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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... spiritual state of an- shin rather than goals . Indeed , the notion of anshin itself presents pit- falls for the researcher . Like the skillful means argument discussed earlier , it provides a convenient argument , if not excuse , for ...
... spiritual solace in connec- tion with a practical aim : “ May I pay back the money I have borrowed quickly so as to become spiritually at ease ( shakkin o hayaku kaeshite seishinteki ni ochitsukemasu yō ni ) . " The person appended a ...
... spiritual benefit , manifested as peace of mind and deepening faith . This woman's faith in the amulets reflects the other aspect of the priest's comment — that the acquisition of a sought - after benefit would intensify faith — and ...
... spiritual kind , as indeed the experi- ences of people like Michiko , cited at the beginning of the chapter , show . Her reprieve from losing her job , which was so important to her life and continued happiness , represents a form of ...
... spiritual " elements of the religious enterprise . There is , in re- ality , no conflict between seemingly “ spiritual ” notions such as peace of mind , faith , and salvation , on the one hand , and apparently " ma- terial " ideas such ...
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Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of Japan Ian Reader,George J. Tanabe No preview available - 1998 |