Hosei University Lecture Series for Daiwa Scholars

Hosei University Lecture Series
for Daiwa Scholars 2015
The 4th Class
The Development of Religion in Japan:
Focusing on its Relationship with Politics
10th November 2015
Yusuke SUZUMURA
The Yamato Period: Introduction of
Buddhism to Japan
• Introduction of Buddhism to Japan
– In AD 538 (The History of Gangōji monastery [元
興寺伽藍縁起]) / AD 553 (Chronicles of Japan [日
本書紀])
– From Paekche (百済) Kingdom,
– By King Seong-wang (聖明王, ?-554),
– The official record.
– Practically the people from the Korean peninsula
introduced Buddhism to Japan.
The Yamato Period: Introduction of
Buddhism to Japan
• Conflict between pro- and anti- Buddhism
– A long conflict and struggle for power between proand anti- Buddhism
Soga (蘇我) clan: one of the most large powers in the
Yamato Period (their ancestor might come from Korean
Peninsula)
Mononobe (物部) clan: a powerful clan in the ancient Japan
and an advocator of ancient Shintō (神道)
– Soga no Umako (蘇我馬子, 551-626) defeated
Mononobe no Moriya (物部守屋, ?-587) in 587 with a
support of Prince Shōtoku (聖徳太子, 572-622).
Buddhism could become an orthodox faith of the
Yamato imperial court.
The Yamato Period: Introduction of
Buddhism to Japan
• Prince Shōtoku (聖徳太子, 572622)
Fig. 1 Portrait of Prince Shōtoku
(anonymity, 8th century).
– Second son of Emperor Yōmei (用
明天皇, 518-587).
– As regent for the Empress Suiko
(推古天皇, 554-628), Prince
Shōtoku instituted the Kan‘i
Jūnikai (官位十二階) and the
Seventeen-Article Constitution (十
七条憲法) to strengthen imperial
authority.
– He compiled histories with Soga
no Umako and initiated diplomatic
relations with the Sui Dynasty (隋
王朝, 589−618) in China.
– It is said that he built Hōryū-ji
temple at Nara.
The Nara Period: Buddhism as a
Spiritual Protection of the State
• The general characteristic of Buddhism in the
Nara Period
– Utilising Buddhism as a spiritual protection of the
state (鎮護国家).
– Buddhism was recognised as an organ of the state.
A temple was built by the national expense,
A priest was gave a position as a public officer.
Temples were mainly used to hold Buddhist
services and priests had to pray for nation and the
emperor or for the security of the imperial family.
The Nara Period: Buddhism as a
Spiritual Protection of the State
• Establishment of state-maintained temples
– Emperor Shōmu (聖武天皇, 701-756) ordered to establish statemaintained temples (kokubunji: 国分寺) in each province in 741.
– He sponsored the building of Tōdai-ji temple (東大寺) and the
casting of its image of the Buddha (daibutsu: 大仏).
Fig. 2 Daibutsu at the Tōdai-ji Temple.
The Heian Period: the Establishment
of Japanese Buddhism
• Two great leaders of Japanese Buddhism
– Saichō (最澄, 767-822) and Kūkai (空海, 774-835)
– They studied in the Dang Dynasty (唐王朝) as a
member of a Japanese envoy to Tang Dynasty China.
– After returning to Japan they built a temple in the
mountain and established a new sect.
– Their aims:
To mission “orthodox” Buddhism learnt in China to the
Japanese people,
To criticise the existed Buddhism in Japan under the
protection of the state and to serve to the state.
The Heian Period: the Establishment
of Japanese Buddhism
• Saichō (最澄, 767-822)
Fig. 3 Portrait of Saichō
(anonymity, 11th century).
– Founder of the Tendai sect
(天台宗) of Buddhism in
Japan.
– He built himself a thatched
hut on Mt. Hiei (Hieizan: 比叡
山), northeast of the presentday city of Kyōto, intending a
life of meditation and prayer.
– He studied the Chinese Tendai
sect and returned to Japan in
805.
The Heian Period: the Establishment
of Japanese Buddhism
• Kūkai (空海, 774-835)
Fig. 4 Portrait of Saichō
(anonymity, 11th century).
– Founder of the Shingon sect (真
言宗) of Buddhism in Japan.
– In 804 he sailed to China as a
student monk and returned to
Japan in 806.
– In 819 Kūkai initiated
construction of a monastic
center on Mt. Kōya (Kōyasan: 高
野山) for the practice of esoteric
Buddhist meditation.
– Systematization of the Shingon
doctrine was Kūkai's major
concerns during the remainder
of his life.
The Heian Period: the Establishment
of Japanese Buddhism
• Achievements and limits of Saichō and Kūkai
– Achievements
Gaining of independence of Buddhism from the state,
Indoctrinating theories about Buddhism, and
Deepening the research concerning on the way to
spiritual enlightenment (satori, 悟り).
– Limits
Remaining in a position “Buddhism for the state,”
Obeying orders of the state, and
Taking a role as a “guardian of the state”.
The Heian Period: the Establishment
of Japanese Buddhism
• Mappō shisō (末法思想, Pessimism due to
decadent-age theory)
– A Buddhist tenet predicting the decline of Buddhism,
– Called “the latter days of Buddhism,” and
– AD 1052 (the 2000th anniversary of the death of
Buddha) was recognised as the first year of the age of
mappō.
– In the 11th century, Jōdo sect (faith in Pure Land, 浄土
教) was developed on the background of the mappō
shisō.
Cf. Genshin (源信, 942-1017)
The Heian Period: the Establishment
of Japanese Buddhism
• Byōdōin Hōōdō (平等院鳳凰堂, Phoenix Hall of
Byōdōin temple)
– Originally made in 982 and expanded buildings in 1052 by
Fujiwara no Yorimichi (藤原頼通, 992-1074).
– Expresses belief in the hereafter or the life after death.
Fig. 5 Byōdōin Hōōdō.
The Kamakura Period: the Golden Age
of Japanese Buddhism
• Big six sects formed in the Kamakura Period
– The Jōdo sect (浄土宗)
– The Jōdo Shin sect (浄土真宗)
– The Ji sect (時宗)
– The Rinzai sect (臨済宗)
– The Sōtō sect (曹洞宗)
– The Nichiren sect (日蓮宗)
The Amidist sects
The Zen sects
The Kamakura Period: the Golden Age
of Japanese Buddhism
• Two remarkable streams of the Kamakura
Buddhism
– The Amidist sects
Including the Jōdo sect (The Pure Land Sect) and Jōdo
Shin sect (True Pure Land Sect),
Derived from the teachings of the Japanese ex-Tendai
monks such as Hōnen (法然, 1133-1212) and Shinran
(親鸞, 1173-1262),
Emphasising salvation through faith (Tariki Hongan: 他
力本願) in Amitabha Tathagata (Amidanyorai: 阿弥陀
如来), and
Remaining the largest Buddhist sect in Japan.
The Kamakura Period: the Golden Age
of Japanese Buddhism
• Characteristics of the Jōdo sect and the Jōdo Shin
sect sect
– The Jōdo sect
Based on the mappō shisō.
Advocated to repeat the name of Buddha in order to be able
to go to Amidanyorai at Saihō Gokuraku Jōdo (西方極楽浄
土, the West Pure Land of Amida Buddha) after death
without distinction of rank.
– The Jōdo Shin sect
Slighted commandments and allowed the marriage of the
priest.
Declared the theory of Akunin Shōki (悪人正機: the evil
persons are the right object of Amida's salvation and have
the unique opportunity to go to heaven).
The Kamakura Period: the Golden Age
of Japanese Buddhism
• Two remarkable streams of the Kamakura
Buddhism
– The Zen sects
Philosophical sects of Buddhism,
Including the Rinzai sect formed by Eisai (栄西, 11411215) and Sōtō sect established by Dōgen (道元, 12001253) ,
Emphasising liberation through the insight of
meditation, and
Both were equally rapidly adopted by the upper classes
and had a profound impact on Japanese culture.
The Kamakura Period: the Golden Age
of Japanese Buddhism
• Characteristics of the Rinzai sect and the Sōtō
sect
– The Rinzai sect
Adopting Kannazen (看話禅) style.
Masters give lectures using transcripts of Zen.
Conducting Zen question for meditation (Kōan: 公案; a
paradoxical anecdote or a riddle that has no solution,
e.g. the sound of one hand clapping).
– The Sōtō sect
Emphasising Shikantaza (只管打坐; doing only
meditation as much as possible).
The Muromachi Period:
the Age of the Rinzai sect
• The Rinzai sect protected by the
Muromachi Shogunate
– The Muromachi Shogunate protected
the Rinzai sect.
 The Rinzai sect was most moderate in
the big six schools of the Kamakura
Period.
 Ashikaga Shogun families (足利将軍家),
court nobles, and samurais believed the
Rinzai sect.
– The Rinzai sect became de fact state
religion of the Muromachi Period.
 Cf. Kinkaku-ji temple (金閣寺) and
Ginkaku-ji temple (銀閣寺): temeples of
the Rinzai sect
Fig. 6 Kinkaku-ji (upper) and Ginkaku-ji temple (lower)
The Edo Period:
the Difficult Times for Religions
• The late Muromachi Period
– The Age of Provincial Wars (Sengoku-jidai: 戦国時代)
The Muromachi Shogunate lost their power as the ruler of
Japan after the Ōnin War (1467-1477).
The local communities collapsed and chaos spread across
the country = the age of rival warlords
Not only Sengoku Daimyō (戦国大名: warring lord) but also
religious powers expanded their territories.
– The Oda-Toyotomi government clamped down
religious powers for unification of whole country.
After the Ishiyama War (石山合戦, 1570-1580),
demilitarisation of religious powers accelerated, and the
religious groups lost their independence and were put under
the control of the administration.
The Edo Period:
the Difficult Times for Religions
• The Edo Period
– During the Edo period, the Tokugawa Shogunate
prohibited Christianity.
– Christianity was introduced by missionary priests
in 1549.
Gathering devotees, and the newest technology, such
as guns, spread around the country instantly.
In the era of Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康, 1543-1616),
Christianity was banned but trade with Portugal and
Spain was not prohibited.
After the Shimabara Rebellion (島原の乱, 1637-1638),
the Tokugawa Shogunate tottaly prohibited Christianity.
The Edo Period:
the Difficult Times for Religions
• Religion policy of the Tokugawa Shogunate
– Introduction of new control measure over religions =
Shumon-aratame (宗門改, religious sect investigation)
Religion policy and the control of the public promoted by the
Tokugawa Shogunate.
All people in Japan shall be certified by Buddhist temples as
members of a temple (= Terauke: 寺請).
Temples controlled the family registration of common
people under the management of the commissioner of
temples and shrines (Jisha Bugyō, 寺社奉行).
Temples had a similar role to the present Ministry of Justice.
The Terauke system remained until 1873.
After the Meiji Era to the Second
World War: Emperor as Living God
• After the Meiji Restoration (1868; Meiji Ishin:
明治維新)
– Establishment of the new government.
Emperor as a symbol of the new government.
Absolutistic Emperor System (especially the
promulgation of Constitution of the Empire of Japan
[1889]).
Emperor was recognised as a supreme existence or
Living God (Arahito-gami: 現人神).
After the Meiji Era to the Second
World War: Emperor as Living God
• Ideological background of the Emperor as a
Living God
– The Government united Shintō with the Emperor,
– The people became obligated to respect the
divinity of the Emperor, and
– The unique theory that Shintō was not a religion,
but rather an absolute thing that embodied both
the civic and spiritual essence of the state.
After the Meiji Era to the Second
World War: Emperor as Living God
• Theory of State Shintō
– After the Second World War, the system to faith
the Emperor became known as State Shintō
(Kokka Shintō: 国家神道).
– Under this system, Shintō was considered to be a
representative part of the kokutai, national polity.
– Japanese subjects were indoctrinated in civic and
religious duties such as worshipping the Emperor.

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