In the modern day, a general Westerner usually pictures Buddhism as an idyllic peaceful religion that is withdrawn from society, but like all other religions Buddhism is interconnected within its own society. Buddhism also like many other religions, has an element of violence within itself and within different sects. Zen Buddhism specifically developed into a very violent religion during World War II and the wars that preceded it. Brian Daizen Victoria focuses on the militarization of Zen within his two works, Zen War Stories and Zen at War. Within Zen War Stories Victoria takes a retrospective look at stories from World War II and also talks with religious leaders after the demilitarization of Japan. Through this text Victoria brings attention to the aspects that lead to the militarization of Zen during the time frame. Through the story, “The Zen of Assassination” Victoria specifically focuses on how the ideals of Zen can be used to promote violence, and how the ideas of Zen can be used to deter blame for the faulty party. Through his other text, Zen at War Victoria examines the multiple elements which lead to a militaristic form of Buddhism. Those elements include but are not limited to nationalism, the idea of emptiness, and the bushidô code. Though Victoria does mention all the elements above and more, he pays specific attention to the interaction between Zen and the preexisting bushidô code, the samurai’s code of chivalry. Victoria’s arguments are controversial and have faced a great deal of criticism. One specific critic, Christopher Ives further delves into the analysis of the militarization of Zen through his article, “Wartime Nationalism and Peaceful Representation: Issues Surrounding the Multiple Zens of Modern Japan". ...
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...e mechanical and robotic rather than humanistic. As seen in the examples above from Zen at War, the bushidô code embraced Zen , and connected with the religion by interpreting Zen into the previously militaristic lifestyle. Thus pushing forward the militarization of Zen within Japan. As Zen began to integrate itself within the bushidô code and later developed into imperial- Buddhism individuals began to further interpret the scripture and ideas from Zen in ways to further justify war and violence.
Bibliography
Ives, Christopher. "Wartime Nationalism and Peaceful Representation: Issues Surrounding the Multiple Zens of Modern Japan ." Japan Studies Review Five (2001): 37-46. Print.
Victoria, Brian. Zen at War. 2nd ed. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2006. Print.
Victoria, Brian. Zen War Stories. London: Routledge Curzon, 2003. Print.
Much of what is considered modern Japan has been fundamentally shaped by its involvement in various wars throughout history. In particular, the events of World War II led to radical changes in Japanese society, both politically and socially. While much focus has been placed on the broad, overarching impacts of war on Japan, it is through careful inspection of literature and art that we can understand war’s impact on the lives of everyday people. The Go Masters, the first collaborative film between China and Japan post-WWII, and “Turtleback Tombs,” a short story by Okinawan author Oshiro Tatsuhiro, both give insight to how war can fundamentally change how a place is perceived, on both an abstract and concrete level.
Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Translated by Samuel B. Griffith. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1963.
This paper will explore the question of how to understand the nature of perceived ultimacy in Zen Buddhism. This will be achieved through providing a justification for why this question should be of any interest and then hypothesizing about possible implications of the results. Next, the framework that is to be used in categorizing the core beliefs in Zen will be explained and made clear. After this description is complete the author will proceed to fit Zen Buddhism into this framework and will demonstrate that the Zen religion is no exception to the employed framework. Finally the author will describe the perceived ultimacy of Zen Buddhism.
...the Japanese military in World War II and the spontaneous atrocities that occur in most other. There is much of the blame on the Japanese society and its interpretation of bushido that had virtually no concept of individual human rights, which found its epitome in the Japanese military, to whom the concept had no semantic value whatsoever.
Suzuki, D.T. An introduction to Zen Buddhism. Ed. Christmas Humphreys; fwd. C.G. Jung. London: Rider, 1983.
When looking at much of the world’s ethical views and morals today, many of its standards can draw back to that of the samurai. This warrior class of Feudal Japan contributed greatly to the development of social values that people today constantly follow. It is important to look to past events and cultures to enrich the future and the ideals of the samurai are ones that better people in self fulfilling ways. Whether it be to instill positive values to children or applied to become successful in the “real world”, the virtues and morals set forth by the samurai are invaluable teachings that will influence society for many years to come.
...feat of Japan in World War 2). With the changes of the nature of power, Japan by balancing out aggressive economic policies and a quiet military buildup, was able to build herself up to become a prominent player in the international sphere today. In closing, while Japan’s policies today in general have been skewered towards the arguments of the ‘Gentleman’, increasingly Japan has considered more realist concerns of security in the escalation of tensions of the East Asian geopolitical sphere. Chomin’s Discourse has nonetheless served as a prophetic blueprint for more than a century of Japan policy-making.
The wars, the victories, the defeats and deaths arose from the warrior’s duty to the Buddhist Law. These warriors lived their duty and this is reflected through the tales that illustrate actions that include loyalty and respect towards other warriors.
The word Zen was foreign to the Western world a while ago. But because of the realization that Zen plays a major role in Asian arts such as the Japanese tea ceremony, Japanese poetry (haiku), flower arrangement, calligraphy and landscaping, Zen’s influence has become familiar to them. As a result, anyone has at least once heard the word Zen these days, but not many people can explain what that means despite its increasing popularity. The mystical nature is as strong as ever. One of the reasons is that Zen is not supposed to be explained in words, but rather to be experienced by individuals. For instance, if someone does not know what pasta is, it is difficult to explain pasta to that person no matter how good you are at describing it. In the end, you have to experience it by yourself if you want to know what it really like. It is like “experiencing is believing.” In addition, Zen is not an action but it is an attitude of mind. You do not need to learn anything new because the answers are already inside you. You just need to become one with nature and be aware. Now, what is the origin of Zen and what impact Zen is having on our culture and health?
The popularity of Buddhism in America became most pronounce in the period after World War II. It is interesting to note that the United States had just concluded the most devastating war in human history, with the first use of the atomic bomb on the Empire of Japan, yet the Japanese of style Buddhism took hold in America more than other school after the war. It could be said that the main figure head of Japanese, or more precisely, Zen Buddhism, in America was the author and intellectual Dr. D.T. Suzuki. In terms of the American expression of Buddhism, Suzuki had more influence over the interpretation of Zen philosophy than any other writer of the time.
...t Samurai. With further investigation, one can come to a realization that Bushido has a greater influence than the act of fighting as seen with the character development of Algren illustrated above. Under Bushido, Algren was able to learn the principles of righteousness, politeness, loyalty and honor, and then he applies those principles to his own life and achieves inner peace with himself in which had lost a very long time ago. In a larger context, society as a whole can gain much knowledge from the Samurai and their way of life and apply it to their daily lives because the set of moral principles that are advocated can be applied our social interactions with parents, friends, family or strangers. Hence, Asian religious thoughts in popular culture have the ability to change our perspectives on the outlook of life without necessarily converting us to the religion.
One of the most fundamental philosophies of the samurai is that of detachment from the self. This detachment allows for a freedom from fear, which is essential to the samurai warriors. In the opening of Hagakure, Tsunetomo states that “the Way of the Samurai is found in death”. These rank among the greatest and most well known phrases in Japanese history, and in fact in the history of the world. Death is not to be feared by the samurai, it is to be embraced. The relationship between the samurai and his master is of the utmost importance, and only through detachment can the samurai fully and properly serve his master. These are two core, fundamental philosophies of bushido, and both can are reminiscent of similar ideologies in Buddhism, and Confucianism.
The subject of analysis I have chosen this week, are the ethical teachings that can be found within Zen Buddhism. Soyen Shaku was a Zen master and Buddhist monk from Japan. He wrote the book “Zen for Americans” from which we will review the teachings he discussed regarding spiritual enlightenment. The mixture of Buddhism and Taoism is what composes Zen Buddhism. Zen in its essence, involves a process of self-discovery. Meditation is a vital process of self-discovery and is also an essential process of both Zen Buddhist and Buddhist alike. Which is what is said allows the individual to reach a connection with the universe.
Our preliminary class gave a brief, yet detailed outline of major events affecting the East Asian region. Within that class, prompted by our limited geographical knowledge of Asia, we were given a fundamental explanation of the geographical locations of the various events taking place in the region. In subsequent classes, we were introduced to the major wars, political shifts, and economic interests which shaped Japan, China and Korea to what they are today. We examined the paradigm of pre-modern Japanese governance, the Shogunate, and the trained warriors which defended lord and land, Samurai. In addition, we examined the socio-economic classes of Medieval Japan, which included the Samurai, peasants, craftsmen, and the merchants. We also examined pre-1945 Japan’s policies toward foreign entities, notably the Sakoku Policy, which sought to expunge all foreign presence and commerce in an effort to protect its borders and culture. 1945, however, saw ...