The Schools of Buddhism In Japan

 Today we'll be having a look at Japan and the many different schools of Buddhism present in its history. I will be referencing a book called Awakening: An Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought by Patrick S. Bresnan. Early Japanese society was organized by clans and dominated by the nobles. The Japanese, once a barbaric civilization, had to borrow countless elements from the Chinese culture as they had none of their own, such as the Chinese system of writing and the Chinese grid pattern streets. But, amongst the most memorable and significant contributions from China, shines Buddhism. Out of Buddhism sprang the many schools and sects of it, including Kegon, Tendai, Shingon, Nichiren, and Pure Land. They all share their fair amount of similarities, yet still have distinct differences within each other.

Daibutsu (Great Buddha) - A Giant Bronze Statue of the Vairocana Buddha

Let's start with Kegon. The name Kegon is a translation of the Sanskrit avataṃsaka, meaning "garland" or "wreath". The Kegon school of thought is "...essentially Chinese Huayan transplanted to Japan—flourished in eighth-century Nara, but this was an unmodified Chinese school of Buddhism." (Bresnan 487). The Kegon school held as its ideal the recognition of a harmonious whole of all beings, all interrelated and interdependent, with the Buddha Vairocana at the centre, permeating everything. It believed that no element has a separate and independent existence apart from the whole but rather that each reflects all the others. According to it, the universe is self-creating. In contrast to the Shakyamuni Buddha, the Kegon school of thought focuses on the Vairocana Buddha. 

A Painting of Saicho,
the Founder of Tendai Buddhism.

Next up is Tendai Buddhism. Tendai was derived from the Chinese name of "Tiantai". The name of Tiantai was gathered from the great Mount Tiantai, sitting in Zhejiang of the southeastern pocket of China. This was the beginning of true Chinese Buddhism. "It was there in the sixth century ce that a  monk named Zhiyi (Chih-i) founded Gouqing monastery and initiated the  teaching of “Tiantai” Buddhism, the first truly Chinese school of Buddhism" (Bresnan 382). In the ninth century, it would be transplanted over to Japanese soil and be known as Tendai. Tendai focused heavily on the magical and the supernatural, which was a stretch from the origins of Buddhism, but was much needed by the people at the time. The first characteristic of the Japanese Tendai school is its advocacy of a comprehensive Buddhism and the idea that all the teachings of the Buddha are ultimately without contradiction and can be unified in one comprehensive and perfect system. Tendai Buddhism reveres the Lotus Sutra as the highest teaching in Buddhism. 

The center image of the Mandala of the Womb Realm 

Let's get to Shingon Buddhism. Shingon was established as the rival school to the Tendai school of thought. It was founded by the monk, Kukai, a year after Saicho began to work on his monastery. "Shingon is derived from the Chinese Zhenyan, the  name for an esoteric school of Buddhism greatly influenced by Vajrayana. Shingon also spread beyond the Kyoto area, but never enjoyed anything near  the growth experienced by Tendai." (Bresnan 488). Shingon may be considered an attempt to reach the eternal wisdom of the Buddha that was not expressed in words and, thus, not in his public teaching. The sect believes that this wisdom may be developed and realized through special ritual means employing body, speech, and mind, such as the use of symbolic gestures (mudras), mystical syllables (dharani), and mental concentration (Yoga). The whole is intended to arouse a sense of the pervading spiritual presence of the Buddha that lies inherent in all living things.

A Bronze Statue of Nichiren

Now to Nichiren. Nichiren was named after the monk who began the movement in the thirteenth century. It's very close to the traditional Tendai. Nichiren was confident and fierce. He was determined to save Japanese society from what he deemed was complete destruction and corruption. Nichiren Buddhism emphasized a great amount on reciting the sutras, especially the Lotus Sutra just like Tendai Buddhism. "At odds with the usually tolerant attitude of Buddhism,  Nichiren argued that all other Buddhist sects were heretical; he alone held the key to the truth of Buddha’s teaching." (Bresnan 489). Nichiren Buddhism also focused on connection actions with thoughts and morality. It strengthened the importance of individuals taking responsibility for improving themselves. 

Amitābha and his attendant bodhisattvas Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta

And last but definitely not least, Pure Land Buddhism. Pure Land Buddhism is one of the most popular schools of Buddhism in the modern East. The term "Pure Land" refers to both the Pure Land teachings of Mahayana Buddhism and the Pure Land sects that developed in Japan from the works of Honen. It revolves around the idea that we will never have a world that is not corrupt. Thus, we must work and strive for rebirth in another plane, known as the "Pure Land". Hōnen believed that most men were, like himself, incapable of obtaining buddhahood on this earth through their own efforts (such as learning, good deeds, or meditation) but were dependent on Amida’s help. Hōnen stressed the recitation of nembutsu as the one act necessary to gain admittance to the Pure Land. What if life just sucked so much back then that they had to focus to spiritual faith and trying to escape this world. 

Works Cited 

Bresnan, Patrick. Awakening: an Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Kegon.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/Kegon.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Nichiren Buddhism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/Nichiren-Buddhism.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Pure Land Buddhism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/Pure-Land-Buddhism.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Shingon.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/Shingon.

Groner, Paul. Saichō: The Establishment of the Japanese Tendai School. Univ. of Hawai'i Press, 2002.

Video Versus Text: The Silk Road

 

The Silk Road

Today we'll be having a look at two different works of intellectual property. One is a video by BBC, or the British Broadcasting Corporation, titled The Silk Road: Where East Meets West. The other is a chapter from a book by Patrick S. Bresnan titled Awakening: An Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought, specifically chapter 16. As the titles of each piece suggests, their area of focus is different from each other, yet still overlap in some areas. Something the video offered that the text did not was about the topic of the Terracotta Army. Xi'an, once the capital but no longer, and the eastern end of the silk road, is where the Terracotta Army was first discovered. "Xi'an is home to the Terracotta Army, the construction of which was ordered by the man responsible in the third century BC, for creating China. China was named after him. He was the Qin Emperor." (Silk 14:12-14:25). I've always been fascinated with the idea of the Terracotta Army. To think that an emperor was so powerful and significant to his people that he was buried with an entire life-sized army to protect him in the afterlife, with the tiniest and most careful of details, is astonishing to me. "When he died in 210 BC, his clay guard was ready for installation in an elaborate tomb- 8,000 life-sized figures, 130 chariots, and 600 horses. A marriage of art and power." (Silk 14:27-14:44). This just tells us how special and powerful this emperor must have been to have that arrangement done. Hand-molded figures with extreme details, going as far as having every single face be individual and one-of-a-kind. By contrast, the text in chapter six only referred to the Terracotta Army once under a footnote. "1 It was near Xian that the amazing army of full-size terra cotta figures was discovered in 1974.  The site is still being excavated." (Bresnan 379). Chapter six of Awakening does not touch up on the Terracotta Army after this, thus showing a difference in the amount of detail both works contributed to the same topic. 

Zhang Qian Returning From His Journey

Connecting back to the Silk Road, the video shoehorns the audience from the Terracotta Army into a neat little story about the first transaction on the Silk Road, establishing its reputation. As the hungry and ruthless Huns of the north continued to threaten the fragile and newly established Han Dynasty, it grew clearer by the day that they were going to be more of an irritant. The Huns would be a threat for the Han Dynasty. However, the Han Dynasty was severely lacking in terms of military specialty and armaments. "In the Qin Emperor's day, all China had was little ponies almost too cute for combat. And that remained true for decades after the emperor's death. (Silk 17:27- 17:38). Until, the Han Emperor Wu Di sent out a trusty envoy, Zhang Qian, on a mission of search for allies to the west. He brought back steeds, beasts of the land. Strong and enduring, Zhang Qian declared them 'heavenly'. "It was all too much for his emperor to resist. Here was the perfect warhorse which is exactly what China needed to defend and extend its borders. So almost immediately, Zhang Qian was sent back to do the first ever iconic Silk Road deal. He would exchange Silk for these heavenly horses. Zhang Qian's journey would lay the very foundations of the Silk Road." (Silk 19:32- 19:57). In contrast, the text does not bring up Zhang Qian nor his adventures to establish the first transaction of the Silk Road. Rather, it focuses on the spread and movement of religion, specifically Buddhism, along the Silk Road.

Something that I haven't seen before today was the process of making silk. The video's coverage of a silk factory in China really opened my eyes. Massive amounts of cocoons with a living caterpillar in each are processed and sorted by color and quality. "And then, this. Each cocoon is a tiny tragedy. They're plunged into boiling water to loosen the threads of which they're made. So the making of silk has two outcomes: a pile of tiny, sodden caterpillar corpses, and this extraordinary beautiful, glossy thread.  (Silk 22:59- 23:36). While somewhat downing and sad, it shows me how sacrifice is made through such a wonderful and extraordinary process to achieve something amazing. I wonder how the first batch of silk was made. How did they discover it? Who found out one day that the materials spun out by a cocoon can be woven into this magically soft and luxurious thread? These are all questions I have, due to me pondering at this beautiful story and monument of history. 

Works Cited

Bresnan, Patrick. Awakening: an Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018.

“The Silk Road: Where East Met West.” Films Media Group, www.films.com/ecTitleDetail.aspx?TitleID=127877.

“Xi'an Travel Guide.” Xi'an Travel China: Attractions, Tours, Transportation, Maps, www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/xian.htm.

Daoism and Confucianism

What is your reaction to Mencius’s story about the child about to fall into the open well? Does it really prove anything? Are people really “good” by  nature? 

An Illustration by Helen De Cruz

Mencius, a devoted follower of Confucius, spread his experimental doctrine around in the story of the child about to fall into the open well. The doctrine supported his main ideology and point, that humans are inherently good as part of nature, and that there's more to human nature than self-driven determinations. If someone, anyone, were to see a child about to fall into a well, they would have immediately entered into an alarmed state. Heart pumping fast, blood flowing, very cautious and rushing to action. That person feels that way not because they want to get on the good side of the child's parents, or want to win the affection of the villagers, or dislike the child's cries. 

He does have a point. I think anyone that comes across that situation would feel alarmed and worried. Of course, all contexts have to be the same for them. We have a heart-mind for each other. Before applying our biases and contexts, we have this basic reaction to the events happening to each other. The result is after the steps of processing and adding everything on, then giving the responsive action or other.

It doesn't "prove" anything, but it definitely serves as a great example and proposition for his argument. To me, people are not good by nature. In nature, survival is priority. You need to survive to pass down your genes, thus ensuring the survival of your kind. It is no different for humans. Although we can think and reason, the innate nature of our primal instincts are still active and influence our everyday decisions. 

The word "good" is subjective in and of itself. What does good mean to you? To me, in this context, it means looking out for others and putting others before yourself in terms of priority. It means sharing your wealth or resources, helping others succeed and survive at the cost of your own chances at doing so. And to me, these propositions are rarely ever seen at all. I've seen people pay for other people's meals, I've seen people give each other rides or help with trouble. But how much of that is biased? How much of that was influenced by the thought of eyes being on them the whole time, the entire world peeking through?

What in the world do you suppose Lao Zi meant by saying that governing a country is like frying a small fish? 

A Plate of Small Chinese Fried Fish

We find ourselves now immersed in a simile. Governing a great country is like frying a small fish? What in the world is that supposed to mean. I thought about it more and more, and pondered more at the thought. The more I've picked at it, the more bits and pieces fell off and came to realization in my mind. How do you fry a small fish? Keyword is, small. It's small, it's fragile, it's likely to break and disintegrate. However, if you're careful with it and give it patience and care, it fries beautifully with time. With enough effort, oil, time, and temperature, it turns out perfect instead of a chunky mess.

How do you govern a great country? Keyword is, great. It's great. What does great mean? Great is subjective, but in general it means being prosperous in all the right ways. To be prosperous takes an immense amount of effort in the right direction. All the efforts focused in one direction, so that no efforts are diluted and diverted from the main point. How do you accomplish that? You set the nation forward and together. You give it patience and care, showing it genuine affection and leadership. 

What do these two have in common? It takes a great deal of time and patience to establish both of them. Everything has to be right to get the perfect result. A bit too hot and a bit too long, and you'll have a charred stick. A few bad laws and international relation swings, and you'll have a country burning down to the ground. They're both complex and simple in their own beautiful ways. The beauty lies in how one achieves that final goal. 

Works Cited

Bresnan, Patrick. Awakening: an Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018.

“Govern a Great Country as You Would Cook a Small Fish.” Cato Institute, 11 Sept. 2015, www.cato.org/blog/govern-great-country-you-would-cook-small-fish.

Van Norden, Bryan. “Mencius.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 6 Sept. 2019, plato.stanford.edu/entries/mencius/.

Verse 60: Frying a Small Fish, ramblingtaoist.blogspot.com/2009/09/verse-60-frying-small-fish.html.

~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology. “Mengzi's Moral Psychology, Part 1: The Four Moral Sprouts.” 1000, 17 Dec. 2018, 1000wordphilosophy.com/2018/04/10/mengzis-moral-psychology-part-1-the-four-moral-sprouts/.