Buddhism: Dissimilarities Between Japan And Vietnam

Devout practitioners of any religion seldom may truly consider and examine the origins of their beliefs beyond what might be held as “common knowledge,” concentrating primarily on simply following and trusting in them. However, it is a fascinating thing to grasp where and how religions were created or transformed, especially that of the same overarching religion, but in varying locations. In the case of Buddhism, the religion was introduced to Japan and Vietnam after it had taken root in China and gained massive popularity following the collapse of the Han dynasty from 189 to 220 A.D. The dissimilarities between Japanese and Vietnamese Buddhism were evident in the ways the local religions merged with Buddhism, were altered by it, or were replaced

Later, this idea was challenged by those who viewed the kami as different embodiments of the Buddhas themselves. Another feature of Shinto that was apparent in Japanese Buddhism was the major element of ancestor worship. The Shinto “cult of the dead,” or the practice of giving offerings and cultivating the well-being of the deceased, was reflected in Japanese Buddhism’s later concerns with funeral rites and ensuring a smooth transition from one world to the other. Shinto also gave high importance to the matter of conscience, leading Buddhism to integrate some deep-rooted Japanese notions to effectively resonate with the people. One of these notions was that because the Japanese were of divine creation, they had an inherent understanding of good and evil, making it unnecessary for Shinto to have a written code of ethics. Developing Japanese Buddhism paralleled this by emphasizing the inbuilt Buddha nature within humans. Physical merges between Shinto and Buddhism were seen in how the places of worship in Japan were organized and overseen. Some Shinto shrines were fully transformed into Buddhist temples, while other shrines existed within them. And, on occasion, Buddhist priests would assume authority over these shrines. Additionally, the “stylistic

Regarding the indigenous faiths of Vietnam prior to Chinese conquest, it may be most accurate to define them as totemic. Early Vietnamese displayed a great deal of trust and respect for many things, closely identifying themselves with it and utilizing it, either in idea or something tangible they collected or created, in worship. These things included animals, their own historical objects, forces and objects of nature, and many enthralling creatures specific to Vietnamese folklore, like turtle gods and dragons. These beliefs were suppressed by the scholarly aspects of Chinese Confucianism, established in Vietnam around 110 B.C.E., succeeding conflict with China that led to their domination over the Vietnamese. They were used to create a government based on merit, run by officials who adhered to the code of ethics. Education became the pathway to power, but with Confucianism came stressful and restrictive expectations for officials and commoners alike. Religion was also overlooked when Confucian philosophy and the government became the focal points, so when Buddhism had stopped being singled out and stigmatized as foreign in Vietnam, a religious revolution occurred. Buddhism was a religion of passion and salvation that helped to soften “the arbitrary and sometimes