![]() A nationwide movement began to cleanse Japan of this "foreign religion" and to reinstate Shinto as the only true Japanese tradition. By the time the Meiji era began in 1868, there was growing popular huge resentment against Buddhism. With such wealth and power came enormous liability. Every household had to be affiliated with a local temple. The Buddhist priesthood became an extension of the feudal government. Nearly half a million temples were built. Buddhism became the state religion of Japan during the Tokugawa era (1600-1868). There is a lot to learn here that could have profound effects as Buddhism takes root in the west.įirst a little history. It would be easy to dismiss this as a Japanese wartime aberration that is long past and would never happen again. Secondly, we need the courage to explore the many uncomfortable and difficult questions this story raises. First, we need to understand the historical and cultural context. In facing what Robert Aitken Roshi has called "the dark side of our heritage," we are entering some very complex terrain. It may be the most significant Buddhist history book of the decade. Zen at War is a major contribution to understanding contemporary Zen and is a "must read" for all serious Dharma students. But, as Victoria rightly points out, the truth is never slander. ![]() One Chinese priest suggested that it would slander the Dharma. To uncover this information demanded, a researcher/ author would need to be outside the Japanese world of loyalty so he could dig deeply and ask uncomfortable questions. Zen at War could not have been written in Japan. They are just beginning to confront what happened. So over 50 years of Buddhist history have been hidden from outsiders and the Japanese themselves. After World War II, the Japanese Zen tradition, like the nation itself, went into a collective and willful amnesia regarding its complicity in the war. Enlightened Zen Masters supporting war contradicts everything we know about the Buddha's teaching. Most western Buddhists will find this account heart- and mind- boggling. The consequences were catastrophic and the impact can still be felt today. He chronicles in detail how prominent Zen leaders perverted the Buddhist teaching to encourage blind obedience, mindless killing, and total devotion to the emperor. Victoria reveals the inside story of the Japanese Zen establishment's dedicated support of the imperial war machine from the late 1800's through World War II. Zen at War is a courageous and exhaustively researched book by Brian Victoria, a western Soto Zen priest and instructor at the University of Auckland. During the Vietnam War, Buddhist monks set themselves on fire to protest the fighting.Īnd now a new study emerges that will radically shake up this view of a totally peaceful Buddhism. When the Dharma came to Tibet, it is said that the barbaric tribes were pacified. When the Indian King Asoka converted to Buddhism, he curtailed his military escapades and erected peace pillars. When the Sakya kingdom was threatened with invasion, the Buddha sat in meditation in the path of the soldiers, stopping the attack. "There has never been a Buddhist war," I've heard many times over the years. On the other hand, Buddhism has always been portrayed as the religion of peace. "And even now, nearly a thousand years later, Islamic terrorists proclaim "God is Great "as bombs explode in the Middle East and foreign capitals. "Piles of heads, hands, and feet It was a just and splendid judgment of God that this place should be filled with the blood of unbelievers. ![]() "Wonderful sights," one crusader reported. "In two days, Christian soldiers slaughtered an estimated 40,000 Muslims who were branded as merely non-human "filth". In 1095, Pope Urban II ordered crusaders to Jerusalem to "kill the enemies of God. ![]() The commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill" did not apply to slaying gentiles. The God of Exodus orders the extermination of the Caananites, instructing his chosen people to "show them no pity". Think of "holy wars" and western religions come to mind. ![]() "Since the Meiji period, our (Soto Zen) sect has cooperated in waging war." Where there is absolute loyalty there is no life or death." Truly they should be called gods and Buddhas for whom there is no life or death. "Warriors who sacrifice their lives for the emperor will not die. extends to the farthest reaches of the holy war now under way." - Zen Master Harada Daiun Sogaku – 1939 This is the manifestation of the highest wisdom of enlightenment. "If ordered to march: tramp, tramp or shoot: bang, bang. ![]()
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