Buddhism and Shintoism in Medieval Japan By: Yiajaira, Jeffrey, Josephine, Luis

STUDY GUIDE! What is Shintoism ? What is Buddhism ?How are they different? How did Buddhism arrive to Japan? How did Buddhism spread in Japan ? Did Buddhism replace Shintoism? Why? How did Buddhism and Shintoism thrive in Japan? Try to answer these questions at the end of our presentation.

Guess What This Means

Shintoism No actual founder, no founding date, no ancient scriptures Began around 500 B.C.(E.) Believed in Kami spirits (lightning, river, mountain, etc.) The Sun goddess Amaterasu is one of the most important Kami spirits in Shintoism Shrines - places to worship Kami spirits Believed in purification, anything unclean must be purified (touching dead bodies, dirt, etc. makes one unclean Believed in the importance of life

Buddhism Originated in India in 500 B.C.E. - Founder: Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) Came to Japan in 500 C.E. from Korea Sees life full of suffering and pain, opposite of Shintoism - Endless cycle of life: birth, death, rebirth 90,000,000 Japanese people consider themselves Buddhists Consists of multiple sects Example of sects: 1. Tendai (805 C.E.) 2. Shingon (806 C.E.) 3. Jodo (1175 C.E.) 4. Zen (1191 C.E.) Influenced Japanese (poetry, calligraphy, painting, etc.)

How Buddhism Arrived to Japan King Asoka of the empire in Magadh had to send missionaries to the east to show or teach Buddhism for example , China and Korea. They didn’t pay attention to this religion, but when king Asoka died Buddhism had trouble expanding in India because Islam had arrived. They escaped, they went to hide to the east for example China and Korea, so the east got more influenced by Buddhism. China and Korea took the first Idea of Buddhism to Japan.

The Acceptance and Spread of Buddhism A Korean king sent a statue of the Buddha with monks books and prayers and banners, the emperor made a temple to house the objects There was a debate , but finally they build the temple When Buddhism arrived it wasn’t as popular , it was mostly practiced by the imperial court There was a time in which people were against it, but then Shotoku proved them wrong After a while, it spread down the social ladder Most of Japan was practicing both religions

The Mirror of Matsuyama This story is from Japan and has Shinto origins. Shinto teaches to live happy and to forgive. “No such trouble ever darkened the home again , and the young girl gradually forgot the year of unhappiness in the tender love and care that her stepmother now bestowed on her” This story tells us the special bond between parents and children . It also shows the joyfulness of the religion Shintoism. “She was the joy and pride of both their lives and in her they stored an endless source of happiness for their old age”

Two Religions in Japan The religions did not rival each other Buddhism originated in India and through cultural diffusion it reached Japan Both of the religions thrived in Japan Buddhism did not contradict Shintoism nor did Shintoism contradict Buddhism