THE WORLD CIVILIZATIONS AND INDIA , PART-29

ARBIND KUMAR BLOG

ZEN AND JAPAN

It would be amazing to learn that ZEN was developed as a creed of military class in JAPAN . It also gave emphasis on BUSHIDO (THE CODE OF HONOUR AND MORALS DEVELOPED BY THE JAPANESE SAMURAI) and the code of chivalry . The suppression of self interest was the teachings of ZEN and that was recommended for SAMURAI (THE KNIGHTS) . ARCHERY and JU-JUTSU (THE WRESTLING SPORT) were developed as a part of the technique of self-defense . And it is said that in the JAPANESE society warriors used to hide small BUDDHIST images in their hair . Similarly , they used to hide a prayer leaflet underneath their armour . However , ZEN tried to humanize war but its Knightly followers totally abandoned the peaceful foundation of BUDDHISM as such .

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John Blofeld in his book The Jewl in the Lotus , originally published in 1948 , while giving a complete picture of the practices and rituals of BUDDHISM , has written about ZEN MEDITATION which appears to be similar to the INDIAN PRACTICES OF YOGA . To him ,’ The devotee takes up his position with his legs crossed and the sole of his feet uppermost ( the lotus posture ) . His back is held straight , but not rigidly , the palm of his right hand facing upwards and its back contained in the palm of the left hand which rests , knuckles downwards , on his lap . His eyes are kept half-closed , his mouth is slightly open and the tip of his tongue rests lightly at the base of his upper teeth . This position can be maintained for hours by those who have had sufficient experience , and there are even some who can maintain it for days . After taking up this posture the seeker after Enlightenment allows a few moments for his thoughts to become calm , and then strives to put his mind into a condition to receive the intuitive knowledge which , it is believed , enters only when the mind is perfectly still and devoid of thoughts…..’* The BUDDHIST MONKS are duty bond to repeat the threefold refuse daily : 1. FULL FAITH IN BUDDHA ; 2. LAW AND ORDER ; and 3. ADORATION TO AMIDA( AMITABHA ) BUDDHA .

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The JAPANESE BOUDH religion is called MAHAYANA BUDDHISM . CHARLES ELIOT in his book JAPANESE BUDDHISM has written that the JAPANESE BOUDH religion had been following the principles of MAHAYANA BUDDHISM for past thousand of years but it had a considerable impact of the JAPANESE culture and society on its practices as such . However , the NICHIREN sect of BUDDHISM had a sizable impact on the JAPANESE society for past eight hundred years . NICHIREN was its propounder of this sect who called BUDDHISM as the national religion of JAPAN . He emphasized on worship of LORD BUDDHA rather than AMITABHA . He considered LOTUS SUTRA as the basic essence of the BUDDHISM and SAKYAMUNI . SOKA GAKAI ,the founder of MAKI-GUCHI-SUNE-SABURO , also instructed his disciples to follow the basic essence of the NICHIREN BUDDHISM . The MAKI-GUCHI discarded war and preached the importance of non-violence in the life of JAPANESE people . Due to such propagation by MAKI-GUCHI , he was arrested and sent to the jail . Similarly , his successor TODAJOSEI was also arrested during the second World War due to the similar causes and he remained in the jail for years . But when he was released he preached among the people about non-violence to bring about peace and affluency in the JAPANESE society . And his famous disciple DAISAKU EKEDA when took over the charges of NICHIREN BUDDHIST sect, JAPAN had more than crores of followers of this sects . When SOKAGKAI INTERNATIONAL was founded in 1975 , DAISAKU EKEDA propagated the principles of love , non-violence and unity of human beings all over the world and his followers were more than millions the world over .

NOTE : THE SOURCES OF THE BLOG ARE TEXT BOOKS AND OTHER WRITTEN MATERIALS ON THE SUBJECT .

JOHN BLOFELD , ‘ THE JEWEL IN THE LOTUS ‘ P. 136

TO BE CONTINUED ……………………..

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