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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 67
... Spirituality 115 Social Welfare and Repayment of Gratitude 120 Materialism , Selfishness , and Prayers for All 123 Belief and Disbelief in Magic 126 Prayer and Purchase 136 4 The Providers of Benefits : Gods , Saints , and Wizards 140 ...
... spiritual nourishment . Our final acknowledgment is one tinged with sadness . As we were working on the final stages of this book , both our mothers passed away : Ethel Tanabe in November 1996 and Marie Reader in June 1997. This book is ...
... spiritual benefits but Japanese folk beliefs cor- rupted the idea to include material pleasures.7 The Nichiren scholar Asai Endō characterizes the new religions as being devoid of doc- trine and having only methods for magical healing ...
... spiritual states , including peace of mind and salvation , are closely related to these practices and the meanings upon which they are based . If we understand material- ism to imply that it is through material advances alone that ...
... spiritual and material questions , we should mention here three terms that are linked to the concept and practices surrounding genze riyaku . These terms are " peace of mind " ( anshin ) , " faith " ( shinkō ) , and “ salvation ...
Other editions - View all
Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of Japan Ian Reader,George J. Tanabe No preview available - 1998 |