a Christian - style wedding ceremony.

They see no conflict in this at all.

V)

However, it is essential to realize that participation in such actions is rather casual.

Participating in these various "religious" events does not require a commitment to a particular belief or a specific sect of a religion.

You ask for help, benefit, protection, or express gratitude using prayer, ritual, chanting, or visiting a place of worship.

Throughout history, the Japanese have done this.

They are simply maintaining that tradition.

James M. Vardaman

https://www.jmvardaman.com/about