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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... 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 special prayers ...
... results , they are generally understood to involve primarily material or physical gains such as good health , healing , success , or , as in the case cited here , personal advancement in one's life path , as well as less tangible ...
... results from hav- ing prayed and acquired a sign ( an amulet or some other tangible ob- ject ) of the grace of the buddhas has the effect , he stated , of enabling one to focus one's mind on the task at hand , such as studying for an ...
... 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 , are components of , and are also to some degree products of genze riyaku . As the conversation ...
... result of faith , and the sect's doctrine thus links faith and benefits together . The doctrines of Ichibata Yakushi Kyōdan as set out in the organization's registration as a religious cor- poration under the Religious Corporations Law ...
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Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of Japan Ian Reader,George J. Tanabe No preview available - 1998 |