History of Buddhism in Japan

Soto was more popular with the peasants and low-ranking aristocracy. Soto favored sitting and meditating quietly (zazen) for extended periods - sometimes several days - and emptying out the mind to achieve mushin and eventually enlightenment.

All of these sects continued to thrive beyond their founders' lives and are still active today. The Single Minded Sect and Rinzai Zen figured particularly strongly in Japanese history; the latter for its influence on the samurai, and the former for rising to feudal power in the 15th century. In fact, the Single Minded sect was almost wiped out - man, woman and child - by 15th century hegemon Oda Nobunaga, who considered the priests' power a threat, especially as it resembled a sort of republic, with more-than-average power in the hands of the peasantry.

Oda's was not the only effort to curb Buddhism in Japan. Often, when the temples grew too powerful or the monks too demanding (Japan may be unique in having had "thug monks" hired by temples for their fighting -- rather than preaching -- skills), or any other time the government thought it beneficial to attack Buddhism, they did so with abandon. In the Meiji Era (1868-1912) people were required to register their families at Buddhist temples, declaring the father or oldest male the head of the family (Japan's deeply entrenched sexual discrimination is a topic for another day...), but Shinto was held up as the official state religion, because it espouses emperor worship and therefore unquestioning obedience to the orders of those "working for" (actually controlling) the emperor. Even today, Shinto is often tied to ultranationalism, such as the kind supported by the Yakuza, Japan's infamous mafia.

For more about Japanese religion, visit http://www.japanlink.co.jp/ka/cshufr.htm

Go To Page: 1 2 3 4