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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... statue of the Buddha of Healing , Yakushi , in the sea , enshrined it in his home , and prayed earnestly to it . His faith was rewarded with a number of wonderful events , the most dramatic being the restoration of his mother's sight.49 ...
... statues , and figures of worship that have been closely associated with so - called high or elite culture ( and have subsequently been desig- nated as National Treasures ( kokuhō ) or Important Cultural Proper- ties ( jūyō bunkazai ) ...
... statues , deities , and saints contain an intrinsically moral dimension that asserts correct and in- correct modes of behavior and , frequently , demonstrates the negative side of benefits lost or punishments suffered through failing to ...
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Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of Japan Ian Reader,George J. Tanabe No preview available - 1998 |