In Pursuit of Mysteries - Latest Comments in Buddhism in Crisis in Japan

Re: Buddhism in Crisis in Japan

Curt Steinmetz — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:07:03 -0000

If you look back through Onishi's oeuvre you'll find that he has no great interest in Buddhism (he did write a piece back in 1996 on a Temple in Brooklyn). He does, however, have an interest in vaguely leftish, "modernizing" pro-western critiques of what he sees as silliness and backwardness in Japanese culture. He is basically selling a 21st century variety of journalistic orientalism.

There might be some truth to some of the things that Onishi has to say - but the fact is that he seems to *want* Buddhism to die out, and is simply trying to hurry the process along a little by peddling a very depressing assessment of the current situation.

Re: Buddhism in Crisis in Japan

albill — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:22:02 -0000

I think that is two bad. There are a number of reasons why "sangha" is one of the three jewels but I think community is an important part of things. Of course, I say this as someone who occasionally goes to a local zen sangha because my tradition of practice has no sanghas here.

Re: Buddhism in Crisis in Japan

James — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:16:05 -0000

When I was regularly attending a sangha I was by far the youngest too and I'm 32. I think for many of the younger generations they are happy to just read books, meditate alone, listen to Dharma talks and have their online sanghas.

I don't know if either is right or better but the times they are a changing indeed.

Re: Buddhism in Crisis in Japan

albill — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:32:36 -0000

I am only familiar with the basics about Soka Gakkai. It isn't my cup of tea (nor are the Pure Land sects though I am fortunate to be well acquainted with members of those). The controvery around Soka Gakkai (and the bad experiences of some people that I know) have definitely steered me away but I'm not inclined that way anyway. My own background is as a tantric practitioner through Tibetan Vajrayana and, only in the last couple of years, Japanese traditions. I'm definitely much more on the "meditation and ritual practices" end of Buddhism.

Generally, where I am in Berkeley, we have various sorts of Chan and Zen of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean origins. We also have quite a few practitioners with local Tibetan Buddhist centers and then we have the more ethnically oriented Buddhist churches because of the large extant Japanese descended population. This is pretty much the case up in Seattle where I am from. I can't recall ever meeting a Soka Gakkai member at any open Dharma events I've attended here or in Seattle, which may lead to some invisibility from my own point of view.

Re: Buddhism in Crisis in Japan

Matt — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:26:03 -0000

I happened upon your blog googling the article today. You ask some interesting questions and just wanted to comment. First, you did not mention Soka Gakkai when talking about American Buddhist groups. I think you are missing something if you don't count Soka Gakkai as one of the many modern Buddhist movements in Japan and one of the most successful spearheads of Japanese Buddhism in the US. They do not have the problems of separation between Japanese and Americans in the American organization, and I would suggest that it has to do with the evangelical (bodhisattva) attitude encouraged by the organization. I am ambivalent about that organization, but they have introduced Buddhism on a real personal level to more people in America than probably every other Buddhist sect combined. And not just to liberal upper class whites - go to a Soka Gakkai meeting in the US and you will see the full spectrum of America. I know very well the background of Soka Gakkai, having grown up with it (I am no longer associated with them but respect the organization for what it is). I know its controversial foundation in the teachings of a controversial monk, etc. etc., but if you don't consider it as part of the Buddhist movement, you may need to check what you know about them and what your understanding of Mahayana Buddhism is. As far as the state of Buddhism in Japan, I would argue that one of the biggest blows to Japanese Buddhism was dispensing with the requirement of celibacy among the religious. This can be traced back to a few early trends - the growth of lay monks (they seem to have been very influential in places like Mt. Koya) in the medieval period which seems to have contributed to the emergence of the Jodo Shinshu acceptance of marriage for its priests. The blood line succession issues in that sect illustrate the problems that can arise when a religious order founded on celibacy no longer a requires it - the Buddha knew what he was doing when he required his disciples to take up the life of homelessness with celibacy. Of course, it would be unfair to lay the blame for the end of celibacy among the Japanese Buddhist religious on Jodo Shinshu - the laws enacted by Nobunaga and the Tokugawa shogunate did their part to crystalize Buddhist institutions by allowing for the the transfer of temples to children, prohibiting transfer of sectarian allegiances, curtailing of missionary work and proselytizing, etc. Basically, they wanted to remove the sectarian heat from Buddhism, and in doing so, I would argue the spirit was inflicted with a death blow. We are just now seeing the result of centuries of regulation and persecution on the Buddhist establishment. The laws created a captive audience for blood line temples and the clergy got lazy, plain and simple- running the temple became like taking on the family dentistry practice. Yawn. The Meiji Restoration and subsequent imposition of state Shinto also took its toll.
In the US, I think we will be going into a period of self reflection - if Buddhism is going to take hold and grow, its not going to be propelled forward by new converts - its going to be built by people born into families that converted to Buddhism. The view of Buddhism in a new convert and a person born into it are universes apart. I do hope that Buddhism takes root in America. We need it. And not the new agey hokey Buddhism - we need the real thing. In the very least, we need a taste of the Buddhist pardigm to challenge American/Western assumptions about life and provoke further development - this secular/materialist outlook is taking the meaning out of life, and the fundamental protestant Christianity is too rigid to serve a fertile ground.
Sorry for being long winded and volunteering more than my fair share of opinions.