Buddhism in Japan
The history of
Buddhism in Japan can be roughly divided into three periods, namely the
Nara period (up to 784), the
Heian period (794-1185) and the post-
Kamakura period (1185 onwards). Each period saw the introduction of new doctrines and upheavals in existing schools.
In modern times, there are four main paths of
Buddhism, to which all schools of Japanese Buddhism belong: the
Amidist (Pure Land) schools,
Nichiren Buddhism, and
Zen Buddhism.
The arrival of Buddhism in Japan is ultimately a consequence the first contacts between China and Central Asia which occurred with the opening of the
Silk Road in the
2nd century BCE, following the travels of
Zhang Qian between
138 and
126 BCE, which culminated with the official introduction of
Buddhism in China in 67 CE. Historians generally agree that by the middle of the 1st century, the religion had penetrated to areas north of the Huai River. Buddhism then made its way to
Korea, and finally to Japan around the 5th century CE.
Early Chinese accounts
In
467 CE, according to the Chinese historic treatise
Liang Shu, five monks from Gandhara traveled to the country of
Fusang (Chinese: 扶桑, Jp:
Fusō: "The country of the extreme East" beyond the sea, probably eastern
Japan), where they introduced Buddhism:
Fusang is located to the east of China, 20,000 li (1,500 kilometers) east of the state of Da Han (itself east of the state of Wa in modern Kyushu, Japan). (...) In former times, the people of Fusang knew nothing of the Buddhist religion, but in the second year of Da Ming of the Song dynasty (467 CE), five monks from Kipin (Kabul region of Gandhara) travelled by ship to Fusang. They propagated Buddhist doctrine, circulated scriptures and drawings, and advised the people to relinquish worldly attachments. As a results the customs of Fusang changed (In the original Ch: "扶桑在大漢國東二萬餘里,地在中國之東(...)其俗舊無佛法,宋大明二年,罽"國嘗有"丘"人游行至其國,流通佛法,"像,教令出家,風 俗遂"", Liang Shu, 7th century CE).
The introduction of
Buddhism to
Japan is securely dated to 552, when
Baekje monks from the
Korean peninsula came to
Nara to introduce the
eight doctrinal schools. Initial uptake of the new faith was slow, and Buddhism only started to spread some years later when
Empress Suiko openly encouraged the acceptance of Buddhism among all Japanese people. In
607, in order to obtain copies of Sutras, an imperial envoy was dispatched to
Sui dynasty
China. As time progressed and the number of Buddhist clergy increased, the offices of
Sojo (archbishop) and
Sozu (bishop) were created. By
627 there were 46 Buddhist temples, 816 Buddhist priests, and 569 Buddhist nuns in Japan.
There were traditionally six schools of Buddhism in Nara Japan:
Ritsu (
Vinaya),
Jojitsu (Satyasiddhi),
Kusha (
Abhidharma)
Sanron (
Madhyamika),
Hosso (
Yogacara), and
Kegon (
Hua-yen). However they were not exclusive schools, and temples were apt to have scholars versed in several of the schools. It has been suggested that they can best be thought of as 'study groups'.
Founded by
Daoxuan ("宣, Jp.
Dosen), China, c. 650 AD
First Introduction to Japan:
Ganjin (鑑真), 753 AD. The Ritsu school specialized in the
Vinaya (the monastic rules in the
Tripitaka). They used the Dharmagupta version of the vinaya which is known in Japanese as
Shibunritsu 四分律)
The Satyasiddhi school is considered to be an offshoot of the
Sautrantika school, one of the
Nikaya schools of
Indian Buddhism (see
early Buddhist schools). They were distinguished by a rejection of the Abhidharma as not being the 'word of the Buddha'. The name means literally, "Ends with the Sutras," which refers to the traditional order of texts in the
Tripitaka - vinaya, sutra, abhidharma.
Introduced into Japan from China during the Nara period (710–784). The school takes its name from its authoritative text, the Abidatsuma-kusha-ron(Sanskrit:Abhidharma-kosa), by the 4th- or 5th-century Indian philosopher
Vasubandhu. The Kusha school is considered to be an offshoot of the Indian
Sarvastivada school.
Literally:
Three-Discourse School; a
Madhyamika school which developed in China based on two discourses by
Nagarjuna and one by
Aryadeva; this school was transmitted to Japan in the 7th century. (
Madhyamika is one of the two most important
Mahayana philosophies, and reemphasizes the original Buddhist teachings that phenomena are neither truly existent or absolutely non-existent, but are characterized by impermanence and insubstantially.
The
Yogacara (瑜伽行派
Yugagyouha) schools are based on early Indian Buddhist thought by masters such as
Vasubandhu, and are also known as "consciousness only" since they teach a form of idealism which posits that all phenomena are phenomena of the mind. The Hosso school was founded by
Xuanzang (玄奘, Jp.
Genjo), China, c. 630 AD, and introduced to Japan in 654 AD. The
Discourse on the Theory of Consciousness-Only (Jo yuishikiron 成"識論) is an important text for the Hosso school.
Also known by its
Chinese name
Huayen (華厳), the Kegon school was founded by
Dushun (杜順, Jp.
Dojun), China, c.
600 AD, and introduced to Japan by
Bodhisena in
736 AD.The
Avatamsaka Sutra (
Kegonkyo 華厳経) is the central text for the Kegon school.
The Late Nara period saw the introduction of Esoteric Buddhism (密教, Jp.
mikkyo) to Japan from China, by
Kukai and
Saicho, who founded the
Shingon and
Tendai schools. The later Heian period saw the formation of the first truly Japanese school of Buddhism, that of
Nichiren.
Known as
Tiantai (天台) in China, the Tendai school was founded by
Zhiyi (智顗, Jp
Chigi) in China, c. 550 AD. In 804
Saicho (最澄) traveled to China to study at the Tiantai teachings, at Mount Tiantai. However before his return he also studied, and was initiated into the practice of the Vajrayana - with emphasis on the Mahavairocana Sutra. The primary text of Tiantai is
Lotus Sutra (
Hokkekyo 法華経), but when Saicho established his school in Japan he incorporated the study and practice of Vajrayana as well.
Kukai traveled to China in 804 as part of the same expedition as Saicho. In the
T'ang capital he studied esoteric Buddhism,
Sanskrit and received initiation from
Huikuo. On returning to Japan Kukai eventually managed to establish Shingon (真言) as a school in its own right.Kukai received two lineages of teaching - one based on the
Mahavairochana Sutra (
Dainichikyo 大日経), and the other based on theVajrashekhara.
The
Kamakura period saw the introduction of the two schools that had perhaps the greatest impact on the country: the Amidist
Pure Land schools, promulgated by evagelists such as
Genshin and articulated by monks such as
Hōnen, which emphasize salvation through faith in
Amitabha and remain the largest Buddhist sect in Japan (and throughout Asia); and the more philosophical
Zen schools, which were equally rapidly adopted by the upper classes and had a profound impact on
Japanese culture.
Amidist Schools
Founder:
Huiyuan (慧遠, Jp.
Eon), China, c. 400 AD
Chinese name:
Jingtu (浄土) "
Pure Land"
First Introduction to Japan:
Honen (法然), 1175 AD
Doctrine:
nembutsu (念仏, "prayer to Buddha")
Primary Text:
Infinite Life Sutra (
Muryojukyo 無量壽経)
Founder:
Shinran (親鸞), 1224 AD
Japanese name: 浄土真, "True Pure Land"
Major Influences:
JodoDoctrine:
shintai zokutai (真諦俗諦, "Real Truth, Common Truth")
Primary Text:
Infinite Life Sutra (
Muryojukyo 無量壽経)
Zen Schools
Several variants of
Zen (禅宗) were separately brought to Japan. Note that Zen influences are identifiable earlier in Japanese Buddhism, esp. cross-fertilization with Hosso and Kegon, but the independent schools were formed quite late.
Founders:
Caoshan (曹山, Jp.
Sosan) and
Dongshan (洞山, Jp.
Tosan), China, c. 850
Chinese name:
Caodong (曹洞), named after its founders
First Introduction to Japan:
Dogen ("玄), 1227 AD
Major Influences:
Hosso,
KegonDoctrine:
zazen (座禅, "sitting meditation"), especially
shikantazaPrimary Texts: Transcendental Wisdom Sutras aka
Prajnaparamita Sutras (般若波羅蜜経), incl.
Heart Sutra |
Japanese Buddhist priest c.1897 |
Founder:
Linji (臨済), China, c. 850
Chinese name:
Linji (臨済), named after founder
First Introduction to Japan:
Eisai (栄西), 1191 AD
Major Influences:
Hosso,
KegonDoctrine:
zazen (座禅, "sitting meditation"), especially
koan (公案, "public matter") practice
Primary Texts: Transcendental Wisdom Sutras aka
Prajnaparamita Sutras (般若波羅蜜経), incl.
Heart SutraFounder:
Ingen (隠元), Japan, 1654 AD
Japanese name: 黄檗, named the mountain where the founder had lived in China
Major Influences:
RinzaiDoctrine:
kyozen itchi (経禅一致, "Unity of Sutras and Zen")
Primary Texts: Transcendental Wisdom Sutras aka
Prajnaparamita Sutras (般若波羅蜜経), incl.
Heart SutraFounder:
Puhua Chanshi (普化禅師)
First introduction to Japan:
Shinchin Kakushin (心地覚心), 1254 AD
Major Influences:
RinzaiAbolished: 1871
Nichiren Buddhism
The schools of
Nichiren Buddhism trace themselves to the monk
Nichiren (日": "Sun-Lotus") and the proclamation of his teachings in
AD 1253. Doctrinally the schools focus on the
Lotus Sutra (妙法"華経:
Myoho Renge Kyō; abbrev. 法華経:
Hokkekyō), but practice centers on the
mantra Nam(u) Myōhō Renge Kyō (南無妙法"華経). Nichiren Buddhism split into several denominations after the death of Nichiren, typically represented by tradition-oriented schools such as
Nichiren Shu and
Nichiren Shoshu and
"new religions" such as
Soka Gakkai,
Rissho Kosei Kai, and Reiyukai. See
Nichiren Buddhism for a more complete list.
In Japan, Buddhist art started to develop as the country converted to Buddhism in 548 CE. Some tiles from the
Asuka period (shown above), the first period following the conversion of the country to Buddhism, display a strikingly classical style, with ample Hellenistic dress and realistically-rendered body shape characteristic of
Greco-Buddhist art.
Other works of art incorporated a variety of Chinese and Korean influences, so that Japanese Buddhist became extremely varied in its expression. Many elements of Greco-Buddhist art remain to this day however, such as the
Hercules inspiration behind the
Nio guardian deities in front of Japanese Buddhist temples, or representations of the Buddha reminiscent of Greek art such as the Buddha in
Kamakura ["Needless to say, the influence of Greek art on Japanese Buddhist art, via the Buddhist art of Gandhara and India, was already partly known in, for example, the comparison of the wavy drapery of the Buddha images, in what was, originally, a typical Greek style" (Katsumi Tanabe, "Alexander the Great, East-West cultural contacts from Greece to Japan", p19)].
Deities
[[Image:WindGods.JPG|thumb|350px|Iconographical evolution of the Wind God.
Left: Greek wind god from {{Hadda}}, 2nd century.
Middle: wind god from {{Kizil}}, {{Tarim Basin}}, 7th century.
Right: Japanese wind god {{Fujin}}, 17th century.]][[Image:Heracles-Shukongoshin.JPG|thumb|350px|Iconographical evolution from the Greek god {{Herakles}} to the Japanese god {{Shukongōshin}}. From left to right:
1) {{Herakles}} (Louvre Museum).
2) {{Herakles}} on coin of {{Greco-Bactrian}} king {{Demetrius I of Bactria|Demetrius I}}.
3) {{Vajrapani}}, the protector of the {{Buddha}}, depicted as Herakles in the Greco-Buddhist art of {{Gandhara}}.
4) {{Shukongoshin|Shukongōshin}}, manifestation of {{Vajrapani}}, as protector deity of Buddhist temples in Japan.]]Various other Greco-Buddhist artistic influences can be found in the Japanese Buddhist pantheon, the most striking of which being that of the Japanese wind god
Fujin. In consistency with Greek iconography for the wind god
Boreas, the Japanese wind god holds above his head with his two hands a draping or "wind bag" in the same general attitude
["The Japanese wind god images do not belong to a separate tradition apart from that of their Western counter-parts but share the same origins. (...) One of the characteristics of these Far Eastern wind god images is the wind bag held by this god with both hands, the origin of which can be traced back to the shawl or mantle worn by Boreas/ Oado." (Katsumi Tanabe, "Alexander the Great, East-West cultural contacts from Greece to Japan", p21)]. The abundance of hair have been kept in the Japanese rendering, as well as exaggerated facial features.
Another Buddhist deity, named
Shukongoshin, one of the wrath-filled protector deities of Buddhist temples in Japan, is also an interesting case of transmission of the image of the famous Greek god
Herakles to the Far-East along the
Silk Road.
Herakles was used in Greco-Buddhist art to represent
Vajrapani, the protector of the Buddha, and his representation was then used in China and Japan to depict the protector gods of Buddhist temples
["The origin of the image of Vajrapani should be explained. This deity is the protector and guide of the Buddha Sakyamuni. His image was modelled after that of Hercules. (...) The Gandharan Vajrapani was transformed in Central Asia and China and afterwards transmitted to Japan, where it exerted stylistic influences on the wrestler-like statues of the Guardian Deities (Nio)." (Katsumi Tanabe, "Alexander the Great, East-West cultural contacts from Greece to Japan", p23)].
Artistic motifs
|
Vine and grape scrolls from Nara, 7th century. |
Finally, the artistic inspiration from Greek floral scrolls is found quite literally in the decoration of Japanese roof tiles, one of the only remaining element of wooden architecture throughout centuries. The clearest one are from 7th century
Nara temple building tiles, some of them exactly depicting vines and grapes. These motifs have evolved towards more symbolic representations, but essentially remain to this day in many Japanese traditional buildings
[The transmission of the floral scroll pattern from West to East is presented in the regular exhibition of Ancient Japanese Art, at the Tokyo National Museum.].
*654:
Dosho introduces the
Hosso (
Faxiang) school to Japan.
*736:
Bodhisena introduces the
Kegon (
Huayan) school to Japan.
*753:
Ganjin introduces the
Ritsu (Lü,
Vinaya) school to Japan.
*807:
Saicho introduces the
Tendai (
Tientai) school to Japan.
*816:
Kukai founds the
Shingon school.
*1175:
Honen introduces the
Jodo (
Pure Land) school to Japan.
*1191:
Eisai introduces the
Rinzai (
Linji) school to Japan.
*1227:
Dogen introduces the
Soto (
Caodung) school to Japan.
*1253:
Nichiren founds the Nichiren school.
*1282:
Nichiren school begins to split into several schools.
*1654:
Ingen introduces the
Obaku (
Huangbo) school to Japan.
*
Religion in Japan*
Buddhist philosophy*
Buddhism in China*
History of Buddhism*
Shinbutsu ShugoZen at War*Asakawa, K and Lodge, Henry Cabot (Ed.).
Japan From the Japanese Government History.
* "Japanese Buddhism" by Sir
Charles Eliot, ISBN 0710309678
