Japanese Religion

Order Description

Instructions: Write an answer to both the essay questions in Section 1 and
Section 2. The answers should not be less than 500 words.
Section 1: Essay (50 points)
In the Kamakura period there was a proliferation of so called “New
Buddhist Schools.” a) Were these Schools authentically “new” compare
to the “old” Buddhist Schools of the Heian period (Tendai School and
Shingon School)? Describe the type of ‘exclusive practices’ adopted
by: b) H?nen in the Pure Land School (J?do-sh?); c) Shinran in the
New Pure Land School (J?do- shinsh?); d) Eisai and D?gen in the
two Zen Schools (Rinzai-sh? and S?t?- sh?); e) Ippen Sh?nin in the
Ippen School (Ji-sh?); f) and Nichiren in the Nichiren School (Nichirensh?).
g) What was the doctrinal relationship between these ‘exclusive
practices’ and the notion of mapp??
Section 2: Essay (50 points)
The religious meanings attributed to the practitioner’s body/mind
play a pivotal role in Esoteric Buddhism (Tendai and Shingon Schools),
and Shugend?. In the first part of the essay, describe the doctrinal
discourses associated to the human body according to: a) the four types
of sam?dhi; b) the three mysteries (san mitsu); c) the ideal of sokushin
j?butsu; and d) the mountain-entry ritual of Aki no mine. Close your
essay with an explanation of the idea of e) kami-asobi in relation to the
pilgrimage during the Edo period.
If you also integrate and explain the meaning of these three topics in
your second essay, you will have extra credits:
f) The Aum Shinri-ky?’s notion of “salvation by killing”.
g) How Christianity was understood in relation with other Buddhist
Schools.
h) How Christian missionaries understood Japanese religions in relation
with Christianity.