The adoption of Buddhism in Japan was deeply enmeshed with
efforts to unify the archipelago politically and dramatically shaped Japanese
cultural identity. On Monday, Thomas Kasulis (Ohio State University) will
examine how Buddhist teachings and practices transmitted from Korea in the 6th
century were at first contested by those who believed this foreign religion
would offend native kami (spirit forces), but quickly came into
symbiotic relationship with the imperial state and aristocratic society.
Following this, he will discuss the spread of Buddhism among the common people
and the emergence of Tendai and Shingon in the Heian (794-1185) period as
distinctively Japanese Buddhist reform movements fusing of concerns for state
security and prosperity with convictions that enlightenment can be realized “in
this very body” (sokushin jōbutsu). On Tuesday, he will discuss the
doctrinal and practical innovations of the Kamakura (1185-1333) period
traditions of Pure Land, Nichiren and Zen, focusing in particular on Zen
thought and practice and their impacts on Japanese aesthetics.
Life of Nichiren: A Vision of Prayer on the Waves, Edo John Szostak (University of Hawaii) will follow this by
exploring how Buddhism influenced
period; Photo Credit: www.metmuseum.org premodern Japanese aesthetics, art and
architecture, making use of architectural works, icons
and ritual objects,
calligraphy, gardens and illustrations from popular Buddhist texts. On Thursday
morning, Lori Meeks (USC) will investigate the profound interdependence of
religion and politics in premodern Japan, including a discussion about gender
in Buddhist institutions, after which Keller Kimbrough (Univ. of Colorado,
Boulder) will explore how Buddhism shaped the Japanese literary imagination and
aesthetic ideals, focusing on the roles of preachers, poets and women in
expressing the meaning of the Buddhist path in premodern Japan. The week will
end with a participant-led panel discussion featuring Professors Kasulis,
Szostak, Meeks and Kimbrough.