The Religions of Japan, from the Dawn of History to the Era of MéijiGriffis, William Elliot
Religion
The Religions of Japan, from the Dawn of History to the Era of Méiji
Griffis, William Elliot
Japan -- Religion
"The heart of my country, the power of my country, the Light of
my country, is Buddhism."--Yatsubuchi, of Japan.
"Buddhism was the teacher under whose instruction the Japanese
nation grew up."--Chamberlain.
"Buddhism was the civilizer. It came with the freshness of
religious zeal, and religious zeal was a novelty. It come as the
bearer of civilization and enlightenment."
"Buddhism has had a fair field in Japan, and its outcome has not
been elevating. Its influence has been aesthetic and not
ethical. It added culture and art to Japan, as it brought with
itself the civilization of continental Asia. It gave the arts,
and more, it added the artistic atmosphere.... Reality
disappears. 'This fleeting borrowed world' is all mysterious, a
dream; moonlight is in place of the clear hot sun.... It has so
fitted itself to its surroundings that it seems
indigenous."--George William Knox.
"The Japanese ... are indebted to Buddhism for their present
civilization and culture, their great susceptibility to the
beauties of nature, and the high perfection of several branches
of artistic industry."--Rein.
"We speak of _God_, and the Japanese mind is filled with idols.
We mention _sin_, and he thinks of eating flesh or the killing
of insects. The word _holiness_ reminds him of crowds of
pilgrims flocking to some famous shrine, or of some anchorite
sitting lost in religions abstraction till his legs rot off. He
has much error to unlearn before he can take in the
truth-"--R.E. McAlpine.
"There in a life of study, prayer, and thought,
Kenshin became a saintly priest--not wide
In intellect nor broad in sympathies,
For such things come not from the ascetic life;
But narrow, strong, and deep, and like the stream
That rushes fervid through the narrow path
Between the rooks at Nikkō--so he grasped,
Heart, soul, and strength, the holy Buddha's Law
With no room left for doubt, or sympathy
For other views."--Kenshin's Vision.
"For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the
same, my name is great among the Gentiles; and in every place
incense is offered unto my name, and a pure offering, for my
name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of
hosts."--Malachi.
CHAPTER X - JAPANESE BUDDHISM IN ITS MISSIONARY DEVELOPMENT
Missionary Buddhism the Measure of Japan's Civilization.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account