History of Japanese Buddhism

Timeline of Japanese History

The Earliest Buddhism in Japan

- The earliest form of Japanese Buddhism did not come from China directly. It came from the Korean kingdom of Paekche (18BCE-660CE), probably in the mid 6th century. The Sui Dynasty history records this as follows:

/81 They had no letters. They just carved wood or tied ropes together. They venerate the Buddhadharma. It was in Paekche [Korea] that they sought and obtained the Buddhist stras, which is when they first came to have literacy.

Buddhism was not entirely welcomed by everyone in Japan. The Nihon Shoki records the initial hesitation on the part of some nobles and later hostility towards Buddhism during the reign of Emperor Kinmei (509571), resulting in the destruction of the first official Buddhist icons and temple in Japan in 552. After accepting Buddhism from Paekche the following incident is recorded:

Later the country was subject to pestilence from which the people died prematurely. The longer it went on the worse it became. They were unable to remedy it. Mononobe muraji Okoshi and Nakatomi Muraji Kamako together stated, In days past you did not require our counsel, which had lead to this plague. Now should you recover things before it is too far there will certainly be blessings. We should promptly cast [the image] away and diligently pursue future fortune. The emperor said, As you say! The officials then abandoned the Buddha image in the Naniwa Canal and then set fire to the temple and burnt it to ashes until nothing remained. Thereupon there was neither wind nor cloud in the sky and suddenly the great palace was aflame.

- Two years later two new statues were crafted.

- In 585 Buddhism was again suppressed.

- These early incidents probably represent a conflict between the immigrant clans from the mainland who supported Buddhism and the native clans who supported kami worship (i.e., Shint).

- In 593 Empress Suiko had the throne and was in full support of Buddhism.

Prince Shtoku's Seventeen Article Constitution

In 604 Prince Shtoku (572-622) drafts the Seventeen Article Constitution , effectively declaring Buddhism the official religion of the court.

Article #2 of the constitution:

II. With all our heart, revere the three treasures. The three treasures, consisting of Buddha, the Doctrine, and the Monastic Order, are the final refuge of the four generated beings, and are the supreme objects of worship in all countries. Can any man in any age ever fail to respect these teachings? Few men are utterly devoid of goodness, and men can be taught to follow the teachings. Unless they take refuge in the three treasures, there is no way of rectifying their misdeeds.

Prince Shtoku's handwritten manuscript. Commentary on the Lotus Stra.

Bank of Japan Yen Note

Asuka-dera Oldest temple in Japan, initially built in late 6th century.

Ritsury
- In an attempt to consolidate the power and administrative abilities of the central state and court, a system of rigorous and well-defined law was introduced starting from 645 onward. - The Ritsury system was based largely on the legal codes of the Tang court. - Buddhism came to have a special function in the state apparatus. Monks and nuns were effectively made bureaucrats while Buddhist institutions became a wing of the state. - Buddhism helped to protect the country and in a sense functioned as part of the selfdefense strategy and budget. - In the 660s there was a joint Silla-Tang conquest of the Korean penninsula. The Yamato court (Japan) had attempted to assist the Korean kingdom of Paekche, but ultimately failed and suffered catastrophic losses (42,000 troops and 800 ships at the Battle of Baekgang in 663). - This loss likely prompted Japan towards further intensive sinicization policies, including further introduction of Chinese Buddhism.

Nara Period (710 to 794) - 710 Capital moved from moved from Fujiwara-ky to Heij-ky (Nara).

Fujiwara-ky

Heij-ky Built based on the city plan of Chang'an in China.

Tdai-ji - In 752 the eye-opening ceremony of the Vairocana Buddha image is carried out by Indian monk Bodhisena (704-760).

kagarbha Bodhisattva

Virpka

Cintmai Cakra Avalokitevara

Vairavaa

The Six Schools of the South Capital - These schools were the primary schools of the Nara Period.

1. Hoss-sh. Citta-mtra or mind only. Based primarily on the works translated by Xuanzang (602664). 2. Gusha-sh. Study of the Abhidharma-koa by Vasubandhu. 3. Sanron-shStudy of Madhyamaka. 4. Jjitsu-sh. Study of the Satyasiddhi stra . 5. Kegon-sh

6. Rissh. Study of the Vinaya.

Jianzhen / Ganjin (688-763) - In 742 asked by Japanese monks in China to transmit full proper precepts to Japan. At the time there were many self-ordained monks in Japan. They came looking for ten fully ordained monks to ordain new monks in Japan. - Initially nobody but Jianzhen was willing to go, but after announcing he would go, 21 disciples agreed to accompany him. They attempted to cross over to Japan five times, but failed.

- Finally arrives in Japan in 753. Starts administering precepts.

- 759 builds Tshdai-ji. - Also conveys his deep understanding of sculpture and medicinal plants.

Japanese Missions to China

- During the Tang Dynasty (618-907) there were between 12 to 20 official missions to China from Japan. - Early on the main interest was in acquiring technology, knowledge of statecraft, traditions of art and Buddhism, whereas later on it was more about facilitating diplomatic relations with the mainland.

Kkai (774-835)
- 791 entered the state college to study Chinese classics. 797 left the college and underwent an illegal ordination. Lived as a wandering monk. - 804 was legally ordained before heading to China.

- 804-806 in China, meets his Vajrayna master Huiguo , (746805) of Qinglong-si .

- Returning to Japan he initially met with many difficulties in having his new esoteric teachings recognized, though he eventually succeeded, giving abhieka to many eminent people. - Builds Kyasan and permanent facilities for the study of esoteric Buddhism under state patronage. - Later became a cultural hero. Credited with the creation of Japanese kana. The 88 Shikoku pilgrimage follows his footsteps.

 Kyasan

 Mahvairocana

Siddha (Sanskrit) script used in Shingon:

Saich (767-822)
- Ordained at the age of 19 at Tdai-ji , then moved to Mount Hiei , where he practiced meditation while studying Huayan. He took a greater interest in Tiantai teachings. - In 804 in the same fleet carrying Kkai he went to China, where he studied Niutou Chan, Tiantai teachings and Vajrayna. - In 806 he returned to Japan. He advocated monastic reforms whereby ordination would be carried out primarily with bodhisattva precepts based on the Brahma Net Stra and not the Vinaya. - Died shortly before the court officially approved his ordination reforms. Effectively Japanese Buddhism came to recognize ordination without the Vinaya.

Eisai (1141-1215)
- Considered to be the founder of the Rinzai sect in Japan.
- Born into a family of the Shinto priesthood, Eisai studied Buddhism at a young age, primarily the Tendai teachings of Mount Hiei . He was disillusioned with the politics there and traveled to Song China. He stayed less than a year, but was deeply influenced before returning to Mt. Hiei with many Tiantai texts. - Again traveled to China at age of 47 (1187). He wanted to go to India, but was unsuccessful due to political hindrances. He met Xuan Huaichang , a master of the Huanglong school of Linji Chan, studying under him. In 1191 having received certification of his enlightenment from Huaichang, Eisai returned to Japan, where he established the first Zen temple in Japan. He later moved to Kamakura where the new Shogun government welcomed a new tradition. Thereafter he built several temples. - Credited with the introduction of tea cultivation in Japan. Wrote a book on tea ().

Dgen (1200-1253)
- Founder of the St school of Japanese Buddhism. - Ordained at Mount Hiei as a novice at the age of thirteen, staying for about two years. Had doubts and visited Kin the abbot of Onjji who represented a different branch of Tendai school. Kin advised Dgen to study at Kenninji , an early Zen temple in Japan, where he is said to have had a chance to meet with Eisai shortly before his death. - In 1223 traveled to Song China together with Eisai's successor Myzen . Initially dissatisfied, but in 1225 experienced a casting off of body and mind based on his experience with Caodong master Rujing at Tiantong shan . Returned to Japan in 1227. - His form of Zazen is called shikantaza or just sitting . Also emphasized that menial tasks like cooking could be spiritually enhancing. - Founded Eihei-ji and wrote his famous work the Shbgenz .

Eihei-ji

Shinran (1173-1262) - Considered to be the founder of the Jdo Shin school . - Became a monk at 9, trained at Mt. Hiei until age of 29.

- After leaving Mt. Hiei he did a solitary 100 day 'prayer' retreat near Kyoto. Having visions of Prince Shtoku he sought out Hnen (a Pure Land priest) who taught him the 'otherpower' path of the Root Vow of Amitbha Buddha . - In 1207, his school was suppressed. Shinran, Hnen, and others were exiled to separate parts of Japan. In his exile in present-day Nigata prefecture he spread his Pure Land doctrine amongst common people. The Jdo Shin school became one of the largest schools in Japan. - At the time there was widespread belief in the Dharma Ending Age . Believed people could not achieve enlightenment, therefore need to rely on the vow of Amitbha. Nenbutsu encouraged by Pure Land school, whereas Shinran emphasized faith and gratitude as the proper cause for rebirth in the pure land.
- Shinran was the first eminent priest to marry and produce children.

Nichiren (1222-1282)
- Founder of Nichren school , otherwise called the Lotus School . - Born into a fisherman's family. Became a monk at age 7 and studied in various places in Kamakura, Kyoto and Mt. Hiei. He concluded that the Lotus Stra was the ultimate Buddhist teaching. - 1253 declares the invocation nam-myh-renge-ky 'Devotion to the Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma' as the true and only path to liberation in the present 'latter age' or mapp period. He propagated this message to all levels of society. - Extremely critical of existing schools. Survived two exiles and an attempted execution. His teachings came to include a revelation of him being a champion of the 'Great Dharma', i.e., nam-myh-renge-ky, which would be spread overseas and lead the world. Social unrest and the Mongol invasions of the 1270s encouraged his thinking that the country would be ruined if it did not take heed of his ominous warnings.

Go-honzon

Edo Period (1603-1868)

- Long period of cultural digestion and relative stability. Literature and the arts flourish. Buddhism is playfully mocked:

Bodhidharma and his courtesan.

Meiji Period (1868-1912) - Along with modernization efforts were also made to create a Shint-oriented state model. - 1868 the government issues an order declaring the separation of Buddhism and Shint ( ). Alongside this was a movement to destroy Buddhism and force monks back to lay life ().

- 1872 Meiji government government issues proclamation 133 on April 25th: Hereafter monks may freely eat meat, marry and keep hair. Furthermore, there will be no penalty if they wear ordinary clothing when not engaged in religious activities. - Buddhist clergy initially protested this and resisted. The government refused to accommodate them. - Eventually it became quite normal and expected for Buddhist priests to marry and their sons to inherit property and responsibilities. - With the introduction of western scholarship, secular academic studies of Buddhism commences.

Soka Gakkai
- Lay Buddhist organization founded in Japan in Tsunesabur Makiguchi in 1930. Originally a society of reformist educators. After the general meeting of 1937 various other types of people were drawn in. Makiguchi had deep beliefs in Nichiren Buddhism, but their organization had an uneasy relationship with them.
- Soka Gakkai did not cooperate with the military government during WWII. Makiguchi rejected the divinity of the emperor and died in prison in 1944. After WWII the group was decidedly antiMarxist. - In 1964 Daisuke Ikeda founded the political party Kmeit ("Clean Government Party") and by 1969 it became Japan's third largest political party. - Soka Gakkai International was founded by Daisaku Ikeda in 1975. The group built universities and expanded overseas rapidly. - In 1991 there was a schism between the Nichiren priesthood and Soka Gakkai.

- Presently has around 12 million members worldwide.

- Primary practice includes chanting nam-myh-renge-ky.

Japanese Buddhism:

st 21

Century

Declining numbers of priests in recent decades. General disinterest in Buddhism amongst Japanese people. Some traditions have spread overseas, most notably St Zen and SGI, and to a lesser extent Tendai, Nichiren and the Jd-shin school. Hereditary priesthood has meant many temple holding priests are forced into the position. Tibetan Buddhism and Theravada exist in Japan, but are extremely small.