Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of JapanPraying for practical benefits (genze riyaku) is a common religious activity in Japan. Despite its widespread nature and the vast numbers of people who pray and purchase amulets and talismans for everything from traffic safety and education success to business prosperity and protection from disease, the practice has been virtually ignored in academic studies or relegated to the margins as a uh_product of superstition or an aberration from the true dynamics of religion. Basing their work on a fusion of textual, ethnographic, historical, and contemporary studies, the authors of this volume demonstrate the fallacy of such views, showing that, far from being marginal, the concepts and practices surrounding genze riyaku lie at the very heart of the Japanese religious world. They thrive not only as popular religious expression but are supported by the doctrinal structures of most Buddhist sects, are ordained in religious scriptures, and are promoted by monastic training centers, shrines, and temples. |
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... Priests 190 Actions , Amulets , and Obligations 192 Return and Renewal : The Cycle of Purchase and Gratitude 195 Leaving Messages : The Use of Votive Tablets 197 Pilgrimage and the Pursuit of Benefits 199 Social Organizations and the ...
... priests who assisted in our work by giving interviews , respond- ing to our questions , and providing materials related to their institu- tions . We would like to thank the countless worshippers and visitors at various shrines and ...
... priests and others associated with main- stream religious traditions , such as Buddhism , and by journalists in the mass media . Accusing the new religions of being solely material- istic in nature , such critics condemn them as being 2 ...
... priests alike to draw distinctions within the realms of Buddhist practice and activity - between , for example , sup- posedly pure Buddhist practices , such as meditation , and others that somehow look more appropriately classified as ...
... priests in giving expedient answers to questions about how and why a religious tradition such as Buddhism has developed from its roots in monastic enlightenment beneath the bodhi tree to its role of provider of good fortune , business ...
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Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of Japan Ian Reader,George J. Tanabe No preview available - 1998 |