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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... desire to expand its influence and reach greater numbers of people . Whatever the intent of the concept , it has provided a means through which those who wish to do so can legitimize the apparent accretions and assimilations from the ...
... desire of those who pray at shrines and temples , but it is rarely a direct and pragmatic goal . It is , instead , one that is intertwined with other needs and concerns which may be ma- terial and may be more urgent . Peace of mind is a ...
... desire itself is the spirit of future rebirth . " 57 Matsumoto , who subsequently links worldly benefits to the expres- sion of true faith , 58 not only refutes the view that true religion has nothing to do with this - worldly benefits ...
... desire for ac- quiring practical benefits from their pilgrimages was shared by all . The aristocrats set out on their pilgrimages with the intention of get- ting practical benefits just as did the artisans.62 At times , perhaps , those ...
... desires is not a matter deserv- ing condemnation . The stories , tales , and histories told to promote the efficacy of specific religious centers , statues , deities , and saints contain an intrinsically moral dimension that asserts ...
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Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of Japan Ian Reader,George J. Tanabe No preview available - 1998 |