The start of Japanese
Buddhism is told as Buddhist tales start in many countries: through a
legend about some interested royalty. The king of Korea sent a Buddha image
to Japan, where it was “used by members of the Soga clan in their bid for power
and influence... Thus it was that Prince Regent Shōtoku, who
acceded to power about 592 C.E. with Soga support, came to be renowned as the
father and establisher of Japanese Buddhism” (Strong 2008:316; but see Yoshida
(2006) who questions whether a real Prince Shotoku ever existed). He, like the
original Buddha, had a miraculous conception and birth and came to be known as
a bodhisattva. The Korean Buddhist practitioners brought over the Triple
Gem, "the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha" (Robinson, Johnson, and
Thanissaro 2005:32). Shotoku stated that this was “the highest refuge for all
beings” (Robinson et al. 2005:242). In order to fully understand this new
ideology, Shotoku sent for Korean monks and nuns to share the Triple Gem.
But Korea did not come up with this new idea. Rather, the Chinese introduced
these ideas to the Koreans – as was apparent in the writing system. Wanting to
better understand first-hand what the sutras and other cultural customs meant,
Prince Shotoku went to the source of the writings: China. As well as reading sutras
and participating in rituals, the Japanese also picked up some new sects to
follow and a new way of governing themselves. “The Hua-yen sect was introduced
from China and rapidly became influential [in Japan]” (Robinson et al
2005:244). It evolved into what then became known as Shingon Buddhism. Shingon
follows Yoga Tantra – the direct teaching of the Dharma-kaya. The school
maintains that “the purpose of practice is…not to remove defilements from the
microcosm but simply to bring the microcosm in tune with the macrocosm and to
realize the original Awakened identity between the two” (Robinson et al. 2005:
247). The imperial family initially followed Shingon traditions.
Other influential Japanese Buddhist schools
of thought are Tendai, Pure Land, True Pure Land, Zen, and Nichiren. Tendai
followed the Lotus Sutra and taught that “not only was the individual mind
already Awakened, so were all phenomena in the cosmos” (Robinson et al. 2005:
247). It is based on discipline, meditation, and study and the Vinaya. Pure
Land (Jōdo) in Japan is similar to Chinese Pure Land ideas. “The only course
open to the sincere practitioner is to develop a profound sense of one’s own
sinful inadequacy, abandoning all sense of self-power and nurturing faith in
the grace of Amida’s other-power” (Robinson et al. 2005: 254). Zen Buddhism emphasizes
a deconstructing of thoughts. One is to be aware but to let the mind flow. One
is to be Awakened with a new thought process and be able to just sit in quiet
understanding, for example. Nichiren followed the Lotus Sutra – for it, the
founder Nichiren thought, “contained the unadulterated true Dharma” (Robinson
et al. 2005: 254) – and used the mandala and chanting for meditation.
For at least a century, Japanese
Buddhism has been heavily associated with funerary rites (it is often called "funerary Buddhism"), leading to the final
term in the common phrase, “Born Shinto, marry Christian, die Buddhist.” This
emphasis on funerary practices has also resulted in a very unique
characteristic of Japanese Buddhism, specifically that it is rather uncommon
for individuals to actively identify with a school of Buddhism, or even
Buddhism in general, despite the fact that Buddhist rituals are a very major
part of common religious practice in Japan (Roemer 2009). Often, people may only think about their ties to Buddhism when a family member dies and they need to know which temple to contact for funerary rites. One specific ritual that
people often practice is a recitation of prayers in front of a Buddhist altar called
a butsudan. This is used as a space to communicate with and show respect and care for deceased
relatives and friends and maintain family ties in the afterlife.
In the 1960s and 1970s,
the concept of child memorial rites, or mizuko
kuyō, became highly visible in Japan. “Visitors to temples and shrines
throughout the country frequently encountered rows of identical carved or
molded figurines [typically Jizō]draped
with cloth bibs and hats, decorated with flowers or pinwheels, and surrounded
by all manner of toys and food set with the figurines easy ‘reach’" (Harrison and
Igeta 1995: 68). These statues are most frequently used to give the child a
name and a “body”.The name is
similar to the concept of posthumous names given to deceased adults (see kaimyō).These funerary rites can be given under any circumstances of
a child’s death – “aborted, miscarried, and stillborn children, as well as
those who died while still very young” (68).There are many reasons that the mizuko kuyo are performed. One is to erase the guilt that the
mother might have for failing her country by thinking about her well-being.Another is that the child still has
personal family ties, so the ceremony is a way to appease the mizuko so as to keep one’s relatives
safe from any harm (72).
Japanese Buddhisms come in
many different forms and serve a variety of social needs. See our History pages to get a brief outline of some of the changes that have occurred, and
check out the temple pages to “visit” some famous temples and learn more.
Written by: Becky Stypka Edited by: Katie Parish, Tayln Cox, and Dr. Roemer Photo by: Dr. Roemer
Bibliography: Harrison, Elizabeth G. and Midori Igeta. 1995. "Women's Responses to Child Loss in Japan: The Case of Mizuko Kuyo." Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 11(2):67-100. Robinson, Richard H., Willard L. Johnson, and Thanissaro Bhikkhu. 2005. Buddhist Religions: A Historical Introduction, 5th ed. Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth. Roemer, M. 2009. "Religious Affiliation in Contemporary Japan. Review of Religious Research 50(3):298-320. Strong, John S. 2008. The Experience of Buddhism: Sources And Interpretations, 3rd ed. Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth. Yoshida Kazuhiko. 2006. “Religion in the Classical Period.” In Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions, edited by Paul L. Swanson and Clark Chilson, 144-162. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Other suggested references: Covell, Stephen. 2005. Japanese Temple Buddhism: Worldliness in a Religion of Renunciation. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. Tamaru, Yoshiro. 2000. Japanese Buddhism: A Cultural History. Tokyo: Kosei Publishing.