History 150a
 
 
Institutional Religions:
Organized and Organizing Institutional Religions Buddhism Origins Basic Tenets Introduction to Japan Confucianism Origins Basic Tenets Introduction to Japan Syncretism Origins of Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama Born 500 BCE Shock => Quest Buddha = Enlightened One Disciples => Movement Key Terms Shared with Hinduism Samsara: Cycle of birth and rebirth Karma: Mental or physical deed Consequences of a deed Sum of all consequences of deeds in past and present lives (resulting in fate or justice) Ahimsa: To not cause harm Nirvana: "To extinguish" or enlightenment Buddhist Dharma (Teachings) Four Noble Truths: Life is sorrow The cause of sorrow is desire To break the cycle one must extinguish desire To extinguish desire, follow the eight-fold path Non-duality of the universe Illusion of the world emerges from the "Five Heaps" of matter, sensation, conception, volition and consciousness Buddhism Spreads Southern (Theraveda or School of Elders) Buddhism Northern (Mahayana or Great Way) Buddhism Mahayana "Skillful Means" Most people are too weak to walk the path toward enlightenment So "ends justify means" Growth of pantheon of Buddhist deities and "levels" of teachings from exo- to esoteric Japanese Buddhism Southern and Northern strains entered Japan from 6th c. but Northern type had the most impact 7-8th c. arrival and integration of Buddhist priests into court Final Step Toward the Tennô:
Buddhist Transcendence Nara period as the peak of the Ritsuryô State in terms of centralized rule by the reigning emperor Multiple Claims to Rule Divine Descent Heavenly Mandate Protector of the Realm Emperor Shômu Crises of 730s, 740s Plague (25-35% mortality), drought, economic unrest, foreign policy problems, court tensions, death of key advisers Response and Resolution Put together military to quell rebellions Created more inclusive Council of State Elaborate ceremonials and rites: Shintô but also many Buddhist in nature Buddhism as Tool for Statecraft Emperor Shômu developed role as patron and "servant" of Buddhist deities Stress on Golden Light Sutra: Buddhas protect realm of monarch who adopts Buddhism Resources devoted to elaborate ceremonials Building of temples, monasteries and nunneries in capitol and in provinces "Monopoly" on Buddhism Laws for Monks and Nuns (701) Licensing and registration system Attached to imperial court; hierarchical ranks Beginnings of Popular Buddhism Challenge to the imperial monopoly Gyôki as popular evangelist of early 8th c. Built temples, bridges, roads and other public works Charged with "confusing the masses" Incorporation into official hierarchy Gyôki given highest title of "Prelate" Gathered donations for state projects Gets some credit for stabilization of social order Buddhist Art of Nara
 Spirituality, Magic, Propaganda Impact of Buddhism on Local Beliefs "Shintô" took on a more unified form and some semblance of doctrine Invention of iconography Wide variety of practices continued to be seen in "peripheries" and among common folk Role of miko radically diminished Intertwining of Shintô and Buddhist beliefs Confucius (Kong Fuzi) Approximately 551-479 BCE Served as a consultant to rulers on ritual matters Held that the early Zhou Dynasty (1127-256 BCE) rulers established the most perfect and harmonious social and political order to date Celebrated from middle of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE -220 CE) Development of Confucianism Initial Period Tao: The Way Li: Rituals and norms Han Dynasty Codification Five Relationships Heavenly Mandate Filial Piety and Ancestor Worship Introduction to Japan Joint entrance in 6th century: Confucianism: way of social action/political order Specific rationale for centralized imperial governance Reciprocal moral relationships within hierarchy Duties rather than rights Taoism: way of mystical practice/natural order Religio-magical aspect had impact on popular beliefs Interaction of yin and yang shaping time and matter Divination, astrology, geomancy, calendar, medicine Syncreticism in Japan Attributed to Prince Shôtoku: Shintô is the root embedded in the soil of the people's character and national traditions; Confucianism is seen in the stem and branches of legal institutions, ethical codes, and education; Buddhism made the flowers of religious sentiment bloom and gave the fruits of spiritual life. Why possible? Why necessary?
Monday, October 9, 2006
Lecture 6: Institutional Religions