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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... received as a result of their religious devotion , Michiko be- came convinced that this was a religion that might be able to help her out of her present predicament . She began to attend the meetings regularly , and got involved in ...
... received benefits or believe that they might do so . Although skillful means as a concept affirms the role of Buddhism in pointing toward an absolute truth ( and in such contexts Buddhism itself may be seen as a skillful means carrying ...
... receiving benefits . Again , one should note that the priest did not question that benefits would result from praying to the bud- dhas he served at his temple . ! In this explanation , then , we see that anshin and shinkō are related to ...
... received.80 Al- though Davis explains the practice of seeking material benefits in terms of motivated action in ... receiving that includes the crucial function of morality that is lacking in exchange theory and Davis's " in order to ...
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Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of Japan Ian Reader,George J. Tanabe No preview available - 1998 |