Zen at WarA compelling history of the contradictory, often militaristic, role of Zen Buddhism, this book meticulously documents the close and previously unknown support of a supposedly peaceful religion for Japanese militarism throughout World War II. Drawing on the writings and speeches of leading Zen masters and scholars, Brian Victoria shows that Zen served as a powerful foundation for the fanatical and suicidal spirit displayed by the imperial Japanese military. At the same time, the author recounts the dramatic and tragic stories of the handful of Buddhist organizations and individuals that dared to oppose Japan's march to war. He follows this history up through recent apologies by several Zen sects for their support of the war and the way support for militarism was transformed into 'corporate Zen' in postwar Japan. The second edition includes a substantive new chapter on the roots of Zen militarism and an epilogue that explores the potentially volatile mix of religion and war. With the increasing interest in Buddhism in the West, this book is as timely as it is certain to be controversial. |
Contents
Institutional Buddhisms Rejection | 49 |
The Incorporation of Buddhism into | 57 |
Buddhist Resistance to Japanese Militarism | 66 |
Copyright | |
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Anesaki army Ashoka Asia battlefield Buddha Dharma Buddha Shakyamuni Buddhist Buddhist leaders Buddhist priests Bukkyō Bushido Ch'an chapter China Chinese Christianity D. T. Suzuki Daihōrin Daiun death dhism doctrine Ekijū emperor enlightenment entitled faith Gudō Gudō's Hakamaya Hanazono University Heretics and Martyrs High Treason Incident History Honganji branch Ibid Ichikawa Hakugen imperial imperial-way Buddhism institutional Buddhism issue Japanese Buddhism Japanese militarism Kenkyū Ketelaar killing Kōdō Komazawa University Martyrs in Meiji Meiji period military monks Myōshinji Nantembō nation Nihon one's Pacific War peace political postwar practice Quoted religion religious reverence Rinzai Zen Rinzai Zen sect Russo-Japanese Russo-Japanese War samurai Sangha scholars sect's Senō Shaku Shin sect Shinto Shūkyō social Sōen soldiers Sōtō Zen sect spirit Sugimoto Sutra Suzuki Daisetsu sword teaching temple tion Tōjō Hideki Tokugawa Uchiyama unity of Zen warrior wartime wrote zazen Zen master Zen priests Zen's Zenshū