James C. Dobbins and Richard M. Jaffe
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780520268937
- eISBN:
- 9780520959620
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520268937.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This essay is a collection of excerpts from Suzuki’s book Japanese Spirituality (Nihon teki reisei). In it he tries to define the essential nature of religious awareness in Japan and explicates ...
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This essay is a collection of excerpts from Suzuki’s book Japanese Spirituality (Nihon teki reisei). In it he tries to define the essential nature of religious awareness in Japan and explicates examples from Japan’s religious traditions, especially Pure Land Buddhism. He describes this awareness as reisei, tentatively translated as spirituality, and defines it as a state in which conflicting entities are experienced as one, even while retaining their own identity. Suzuki claims that Zen and Pure Land, especially Shin Buddhism, exemplify reisei the best among Japanese traditions.Less
This essay is a collection of excerpts from Suzuki’s book Japanese Spirituality (Nihon teki reisei). In it he tries to define the essential nature of religious awareness in Japan and explicates examples from Japan’s religious traditions, especially Pure Land Buddhism. He describes this awareness as reisei, tentatively translated as spirituality, and defines it as a state in which conflicting entities are experienced as one, even while retaining their own identity. Suzuki claims that Zen and Pure Land, especially Shin Buddhism, exemplify reisei the best among Japanese traditions.
James C. Dobbins and Richard M. Jaffe
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780520268937
- eISBN:
- 9780520959620
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520268937.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This essay is a chapter from Suzuki’s book Japanese Spirituality (Nihon teki reisei). In it he presents the sayings, (along with his analysis) of two Shin Buddhists, Dōshū (d. 1516) of Akao and ...
More
This essay is a chapter from Suzuki’s book Japanese Spirituality (Nihon teki reisei). In it he presents the sayings, (along with his analysis) of two Shin Buddhists, Dōshū (d. 1516) of Akao and Asahara Saichi (1850-1932). Suzuki portrays them as examples of Japanese reisei, spirituality, and identifies them as myōkōnin, simple but inspiring models of Shin Buddhist piety. Dōshū was well known in Shin history and admired for his unswerving faith and simple austere life style. Saichi, a little-known wooden clog maker, composed free verses while he worked, mostly rejoicing in Amida and the words of the nembutsu, Namu-amida-butsu. Suzuki interprets his verses as an expression Saichi’s nondualistic identification with Amida, exemplifying Japanese reisei.Less
This essay is a chapter from Suzuki’s book Japanese Spirituality (Nihon teki reisei). In it he presents the sayings, (along with his analysis) of two Shin Buddhists, Dōshū (d. 1516) of Akao and Asahara Saichi (1850-1932). Suzuki portrays them as examples of Japanese reisei, spirituality, and identifies them as myōkōnin, simple but inspiring models of Shin Buddhist piety. Dōshū was well known in Shin history and admired for his unswerving faith and simple austere life style. Saichi, a little-known wooden clog maker, composed free verses while he worked, mostly rejoicing in Amida and the words of the nembutsu, Namu-amida-butsu. Suzuki interprets his verses as an expression Saichi’s nondualistic identification with Amida, exemplifying Japanese reisei.
Jeff Wilson, Tomoe Moriya, and Richard M. Jaffe (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780520269170
- eISBN:
- 9780520965355
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520269170.003.0014
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter contains excerpts from D. T. Suzuki's book Nihon teki reisei (Japanese Spirituality), published in 1944 under strict censorship and reprinted in 1946. Suzuki begins by discussing the ...
More
This chapter contains excerpts from D. T. Suzuki's book Nihon teki reisei (Japanese Spirituality), published in 1944 under strict censorship and reprinted in 1946. Suzuki begins by discussing the awakening of Japanese spirituality and the popularization of Buddhism during the Kamakura period. He then addresses Shinto's political nature, arguing that it is neither a religious belief nor a manifestation of spirituality. According to Suzuki, Shinto lacks the depth of the stage of negation, as in the logic of affirmation-in-negation (soku-hi), which is stimulated by and manifests in Buddhist phenomena, particularly in the Pure Land and Zen schools. In addition, Suzuki compares Catholic and Buddhist traditions concerning muga (no-self) and obedience, along with their interpretations of these mental states. He also talks about the relation between teaching and self-awakening.Less
This chapter contains excerpts from D. T. Suzuki's book Nihon teki reisei (Japanese Spirituality), published in 1944 under strict censorship and reprinted in 1946. Suzuki begins by discussing the awakening of Japanese spirituality and the popularization of Buddhism during the Kamakura period. He then addresses Shinto's political nature, arguing that it is neither a religious belief nor a manifestation of spirituality. According to Suzuki, Shinto lacks the depth of the stage of negation, as in the logic of affirmation-in-negation (soku-hi), which is stimulated by and manifests in Buddhist phenomena, particularly in the Pure Land and Zen schools. In addition, Suzuki compares Catholic and Buddhist traditions concerning muga (no-self) and obedience, along with their interpretations of these mental states. He also talks about the relation between teaching and self-awakening.
