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 6-10 of 43
... 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 ) have often been regarded as among the most efficacious ...
... associated with preliterate societies and notions of mystical awareness as they have existed in such societies . " 1 It is questionable whether concepts , ritu- als , and practices added to Japanese religion by Buddhism among other ...
... associated as it is with the status and support struc- tures of the " traditional ” established religions ( kisei shūkyō ) . This is es- pecially true given that the primary focus of the academic study of re- ligion in the modern age ...
... associated with ludic activities ( such as visiting religious places at hol- iday times or attending festivals ) , and in Chapter 5 we draw atten- tion to the close relationship between entertainment and religious practice . The culture ...
... associated with it . This chapter looks at the various guidebooks that furnish information on shrines and temples that have developed reputations for providing genze riyaku . In essence , the chapter presents a mini - guide to some of ...
Other editions - View all
Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of Japan Ian Reader,George J. Tanabe No preview available - 1998 |