Japanese pure land buddhism pdf

Japanese pure land buddhism bibliography philpapers. It explains the origins and differences of the numerous schools and sects. Followers of the pure land or amida sect believed that they would be welcomed into the pure land of paradise simply by calling. Today pure land is the dominant form of buddhism in japan. He was a highly effective preacher and united several branches of pure land tradition, building up the school and foremost temple complex of jodo shinshu, which becameand remainsthe most popular form of buddhism in japan. Pure land buddhism arrived in japan in the earliest transmission 6th cent. This article briefly introduces pure land buddhism from medieval china and japan to the modern era. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. As of 2008, approximately 34% of the japanese identify as buddhists and the number has been growing citation needed since the. In brief, the japanese pure land contribution to buddhist philosophy may be. It is most commonly done in chinese, japanese or english namo amitofu, namu amida butsu or namo amitabha buddha. Honen 131212 established pure land buddhism as an independent sect in japan known as jodoshu.

This buddha is said to dwell in the land of utmost bliss sukhavati, far to the west of this world, beyond the realm of samsara. Genshins ojoyoshu and the construction of pure land discourse in. Pure land was one of the main fields of mythopoesis and discourse among the asian buddhist traditions, and in japan of central cultural importance from the heian period right up to the present. Pure land schools believe that rebirth in amitabhas western paradise, sukhavati. Japanese pure land buddhism research papers academia. Pure land buddhism dialogs with ancient masters pure land buddhism dialogs with ancient masters is book is a translation of two chinese commentaries from the ripitaka, a compilation of all major texts of the buddhist canon. So long as we aspire to rebirth in amitabha buddhas pure land and. Pure land is also in line with zen, which sees all teachings as expedients. The instance is honens interpretation of the value of the pure land scriptures and especially his view of the nembutsu. The ojoyoshu, written by the monk genshin 9421017, is one of the most important texts in the history of japanese religions. In modern times, japan s popular schools of buddhism are pure land buddhism, nichiren buddhism, shingon buddhism and zen. These sutras were chosen by honen of japan 131212 and. The term pure land buddhism is used to describe both the pure land soteriology of mahayana buddhism, which may be better understood as. The loss of pure land scriptures in the late tang dharma.

Interest and devotion to amida grew from the noble class down to the peasant. Pure land buddhism and the buddhist historical tradition. It explores the two honganjis spread of shin buddhism in the united states as japanese. Today, it is one of the more popular forms of buddhism.

By jonathan landaw, stephan bodian, gudrun buhnemann. The seventh and eighth centuries were a time of unprecedented. Genshins ojoyoshu and the construction of pure land. My purpose in undertaking this analysis is to apply the result to a problem of modern buddhology, namely, the important question as to whether the sino japanese pure land school of buddhism is to be considered as part of the buddhist historical tradition. Honen and shinran were both exiled in 1207 by the government, which. At a later date, the pure land teachings spread to japan and slowly grew in prominence. Kotatsu fujita, the total number of such scriptures in the chinese buddhist canon is two hundred and ninety. Who were the founders of pure land teaching in japan. Payne, institute of buddhist studies, berkeley, california, japanese religions 35. As a higher practice of pure land buddhism, meditation on amitabha and. Elisabetta porcus pure land buddhism in modern japanese culture brings muchneeded attention to buddhism s impact on japanese culture in the twentieth century. The three most important sutras of japan s pure land tradition are here brought together in this single volume.

However, its range, inconsistency, variability, and complexity have tended to be misevaluated. Critical readings on pure land buddhism in japan volume. The pure land school is a form of mahayana buddhism that centers around the buddha of in. Robert oxnam as buddhism spread across japan various popular sects emerged, offering the common people salvation through faith. It is the first comprehensive guide to the doctrine and practice of pure land buddhism written in japan and so played a pivotal role in establishing this form of buddhism in the country. The buddhism practiced by the bca is called jodo shinshu, popularly known in the west as shin buddhism. Pure land buddhism in modern japanese culture brill. Most of the pure land buddhist sutras and teachings are based on amitabha buddha. Written in northwestern india probably before the beginning of the 2nd century ce, the sukhavativyuha exists in two original versions, a longer one that emphasizes good works and a shorter version that emphasizes faith and devotion alone. Pure land buddhism spread to japan, where it grew in prominence until honen shonin 131212 established pure land buddhism as an independent sect in japan, known as jodo shu. Although the main purpose of porcus work is to highlight the ongoing importance of pure land buddhism, particularly jodo. I buddhism and prayer ii an outline of buddhist traditions, and iii buddhism in the west part i buddhism and prayer the teachings of the historical buddha can be likened to a golden thread, running through buddhist history and through the whole range of genuine buddhist teachings. Pure land buddhist practices were prominent in japan from at least the seventh century but took a critical turn in the twelfth century.

Actually there are many other sutras and discourses that mention amitabha and his land of bliss. In the early heian period shingon and tendai 4 honen 131212 is the founder of the pure land school, and is often credited for the spread of pure land practices across japan. Pdf pure land buddhism in modern japanese culture, leiden. Pure land buddhism prominent buddhist tradition in china. Pure land buddhism amitabha buddha pure land buddhism is one of the prominent buddhist tradition in china, japan, korea, taiwan, and vietnam. Pure land buddhism took off in japan when the monk honen 131212 simplified the teachings and practices of the sect so that anyone could cope with them. In this paper i will offer an analysis of what it means to be a historical tradition. The development of the pure land school in japan was different. The view of women in pure land buddhism in order to understand shinrans view clearly, i think it is necessary to consider the view of women held by the pure land sect of buddhism which shinran followed and later developed in his own way. Pure land buddhist teachings have played a major role in japanese. Known only as an affiliated school, this was the dark age of the pure land school in china. Buddhism is the fourthlargest religion in the world. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel.

Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Very simply, pure land emphasizes faith the buddha amitabha amida butsu in japanese through which one may be reborn in the pure land and be nearer to nirvana. There is a rich pluralism of japanese pure land thought and practice, from the seminal work of the founding master honen to the modern work of scholarpractitioners of the higashi honganji branch of shin buddhism. The original chinese titles are yin kuang fa shih wen chao and yin kuang ta shih chia yen lu. This is a much simplified explanation of pure land buddhism but it covers the basics of this form of buddhism. We get the details of how shinto, zen and rinzai zen, shinran, shinshu, honen, soto zen, taoism and pure land buddhism has evolved and shaped the japanese society. It is one of the most popular forms of mahayana buddhism in eastern asia today. These sutras were chosen by honen of japan 131212 and called the three pure land sutras. Buddhist studies university of california, berkeley. Welcome to the englishlanguage website of the pure land school. When pure land buddhism was first introduced to japan during the seventh century, it was conceived primarily as a new spiritual technology for ensuring a. One of the most widely practiced buddhist traditions in east asia is pure land buddhism. Pure land buddhism in modern japanese culture by elisabetta porcu leiden boston 2008 introduction it was the italian thinker antonio gramsci who.

According to one tradition, the buddha, the historical personage shakyamuni gautuma and founder of the buddhism, was born several centuries before christ in india in 483 b. Andrews 1977 japanese journal of religious studies 4 4. Pure land buddhism in modern japanese culture, by elisabetta porcu. Pure land oriented practices and concepts are found within basic mahayana buddhist cosmology, and form an important component of the mahayana buddhist traditions of china, japan, korea, tibet and vietnam. The main text of the pure land schools is the sukhavativyuhasutra pure land sutra. Information about the openaccess article pure land buddhism in modern japanese culture, by elisabetta porcu. Our aim is to introduce to international audiences the teachings and practices of pure land buddhism according to the lineage of master shandao. The underlying similarities between zen and pure land buddhism in japan simon desmarais march 2012 even though zen and pure land buddhism are usually understood to be quite different, they are actually part of the same tradition of buddhism, mahayana, and as such have an underlying similarity. Japanese pure land philosophy stanford encyclopedia of. This pdf file may be printed and distributed according to the terms of use estab. Project muse pure land buddhism in modern japanese. The underlying similarities between zen and pure land. To make things even more confusing, pure land buddhism has itself split into two forms, orothodox and shin true pure land buddhism. As mentioned before, the pure land buddhist teachings have taken on a highly distinctive shape in japan, generating new determinations of the central canonical texts and multiple strands of scholastic and commentarial tradition.

The two forms that came intact from china, and remain the forms one is most likely to encounter in japan, are pure land buddhism and zen buddhism. Women and sexism in japanese buddhism a reexamination of shinrans view of women. View japanese pure land buddhism research papers on academia. Genshin 9421017 caused fujiwara no michinaga 9661028 to accept the pure land teachings.

Pure land buddhism, devotional cult of the buddha amitabhabuddha of infinite light, known in china as emituofo and in japan as amida. Despite being one of the most influential forms of japanese buddhism, the pure land tradition, and notably its impact on the development of japanese cultural history, has often been overlooked outside japan. A guide to japanese buddhism presents the history of japanese buddhism and the buddhism in japan today. This is an electronic version of the book pureland zen, zen pure land second edition 1993. In japan, pure land buddhism was established, as a sect, in 1175 by honen 131212, who taught that even those who had mastered buddhist philosophy should behave themselves like simpleminded folk and devote themselves in practicing the nembutsu, recitation of the formula namu amida butsu homage to amitabha buddha. Pure land buddhism is a somewhat unique school of buddhism that was popularized in china, where it was transmitted to japan. It reached its peak when the monk genshin 9th10th cent. Realism and spirituality in the sculpture of japan examines the interplay of realism and the sacred in more than thirty buddhist masterpieces from the kamakura period 118533. So our path can be said to consist of faith, vows and practice. It was founded by japanese monk shinran shonin in the thirteenth century and is a school of pure land buddhism. Pure land buddhism and japanese and chinese americans. Similar to the mindfulness practice of repeating the name of amitabha, this dhara.