No.2 - The abolition of Buddhism (during the Meiji Restoration), The Persecution of Buddhism
さて、「廃仏毀釈」の続きを見ていきましょう。(English) Now let's look at the rest of the 'abolition of Buddhism.'
No.2 - The abolition of Buddhism (during the Meiji Restoration), The Persecution of Buddhism
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Damage caused by the abolition of Buddhism - loss of cultural properties of national treasure status.
Here are some stories of famous temples damaged by the movement to abolish Buddhism, which spread throughout Japan.
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Kofuku-Ji Temple (Nara Prefecture) is the site of the most egregious Haibutsu Kishaku (movement to abolish Buddhism).
Kofuku-Ji Temple in Nara Prefecture is the family temple of the Fujiwara family.
It is one of the oldest temples in Japan, with deep connections to the Kasuga Taisha shrine.
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Nowadays, the temple attracts many tourists due to its national treasures, the Twelve Divine Generals.
However, at one time, no one was in the temple due to the damage caused by the abolition of Buddhism.
The temple buildings and Nara-period Buddhist statues were destroyed or stolen.
There are stories that the five-story pagoda of Kofuku-Ji was sold for a low price, but the actual story is a mystery.
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Not all Buddhist statues, considered masterpieces of the Nara period, are still collected in Kofuku-Ji.
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After the abolition of Buddhism, the Kofuku-Ji land became Nara Park.
Kofuku-Ji is now a temple that attracts many tourists.
However, the temple land today is much smaller than it used to be.
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Abolition of Buddhism in Kyoto, where there are many temples
The abolition of Buddhism in Kyoto, where many prominent temples serve as head temples, also occurs.
The most famous of these is Yasaka Shrine and Maruyama Park.
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The abolition of Buddhism was not only about destroying Buddhist temples but also shrines where strong Buddhist deities were worshipped.
Yasaka Shrine was a shrine dedicated to the god Gyuto Tenno, mentioned in Buddhist scriptures.
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The name of the deity worshipped at this shrine was changed to Gyuto-tenno.
It is now enshrined under the name Susanoo-no-Mikoto (Susanoo-no-Mikoto), which also appears in Japanese mythology.
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Behind this Yasaka Shrine is Maruyama Park, which now also houses statues of Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro.
However, this Maruyama Park was originally the temple land of Chorakuji, located behind it.
Nara Park was opened as a civic park after the temple land was taken.
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Also, next, we will discuss the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine, which has become one of the biggest tourist attractions in Japan.
In the days of Shintoism and Buddhism, there was a temple in the shrine's precincts, where the Dakini-ten, known as the Buddhist Inari-Sama, was worshipped.
However, the temple was removed, and the Shinto deity Ukanomitama-no-Kami (Ukanomitama God) was enshrined.
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Prominent temples were thoroughly destroyed and lost.
During the Shinto/Buddhist syncretism period, shrines like Fushimi Inari Taisha had their temples.
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Nearby there was a kind of temple for the gods called Jinguji. Unfortunately, many of these have been lost.
Jingu-Ji temples were also found at Ise Shrine.
Many famous shrines had splendid Jingu-Ji temples.
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Most of them are now lost.
One of the famous temples is called Eien-Ji, which was the Jingu-Ji of Ishigami Jingu.
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Ishigami Jingu is one of the oldest shrines in Japan.
Even-Ji Temple, its Jingu-Ji, had an excellent Buddhist building.
It had the second highest rank of the temple after Horyu-Ji.
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As soon as this Perpetual Temple was abolished, all the priests became lay people, and all the temple buildings were destroyed and turned into firewood.
Buddha images and sutras were sold at meager prices.
Finally, its essential culture was utterly lost.
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Emperor Toba founded the temple.
Due to the abolition of Buddhism, only the site now remains.
Countless such examples occurred.
The Jinguji temple of Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima remains.
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People who struggled in the era of the abolition of Buddhism
This section introduces those who struggled to protect the Japanese Buddhist community and Buddhist art amidst the total abolition of Buddhism.
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Shimaji Mokurai (Jodo Shinshu priest)
Shivaji Mokurai (島地黙雷) was a priest of the Honganji School of Jodo Shinshu.
He rebuilt the Japanese Buddhist community after the separation of Shintoism and Buddhism and the abolition of Buddhism.
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The Meiji Government's idea to promote state Shintoism halted when proselytizing by Shinto with little conduction experience failed.
Shivaji Mokurai, who also had experience in the Iwakura Mission, rebuilt the government's religious policy on behalf of the Buddhist community.
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He brought in concepts such as freedom of religion from abroad.
He also criticized the ritual unanimity of the government.
He not only rebuilt the Buddhist community after the abolition of Buddhism but also tried to put the whole Japanese religion right.
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Ernest Fenollosa.
Fenollosa came to Japan after studying political science at Harvard University in the USA.
He studied Japanese art and protected its culture.
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At the beginning of the Meiji period (1868-1912), when there was a movement to abolish Buddhism, there was a tendency to disregard ancient Japanese culture.
Apart from the movement to abolish Buddhism, which destroyed Buddhist temples, ukiyo-e prints, folding screens, and various ancient Japanese cultural properties were also damaged.
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He passed on the excellence of Japanese Buddhism and Japanese art, which had been destroyed by the movement to abolish Buddhism, and he also protected Japanese art objects.
There has been some criticism of the fact that Japanese artworks left the country at the hands of Fenollosa.
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However, thanks to his presence, the idea that Japanese art had value spread in Japan.
Later, Fenollosa would establish, together with Okakura Tenshin, the predecessor of the Tokyo University of the Arts, as a cornerstone of the Japanese art world.
After his death, he donated his vast Japanese collection to the American Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
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Expressing the abolition of Buddhism in English
There is no English word that directly expresses the abolition of Buddhism.
In research papers and other publications from the Meiji period, the abolition of Buddhism is expressed as follows.
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The abolition of Buddhism (during the Meiji Restoration)
The Persecution of Buddhism
A more general expression is vandalism.
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This is not limited to the abolition of Buddhism but includes the destruction of various other people's possessions and what is considered good.
Such acts of cultural vandalism can also be found around the world.
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Abolition of Buddhism in Korea
Although it is not generally referred to as the 'abolition of Buddhism,' in Korea, where Buddhism was introduced to Japan, Buddhism was thoroughly suppressed during the Yi Dynasty.
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Confucianism was regarded as the state religion and essential during that period.
Buddhism, which had previously played an important role in politics, was separated from the dynasty.
Other temples, except some, had their temple lands confiscated, as in the movement to abolish Buddhism in the Meiji period.
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Chinese abolition of Buddhism (the Dharma crisis of the Sanwu Ichizong sect and the Cultural Revolution).
There were several movements to abolish Buddhism in China.
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This was the persecution of Buddhism, known as the 'Dharma Tribulation of the Three Wu Sects.'
BudEmperors of several dynasties destroyed Buddhist statuesonks were instructed to become ordinary people, and there were massacres.
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Also, the Cultural Revolution in China some 30 years ago involved actions in destroying old cultures, one of which was the destruction of Buddhist temples.
There has also been a lot of cultural heritage destruction, such as the Palmyra site by ISIS (Islamic State) and the Bamiyan Buddhist site by the Taliban.
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These are negative aspects of the new order.
However, we know the history of these acts and hope they will not happen in the future.
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Art & Power: From Pharaohs to Daimyōs. Masterworks from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
https://www.tobikan.jp/exhibition/2022_boston.html
Mighty men and women throughout the ages have used the power of art to demonstrate and maintain their control.
Majestic portraits have reinforced their power, while finely rendered tales have signaled the legitimacy of their ability.
Beautiful artifacts adorned the court and were sometimes used for diplomatic purposes.
Artworks made by top painters and artisans still exude a majestic splendor that overwhelms the viewer.
Many powerful men, who were art connoisseurs and patrons, supported the best artists and collected valuable works.
The collections they built are the foundation of today's museums.
This exhibition presents approximately 60 works from various regions, including Egypt, Europe, India, China, and Japan.
Focusing on the original role played by the works of art we appreciate, the exhibition looks back on the history of art that has been with power.
This exhibition was canceled in 2020 due to the spread of the new coronavirus. Therefore, the long-awaited show is finally being held.